Northeast by-polls: I-T teams to check on black money

The Income Tax (I-T) department will deploy teams in Assam, Tripura and Sikkim to keep a tab on the use of black money during the Sep 13 assembly by-polls, an official release said here Tuesday.

The I-T department of the northeastern region said this step was being taken to curb the use of black money during the by-polls in assembly constituencies in the region.

By-polls for three assembly seats in Assam (Silchar, Lakhipur and Jamunamukh), and one each in Tripura (in Manu) and Sikkim (in Rangang-Yangang) will be held Sep 13.

The statement said that in compliance with the direction of the Election Commission, the I-T department was gathering intelligence in the region.

"The I-T department would keep a vigil at some sensitive places too. Two teams would be deployed in Assam and one in Tripura. Separately, air intelligence teams would be deployed at Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Tezpur and Agartala airports and a 24-hour duty-bound control room would be set up at the Aayakar Bhavan in Guwahati," the release added.

"With the surveillance system coming into force immediately, the Guwahati-based control room would receive and record voice complaints from the public too," the release added.