The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday said it has seized cash and goods worth ₹75.03 crore as on March 21 as part of its ongoing monitoring of election expenditure and enforcement activities for the Assembly elections.
Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik said ₹23.74 crore in cash, liquor worth ₹0.51 crore, drugs and narcotics worth ₹5.63 crore, precious metals worth ₹23.19 crore and ₹21.96 crore, gift items.
The EC has deployed 136 General Observers, 40 Police Observers and 151 Expenditure Observers in the state who have been assigned to 234 assembly segments to ensure transparency and accountability in the conduct of subsequent assembly elections, she said.
Ms. Patnaik also said that the EC has put in place robust mechanisms to monitor election expenditure to ensure that surveillance and enforcement teams are actively deployed across the state to monitor and curtail illegal inducements, including cash, alcohol, drugs and other prohibited items.
Published – 22 March 2026 0:18 IST
