DEO Bandipora briefs banks regarding monitoring of Election Expenditure
BANDIPORA: To ensure transparency and fairness in the upcoming Assembly elections 2024, the District Election Officer (DEO) Bandipora, Manzoor Ahmad Qadri, chaired a meeting with representatives from various banks operating within the district to discuss the critical role of financial institutions in monitoring and regulating election expenditure as part of the Election Commission’s mandate for free and fair elections.
ADDC Mohammad Ashraf Bhatt, Nodal Officer MCC/ADC Zaffar Husson Shawal, DyDEO Mohammad Rafeeq Bhat, Nodal Officer Expenditure Monitoring Committee/ DTO Bandipora, Sheikh Aabid Manzoor, Member Expenditure Monitoring Committee/ DIO Bandipora Aadil Manzoor Wani, LDM Bandipora and Brach Heads of various Banks operating in the district were also present on the occasion.
The DEO on the occasion emphasized the importance of maintaining financial integrity throughout the electoral process and directed Banks to adhere strictly to guidelines and procedures of Election Commission of India to prevent any instances of malpractice or misuse of funds.
He directed to exercise heightened vigilance in identifying and reporting any suspicious transactions that could potentially be linked to electoral malpractices.
The DEO highlighted that the effective monitoring of election expenditure is crucial for upholding the integrity of the democratic process, preventing the misuse of financial resources and providing level playing field to all parties and candidates.
He highlighted the role of banks in election expenditure monitoring and asked them to monitor unusual transactions and suspicious transactions to ensure elections are held in a fair manner besides banks were directed to open dedicated counters for election purposes to facilitate prompt service to the candidates.
Nodal Officer Expenditure monitoring, Sheikh Abid Manzoor also highlighted the role of banks in expenditure monitoring and briefed the participants regarding the specific guidelines and protocols established by the Election Commission of India for expenditure monitoring.
He asked the concerned officers of banks to submit daily reports to the District Election Office regarding the suspicious withdrawal of cash during elections asked them to monitor unusual and suspicious cash withdrawal or deposit of cash in a bank exceeding Rs.one lac and unusual transfer of amount through RTGS during the election process.
He also asked the bank heads to monitor cash deposit and withdrawal from bank accounts of political parties besides monitoring online and digital transactions. The Nodal Officer Expenditure Monitoring Committee also stressed on banks to ensure the following of necessary SOPs for transporting Cash by ATM Vans.
