- NET Web Desk
The Election Commission of India (ECI) during the Assembly elections have seized about 85 lakh litres of liquor from five states. Punjab alone accounted for 70% of the seized booze.
Meanwhile, contraband substances worth of Rs 575.39 crore have also been seized, according to the official statistics of ECI. During the elections, the poll panel employed flying squads and static surveillance teams to monitor the flow of cash, booze, narcotics, freebies, and precious metals.
Since the polls were announced on January 8, a total of 85,27,227 litres of liquor had been seized in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Manipur.
Punjab led the list with total seizures of Rs 510.91 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh (Rs 307.92 crore), Manipur (Rs 167.83 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 18.81 crore), and Goa (Rs 18.81 crore), according to an Election Commission release (Rs 12.73 crore).
Besides, Punjab accounted for Rs 376.19 crore of Rs 575.39 crore in drugs confiscated from the five states, followed by Manipur (Rs 143.78 crore), Uttar Pradesh (Rs 48.48 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 5.66 crore), and Goa (Rs 5.66 crore) (Rs 1.28 crore).
The EC also confiscated Rs 154.52 crore in cash, Rs 117.44 crore in precious metals, and Rs 106.52 crore in gifts from the five states.
