Over Rs 127 crore cash, gold and silver worth Rs 284 crore seized in Tamil Nadu

Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo Thursday said Rs 127.66 crore cash has been seized by flying squads and static surveillance teams so far in Tamil Nadu. Precious metals including 989 kg gold and 594 kg silver with a total value of Rs 284 crore have also been seized, he said.

Addressing a press conference, the top state poll official said of the over Rs 127 crore cash, Rs 62.24 crore was returned to owners after they submitted proper documents.

Separately, the Income Tax authorities have so far seized Rs 37.78 crore, he said. Tamil Nadu has 5,98,69,758 voters of which 2,95,94,923 are male, 3,02,69,045 female and 5,790 transgenders, he said.

The State has 100 per cent EPIC coverage and 14,10,745 EPIC cards (new additions on electoral rolls) have been sent to the local poll authorities for distribution before elections to the electors, he said.

Similarly, distribution of voter slips is also on and till Wednesday, over 19 lakh slips have been distributed and the exercise would be completed before polls across the State, he said.

For voting, however, one of the 12 documents, which includes EPIC and Aadhar, have to be carried by the electors for proof of identity, Sahoo said.

The State has a total of 67,720 polling stations and 7,780 booths have been categorised as critical and vulnerable where more Central Armed Police Forces personnel, and micro observers will be deployed.

Also, measures like webcasting and videographing the proceedings would be done, he added. As many as 1,50,302 ballot units, 89,160 control units and 94,653 VVPAT which allows the electors to cross check the votes they have cast for seven seconds are available.

Every constituency would have one all women polling station, he noted.

In 39 Parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu, as many as 845 candidates and 269 contestants are in the fray for bypolls to 18 Assembly constituencies.