STATE ADMINISTRATION HELPLESS BEFORE BLACK MONEY. In my previous post I referred to two candidates in the comming Haryana assembly elections trying to buy voters with money-one Gopal Kanda, accused in the suicide of an airhostess and her mother, now on bail and contesting from Sirsa constituency, another Makhan Lal Singla of INLD contesting from the same seat. Both the candidates are fabulously, rather indecently rich. They have so far distributed several crore of rupees among the villagers in their constituency. When this was brought to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner, Sirsa, who has constituted a sub committee to monitor the expenditure by candidates, the DC replied: The authorties can do nothing to stop candidates from distributing money as the role of the Election Commission begins only after the announcement of polls(The Tribune,August 10). The reason given by the DC is ridiculous, to say the least. If a candidates with a lot of black money starts distributing cash six months before the election day, does it mean that the state administration cannot do anything because polls have nt been announced? Is it permissible in law to distribute money among voters simply because coe of conduct has not come into practice? What is the Inome Tax department doing? The moral of the event is that black money is so powerful in our country that all our institutions are helpless before it. Can democracy survive in this kind of situation?.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 07:15:10 +0000