Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik said election surveillance teams have seized cash and goods worth Rs 1,212 crore during checks carried out across the state.
In a statement, she said observers have been deployed for all 234 Assembly constituencies, including 136 general observers, 40 police observers and 150 expenditure observers. For election duties, 83,875 police personnel and 40,427 non-police staff have been assigned, while 300 companies of Central Armed Police Forces have arrived.
She said surveillance teams are working round the clock in every constituency. So far, they have seized Rs 169 crore in cash, liquor worth Rs 2.95 crore and narcotics worth Rs 82.7 crore.
In addition, gold, silver and other valuables worth Rs 650 crore, along with free goods worth Rs 306 crore allegedly kept for distribution to voters, have been confiscated. Of the total, items worth Rs 495 crore were returned to those who produced valid documents, the statement said.
