Special Expenditure Observer for Nagaland, DD Goel, for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, arrived in the State on April 1.
In a press release, media cell, CEO office Nagaland stated that Goel had rounds of meetings with CEO Nagaland, Abhijit Sinha; Commissioner & RO Nagaland, M. Patton; Expenditure Observers and others at Hotel Japfü, Kohima to take stock of the election expenditure monitoring mechanism in the run up to the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in Nagaland.
The observer highlighted the ECI’s guidelines regarding expenditure and also elicited status reports from all the election related officials and the other Expenditure Observers.
Goel, was keen to understand the major components of inducement of voters and reviewed the status of seizures (cash, liquor etc), was briefed by the CEO, the state police nodal officer and the Expenditure Observers present.
In this connection, the observer also proposed to examine the market and find out if there has been any sudden spurt in the sale and purchase of any particular item that could have a bearing on the ensuing elections.
He also underscored the importance and effectiveness of the c-Vigil App in curbing and addressing election expenditure violations by Candidates and Political Parties for inducement of voters. Accordingly, he impressed upon the State election machinery to enhance publicity of the c-Vigil App through various media especially the daily newspapers.
Earlier, on his arrival in Dimapur, the Special Expenditure Observer proceeded to 173 CRPF Battalion conference Hall and conducted a meeting with Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dimapur, Commissioner Police Dimapur, Airport Dimapur Director, Additional Commissioner Excise, CO 173 CRPF, officials from Income Tax, banks, CISF and nodal officers for expenditure and monitoring team Dimapur, stated a DIPR report.
At the meeting, Goyal urged the members to be vigilant on the inflow of black money in the state so as to check the influence of money during the coming Lok Sabha Elections.
Goyal also sought cooperation from the banks and asked them to provide daily information to the district administration on any unusual transactions based on real time. Besides SBI, Goyal informed that cooperative banks and all other private banks have to give information of their daily transactions to the district administration till the election process was over.
Observing that distribution of liquor and other contraband items were common during elections, Goyal advised the excise department to continue to be alert on the flow of such items.
The special expenditure observer also mooted the idea of giving advertisements and placing hoardings with regard to the C-Vigil app, so that the message percolates down to the public at large.
He encouraged all the officials to cooperate with one another and give their best efforts for successful conduct of the 17th Lok Sabha Elections.