District Collectors have been directed to focus more on distribution of cash to voters, Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar said on Friday.
There would be no let-up on the checking of vehicles. But the Collectors had been asked to go around their districts to check any suspicious activity, he told a press conference here.
Emphasising that receiving bribes was as wrong as giving bribes, the CEO said that in the Srirangam Assembly constituency, in a single instance seven persons were charged with the offence of giving money and six persons with that of receiving cash. They were booked under Section 171 (E) of the Indian Penal Code that pertained to the punishment for bribery. So far, an amount of Rs. 29.93 crore in cash was seized and Rs. 11.39 crore in kind. On verification, the authorities had returned Rs. 5.18 crore in cash to the persons concerned.
To questions on the criticism levelled by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Union Ministers on the measures of the Election Commission, the CEO said, “We follow only the rules and regulations.”
