Rajasthan witnesses alarming rise in pre-poll seizures since MCC implementation

Jaipur, April 6 (IANS) The total value of illegal liquor, narcotics, cash, and other materials seized since the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct on March 16 has crossed Rs 500 crore in Rajasthan, the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) informed on Saturday. 

“Since the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections on March 16, narcotics, liquor, precious metals, cash, freebies, and other items seized by the various law enforcement agencies on the instructions of the poll panel have crossed Rs 510 crore in Rajasthan. This figure is 992 per cent more than the seizure made during the MCC period in 2019," said CEO Praveen Gupta.

He also said that according to the reports received from different agencies in the state, the seizures were made in just 20 days since March 16. In 2019, items valued at Rs 51.42 crore were seized in the 75 days after the implementation of the MCC.

Gupta said that since the implementation of the poll code on March 16, about Rs 28.78 crore in cash, drugs worth Rs 57.55 crore, liquor worth about Rs 31.27 crore, and precious metals like gold and silver worth Rs 33.10 crore have been seized.

Besides these, other materials worth Rs 358.82 crore and freebies worth more than Rs 95 lakh have also been seized during the period under review.

According to the district-wise data, the maximum seizures worth Rs 27.84 crore were made in Pali district, followed by Dausa (Rs 26.63), Udaipur (Rs 25.42 crore), and Jodhpur (Rs 23.24 crore).

Since the implementation of the MCC, cash worth more than Rs 20 crore has been seized from Churu, Jhunjhunu, Bhilwara, Jaipur, and Nagaur districts.