BANDIPORA: To ensure transparency and fairness in the upcoming Assembly elections 2024, the District Election Officer (DEO) Bandipora, Manzoor Ahmad Qadri, chaired a meeting with representatives from various banks operating within the district to discuss the critical role of financial institutions in monitoring and regulating election expenditure as part of the Election Commission’s mandate for free and fair elections.
The DEO on the occasion emphasized the importance of maintaining financial integrity throughout the electoral process and directed Banks to adhere strictly to guidelines and procedures of Election Commission of India to prevent any instances of malpractice or misuse of funds. He directed to exercise heightened vigilance in identifying and reporting any suspicious transactions that could potentially be linked to electoral malpractices.
The DEO highlighted that the effective monitoring of election expenditure is crucial for upholding the integrity of the democratic process, preventing the misuse of financial resources and providing level playing field to all parties and candidates.
He highlighted the role of banks in election expenditure monitoring and asked them to monitor unusual transactions and suspicious transactions to ensure elections are held in a fair manner besides banks were directed to open dedicated counters for election purposes to facilitate prompt service to the candidates.
Nodal Officer Expenditure monitoring asked the concerned officers of banks to submit daily reports to the District Election Office regarding the suspicious withdrawal or deposition of cash during elections, and unusual transfer of amount through RTGS during the election process.
He also asked the bank heads to monitor cash deposit and withdrawal from bank accounts of political parties besides monitoring online and digital transactions.
ADDC Mohammad Ashraf Bhatt, Nodal Officer MCC/ADC Zaffar Husson Shawal, DyDEO Mohammad Rafeeq Bhat, Nodal Officer Expenditure Monitoring Committee/ DTO Bandipora, Sheikh Aabid Manzoor, Member Expenditure Monitoring Committee/ DIO Bandipora Aadil Manzoor Wani, LDM Bandipora and Brach Heads of various Banks operating in the district were also present on the occasion.
