New Delhi, Jan 28 (PTI) The Election Commission (EC) has seized drugs worth nearly Rs 75 crore from Punjab in the run-up to assembly elections.EC sources said drugs worth Rs 74.64 crore were seized under the expenditure monitoring process in Punjab up to Thursday, followed by Manipur (Rs 65.54 crore), Uttar Pradesh (Rs 25.54 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 4.03 crore) and Goa (0.98 crore).The poll authority has made seizures worth Rs 240 crore from the five poll bound states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa in the form of cash, liquor, drugs, freebies and precious metals.The commission also held meetings with chairpersons of Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and director general of Narcotics Control Bureau to tighten the monitoring process in the poll-bound states."Apart from above mentioned seizure figures, Commission"s visit galvanised enforcement authorities as the agencies seized drugs worth Rs 109 crores in Punjab and more than 8 lakhs litres of liquor in Uttar Pradesh, in run up to elections," a source said.Uttar Pradesh has topped in liquor seizures as poll authorities have seized alcohol worth Rs 15.99 crore followed by Punjab (Rs. 7.43 crore), Goa (Rs 2.26 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 1.54 crore) and Manipur (Rs 29 lakh).The poll authorities have seized Rs 18.86 crore in cash from Uttar Pradesh, followed by Punjab (Rs 16.73 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 2.23 crore), Manipur (Rs 50 lakh) and Goa (Rs 10 lakh).The commission has also seized freebies worth Rs 91 lakh and precious metals worth Rs 3.35 crore from these states. The EC has deployed 228 expenditure observers for effective monitoring to curb money power in the five poll-bound states.Besides, the commission also held meetings with top Haryana government officers to curb the possible inflow of liquor from the state to Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.The EC has directed the chief secretary, director general of police and principal secretary (Excise & Taxation) of Haryana to ensure strict vigil and check at state borders so that no illegal movements of liquor takes place in poll bound states. PTI SKU ZMN