Pb poll candidates seek more cash withdrawal for electioneering

Several candidates of Punjab Assembly polls have urged the Election Commission to allow more cash withdrawal to spend on electioneering and said the current weekly limit of Rs 24,000 was "inadequate".
"Several candidates have made a demand for allowing more withdrawal for making election-related expenditure because they are finding it inadequate," a senior official of state election office said here today.
The Official said candidate pointed out that there was a weekly restriction of Rs 24,000 on cash withdrawal, it would be difficult for them to spend on electioneering, despite maximum limit for poll expenses of Rs 28 lakh.
As per the revised ceilings, the maximum limit of election expenses for the Assembly constituencies is Rs 28 lakh per candidate for Punjab.

The Official said they had taken up the matter with the Election Commission of India which had further raised the issue with the Finance Department.
"Election Commission has taken up the issue with the Finance Department in Delhi to allow candidates to withdraw more cash for election-related expenditure," the official said.
The Reserve Bank of India had raised the cash withdrawal limit from ATMs to Rs 10,000 per day from the earlier cap of Rs 4,500.
The withdrawals from ATMs, however, would be operative within the existing overall weekly limit of Rs 24,000.