I-T dept sets up control room in Delhi to check use of black money in polls

In order to check the use of black money in the upcoming general elections, the income tax department on Wednesday said it has set up a control room in the national capital and a dedicated toll-free number on which people can share information on suspicious movement of cash and valuables within the NCT region.

Directorate of Income Tax (Investigation), Delhi, has set up a 24X7 control room at Civic Centre, New Delhi, and toll-free Mobile Number 9868168682 in connection with the General Elections to Lok Sabha, 2024, a finance ministry statement said.

The identity of the informant shall be kept a secret, it said.

"The vigil through the Control Room will help to check suspicious movement/distribution of cash, bullion and other valuables within the NCT of Delhi," it said, adding the control room will be functional during the entire period of Model Code of Conduct in Delhi.

The Model Code of Conduct is already in place with the announcement of the dates for the general elections last week. The elections would be held in 7 phases between April 19 and June 1. The counting of the votes will take place on June 4.

Voting for all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi will take place in the sixth phase on May 25.

The Income Tax Department, under its commitment to assist the Election Commission of India in curbing the role of black money in elections, encourages the residents to contribute to the process of ensuring clean and fair General Elections to Lok Sabha, 2024, the ministry said.

It said any person can communicate with and give any information to the Income Tax Department regarding suspicious movement/distribution of cash, bullion & other valuables etc within the NCT of Delhi, in connection with the General Elections to Lok Sabha, 2024, using the toll-free mobile number.

"Residents can contact the Toll-Free Number, and callers to the Control Room need not disclose any personal details, such as name or other details of identity. What is vital is that the information received is credible and actionable," the ministry said.

The Control Room shall be functional during the entire period of Model Code of Conduct in Delhi, i.e, from the date of announcement of General Elections 2024, till the same are over in Delhi, it added.