Ahead of polls, Income Tax Dept scrutinises contract payments of K’taka govt

Transaction between January 1 and March 31 have come under the scanner as the DG of IT suspects the ruling party was using government funds for its election campaign.
Ahead of polls, Income Tax Dept scrutinises contract payments of K’taka govt
Ahead of polls, Income Tax Dept scrutinises contract payments of K’taka govt
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The Director General of Income Tax, Investigations (Goa and Karnataka) on Saturday said that they have gathered details of all contract payments made in the last quarter of the completed Financial year by the Congress led Karnataka government.

In a press release, the DG of IT said that the department is making a comparison with previous years’ transactions for identifying abnormal cases, and also co-relating all the bank transactions, cash withdrawal to see if there’s any foul play by the Congress party.

The DG of IT had recently asked the government to furnish the details of financial transactions with contractors which were above Rs 25 lakh with contractors. The transactions that were taken place between January 1 and March 31 have come under the scanner as the DG of IT suspects the ruling party was using government funds for its election campaign.

On April 16, the IT Department had raided the office and residence of MLA B Shivanna, who is the sitting Congress MLA from Anekal (Bengaluru Urban) constituency.

The DG of IT also informed that they have already seized Rs 4.13 crores and gold jewellery worth Rs 1.32 crores in the poll bound Karnataka state.

The department said that most of the cash were in higher denomination of Rs 2000 and Rs 500.

“Out of the total cash seized cash Rs 4.13 crores an amount of Rs 4.03 crores in these were of higher denominations,” the department said.

The press release also statess, “When the people are finding it difficult to withdraw the money from the banks/ATMs, seizure of these high denominations is raising eyebrows.”

The department said that among the cash seizures, Bengaluru city tops the list with a figure of Rs 2.47 crores followed by Bellary at Rs 55 Lakh.

It also said that they are maintaining high level of alertness at airports and railway stations.

 The Income Tax Department has also set up 24x7 control room in Bengaluru to receive election related complaints from general public and other agencies of Karnataka.

The press release added that besides strike teams, they also have Air Intelligence Units which are keeping a close watch in all the airports in the state of Karnataka and also in the neighbouring state of Goa.

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