NT NETWORK
PANAJI
While dealers of goods such as televisions, motorcycles, mobile phones, sewing machines etc have been asked by the election authorities to report any unusual increase in the sales during the period the model code of conduct (MCC) is in force in the state in view of the assembly elections to be held on February 4, the commercial taxes department has not come across any surge in such sales as yet.
A senior source at the department said that daily sale records are being collected from around 150 dealers in the state. “We have not come across an uncommon increase,” the source said. The department has not been able to link dealers’ sales with incentives or election freebies offered by political parties or candidates, he said.
The senior official said that even goods coming in from outside dealers are being closely watched through strict checking conducted at the border posts.
Dealers have been provided with ‘template excel worksheets,’ which they have to fill in daily and submit to the commercial taxes department. Further, they also have to report large orders or an abnormal increase in sales. Two highway squads and eight flying squads have been set up by the commercial taxes department to keep an eye on dealers and to observe the sale of white goods.
Dealers of consumer goods have been asked to keep inventory of goods sold so as to ensure they are not used to lure voters. Sellers of consumer items like television, mobile phones, microwave ovens and bikes have been asked to keep their records ready for inspection to examine if there is a sudden jump in sales during the pre-election and model code of conduct days.
Until now, the assembly election 2017 appears to be free of ‘incentives’ but off the record, several sellers of consumer durables said that distribution of freebies probably took place prior to the model code of conduct coming into force.
