J&K CEO convenes meeting of 22 law enforcement agencies ahead of first phase of voting

The meeting was also attended by Additional CEO Rahul Sharma, Special Secretary of Central Expenditure Monitoring Centre of Jammu and Kashmir Nirupa Rai and Deputy Secretary Huma Khan among others.

Agencies have given great importance to inter-departmental coordination, emphasising on swift action and seizing free items including drugs, liquor and cash used to lure voters around 72 hours before the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. The first phase of elections will be held on September 18, 2024 in 24 assembly constituencies in seven districts – Pulwama, Chaupin, Kulgam and Anantnag in Kashmir; Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban in Jammu.

For strict surveillance, the CEO urged agencies to ensure close monitoring of all entry and exit points at Jammu and Srinagar airports; directions were also issued to monitor similar activities at inter-state check posts and border check posts across the Union Territory.
The CEO also directed all financial institutions including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and UTLBC to strictly monitor suspicious digital transactions of banks and directed these institutions to refer such transactions to the Income Tax Department for appropriate action as per established financial regulations.

Referring to the guidelines laid down by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the CEO asked the Excise Department of Jammu and Kashmir to ensure strict implementation of all restrictions in the Excise Act regarding storage of liquor in unlicensed premises.

The CEO stressed, “As per the guidelines laid down by the ECI, the GST Act must be implemented vigorously within 48 hours before the close of polls.

Besides, the Excise Department has been directed to ensure strict implementation of restrictions on dry days.

The CEO also directed the Excise Department of Jammu and Kashmir to conduct special operations to seize illegal liquor manufacturing units; destroy illegal liquor; and establish backward linkage for liquor seized in the neighbouring union states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Ladakh. In order to curb the cultivation of opium and marijuana, the Excise Department was asked to avail the services of loggers and night watchmen in hotspot villages in the Union state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the sealing of various agencies since the announcement of the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections was also discussed and all agencies were asked to intensify efforts to ensure effective sealing during the election process in compliance with the ECI guidelines for conducting free and fair elections