Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer Brahm Deo Ram Tiwari today reminded bank officials that banks shall ensure that the cash vans of outsourced agencies or companies carrying the bank’s cash shall not, under any circumstances, carry cash of any third party agencies or individuals except the banks.
Tiwari convened a meeting with the bank officials to discuss matters relating to finance/banking during the current model code of conduct period which was in operation in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Meghalaya.
The meeting also discussed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Indian Banks’ Association which will become part of the checking procedure of the election machinery thereby ensuring smooth transport of clean and genuine cash by banks during elections.
The guideline states that the banks shall ensure that the cash vans of outsourced agencies carrying the bank’s cash shall not, under any circumstances, carry cash of any third party agencies or individuals except the banks.
It also stipulated that outsourced agencies or companies should carry letters/documents etc, issued by the banks giving details of the cash released by the banks to them and carried by them for filling the ATMs and delivering cash at other branches, banks or currency chests. The personnel of the outsourced agencies accompanying the cash van shall carry identity cards issued by the respective agencies.
The procedure has been stipulated for the reason that during the period of election, if the authorised officials of the Election Commission (District Election Officer or any other authorised official) intercepts the outsourced agency/company’s cash van for inspection, the agency should be in a position to clearly show to the Election Commission through document and also physical inspection of the currency that they have collected the cash from the banks for the purpose of replenishing the bank’s ATMs with cash or delivery of the cash to some other branches of the banks or currency chest on the instructions of the bank.
As part of the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme of the Election Commission of India, Tiwari also informed that various voter awareness materials will be shared with the banks/post offices, and they have agreed to circulate it for maximum publicity through their branches across the State, to promote voter participation in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
