Poll code hurts trade,Noida takes action

According to the Election Commission,unaccounted cash in excess of Rs 1 lakh should not be transported in places where model code of conduct has been announced. The move is to help curb the use of black money for campaigning.

Hridesh Kumar,District Magistrate,Gautam Budh Nagar said,“We want to assure people that the police will only seize unaccounted money. Furthermore,only the flying squad will be allowed to check and seize unaccounted cash from vehicles.”

The matter of police stopping vehicles and seizing cash even from those carrying accounted money became an issue on Saturday,when a sum of Rs 7 lakh was seized from the employees of Padam Petroleum,a petrol pump in Noida Sector 63.

Devender Mullick,manager of the petrol pump said,“On Saturday around 10.15 am,a police officer from the Sector 63 Chowki came to us and said the amount we take to the bank everyday had to be registered at the nearest police station. When we went to the Sector 58 police station to do so,they seized the money and refused to give it to us saying we were in violation of the Poll Code.”

The incident has prompted the Uttar Pradesh Petroleum Traders’ Association to threaten to go on strike from Tuesday if the seized money is not returned to petrol pump owners. “The owner of the pump is a widow whose husband lost his life in the Kargil War. All the money was accounted for and was,in fact,taken to the police station on police’s request. Moreover,we want to be exempt from these rules as we need to transport cash from anywhere between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh every day. How will we run our businesses otherwise?” said a UPPTA official.

Police officials said the money would be returned to Mukesh Devi,the owner of the petrol pump by Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile,the district magistrate in Ghaziabad has also constituted flying squads.

However,officials here said station house officers and sub inspectors will also retain the power to search vehicles.

“While we have instituted flying squads,its impossible for them to be everywhere. If people can show documentation for the money they are carrying,then it will not be seized,” said Raghubir Lal,Senior Superintendent of Police,Ghaziabad.