Lok Sabha Polls 2024-: Cash, drugs, Liquor and others worth Rs 2 crore seized since MCC imposition

Ludhiana, March 22, 2024: The District Administration Ludhiana has seized around Rs. 2 crore worth of cash, drugs, liquor, and precious metals since the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) on March 16. 

The seizures by surveillance teams include cash of Rs. 40 lakh, followed by drugs worth Rs. 1.48 crore, liquor worth Rs. 18.14 lakh, and other items.

Detailing the information in a press conference, District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney accompanied by SSP Khanna Amneet Kondal, SSP Ludhiana (Rural) Navneet Singh Bains said that a total of 126 flying squad teams comprising a magistrate, cops were constituted in the district. These teams were given vehicles mounted with camera ensuring real-time feed to the control room and keeping close vigil in the field. She said that since the imposition of the MCC, 9360 hoardings, banners, posters include 5376 from public and 3984 from private properties had been removed in the district.

The District Election Officer also said that 94% of complaints received by the administration manually, on NGSP portal, and C-vigil had already been resolved. She further stated that directions had been issued to all arms license holders in the Ludhiana district to deposit their licensed weapons and ammunition at the nearest police station by March 31. Any person wanting to seek exemption due to compelling reasons should apply to the screening committee for review of the decision with grounds for the particular case. Any such representation will be decided by the screening committee immediately, preferably within 24 hours. Non-compliance with this order would lead to prosecution under the appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant laws. She also said that the district administration would also keep a close vigil over the paid news and advertisement content in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The MCMC committee will closely monitor the news content in news channels/social media as well as newspapers, she added. 

Sawhney also said that ECI had now provided the facility to authorised journalists engaged in the coverage of polling day to cast their votes through postal ballot. This facility will be available only to those journalists who have been issued authorisation letter by the ECI for coverage of election work. Journalists will have to apply for voting through postal ballot by attaching their authorisation letter. 

Expressing her commitment to ensuring transparent, free, and fair elections in Ludhiana, the District Election Officer said that holding elections peacefully and transparently is the top priority of the administration, and every effort would be made to accomplish this gigantic task without any hindrance. She said that the Lok Sabha elections are one of the biggest exercises in the country wherein every section of society is observing the administration for the efficient conduct of this herculean task.

SSP Khanna Amneet Kondal and SSP Ludhiana Rural Navneet Singh Bains also said that every officer had a huge responsibility to ensure the exercise was completed perfectly. They said that no one would be allowed to disturb the poll process during the elections, and anyone who tries to create disturbance in the elections would be dealt with sternly as per the provisions of the law.

Prominent figures present at the occasion included ADCs Major Amit Sareen, Anmol Singh Dhaliwal, Rupinder Pal Singh, GLADA ACA Ojsavi Alankar, MC Additional Commissioner Paramdeep Singh, SDMs Vikas Hira, Gurbir Singh Kohli, Baljinder Singh Dhillon, Deepak Bhatia, Rajneesh Arora, Beant Singh Sidhu, GLADA Estate Officer Ankur Mahindroo, Joint MC Commissioners Navneet Kaur Bal, Chetan Bunger, RTA Randeep Heer, Assistant Commissioner Krishna Pal Rajpoot, and others.