Committee set up in Ludhiana to handle election seizures

LUDHIANA: In view of the upcoming Ludhiana West by-election and following the instructions in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Election Commission of India, the district administration of Ludhiana has constituted a four-member committee.

This committee is tasked with handling cases related to the seizure of cash and other materials by flying squad teams (FST), static surveillance teams (SST), and excise teams to strictly enforce the Model Code of Conduct, according to an official statement.As per the statement, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development) Amarjit Bains has been appointed as the chairman of the committee. District Treasury Officer Arun Kumar, ACFA Rakesh Kansal, and SO Shivinder Singh are its members.The statement further explained that, as per guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the committee will make decisions regarding the seizure and release of cash and other items confiscated during checks to avoid inconvenience to the general public.Election officials stated that the committee would examine each case of seizure by the police, FST, and SST on its own initiative. Upon confirming that the confiscated material was not linked to any political party or candidate, the committee would issue orders for the release of such seizures.

They added that if a concerned person presented any proof legitimising the seizure, the committee would decide on the release of such cash or other impounded material.Notably, carrying up to Rs 50,000 in cash requires no documentation. However, amounts between Rs 50,000 and Rs 10 lakh must be accompanied by valid proof, while cash exceeding Rs 10 lakh, even with documentation, will be reported to the Income Tax Department for further scrutiny by the seizing teams.