Summary:
PATNA: Election Commission of India (ECI) has so far deployed 22 expenditure observers (EO) in Bihar for monitoring expenses to be made by candidates in all parliamentary constituencies.Of the 22 observers, 20 are officers from Indian Revenue Service. Expenditure observers, district electoral officers (DEOs) and sub-ordinate officers monitor expenditures by taking daily details from candidates. The two others are from Indian Railway Accounts Service and Indian Defence Accounts Service, respectively.In Bihar, maximum expenditure cap on a Lok Sabha candidate is Rs 70 lakh. Candidates are also required to give every detail for advertisements and paid news given in print, electronic and social media. Patna DM-cum-DEO Kumar Ravi said three teams of flying squad and static surveillance team are functioning in every assembly constituency falling under a parliamentary constituency.“Video static and video viewing teams as well as assistant expenditure observers have also been deployed in the assembly constituencies for counting chairs, vehicles, garlands, posters and pamphlets for estimating expenditure,” he said..