Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued standard operating procedure (SOP) for transportation of cash scrupulously during the model code of conduct for Assembly polls.
Disclosing this on Saturday, the chief electoral officer (CEO) Punjab, S Karuna Raju said as per SOP the bank should ensure the cash vans of outsourced agencies carrying that bank’s cash shall not, under any circumstances, carry cash of any third party agencies/individuals except the banks.
Towards this, the outsourced agencies/companies should carry letters issued by the banks giving details of the cash released by the banks to them and carried by them for filing the ATMs and delivering cash at other branches, banks or currency chests. He further said that personnel of the outsourced agencies or companies accompanying cash van should carry identity cards issued by the respective agencies.
The aforesaid procedure has been stipulated for the reason that during the period of election, if the authorised officials of the EC (district election officer or any other authorised official) intercept the outsourced agency company’s cash van for inspection, the agency should be in a position to clearly show to the EC through accompanying documents and also physical inspection of the currency that they have collected the cash from the banks for the purpose of replenishing the bank’s ATMs or delivery of the cash to some other branches of the banks or currency chest on the instructions of the bank.
Raju said aforesaid procedure shall be part of the standard operating rules and procedure of banks for transportation of cash. With regard to information of suspicious or illegal cash, foreign currency and fake Indian currency notes (FICN) etc. found during elections, a reference may be made to the relevant enforcement agencies in the district.
He further said in the case of any violation of the above SOP issued by EC will attract provisions of model code of conduct as well as laws being in force.