Helpline numbers to check cash, liquor flow during poll process

Reported by Chinmaya Dehury
Bhubaneswar, Mar 25:

The Income Tax department of Odisha has introduced a toll-free helpline number for general public to alert it about any suspicious movement of large sums of cash during the general elections in the state.

The investigation wing of the department has created a control room and complaint monitoring cell at its office here to curb the use of black money and illegal inducements in the poll process following the instructions of the Election Commission (EC).

The toll-free number–1800-345-6114– will be monitored round-the-clock and will be supervised by a senior officer of the rank of deputy director (IT), said a release of the EC.

The department has also prepared a team of sleuths which will be monitoring black money related instances with special emphasis on the measures deployed for the election period, a senior I-T officer said.

Similarly, the Excise department has launched another toll-free number 180-3456713 for the general public who can use it to inform about liquor distribution, if any, during the elections.

Besides, other excise related activities can be communicated through the toll free number.

These steps have been taken to help conduct a free and fair elections in the state

It is to be noted that the EC has also created an Election Expenditure Monitoring cell to monitor illegal money and other such bribes to voters during the elections.