Taxmen to probe PAN-less leaders

New Delhi: In order to keep tax evaders away from joining the poll fray, candidates with assets of over Rs 5 crore without a PAN card will come under the scanner of Income Tax department. This is for the first time that such an exercise is being taken by the income tax department in association with the election commission.

Income tax department will also scrutinise cases of gross understatements of personal or family assets, aand also those of liabilities, by the poll candidates. There have been allegations that many candidates dont give the real value of their assets in the affidavits filed during nominations papers.

The declarations made by the candidates in their poll affidavits will be compared to their annual income tax returns. This is part of a joint charter prepared by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Election Commission (EC) for scrutinising the candidates.

Earlier also income tax department and election commission have worked together to ensure that money power is kept away from influencing the elections. In previous state elections, income tax department has conducted raids during assembly elections to ensure that money is not used to influence the voters.

During the assembly election in Tamil Nadu around Rs 55 crore was seized. For the Lok Sabha elections, those candidates whose  immovable assets have seen a jump of Rs 2 crore would be screened by the income tax sleuths.

CBDT has asked the EC to provide PAN details of as many candidates as possible as it is easy to check the financial antecedents of a person through this number. The income tax department would check for fake PAN details by matching the same with the its own database.

The income tax department will take up all  cases referred to it by the election commission, including the cases showing any abnormal rise in wealth. Department would check for fake PAN details by matching the same with the its own database.

It is to be noted that the Election Commission has put in place an expenditure monitoring mechanism for curbing misuse of money power during general elections.

The commission has deployed nodal officers in each state who will co-ordinate with it. Strict vigil will also be kept at airports to stop illegal movement of cash or gold involving any candidate, his agent or any political party.

Election Commission  has stressed extensively on curbing flow of black money and use of illicit inducements in the electoral process and it wants to ensure a level playing field by enforcing necessary checks and balances in this regard.