Lucknow, April 7 : The Lucknow district election officer has directed all banks to monitor withdrawals and deposits above Rs 10 lakh.

District Magistrate Surya Pal Gangwar has directed banks to send reports about all such deposits and withdrawals to the district election department. He further directed that banks will also need to provide details about continuous withdrawals or deposits of more than Rs 1 lakh in the accounts of the dependents of all candidates.

The bankers have been further asked to open separate accounts for the election-related transactions of the candidates from different political parties.

'All election expenses by the candidates will be borne from this account. All banks will provide separate banking facilities to the candidates and their workers,' said Gangwar, who also holds the charge of district election officer.

'If there is continuous withdrawal or deposit of more than Rs 1 lakh in the accounts of candidates' dependents, then this information will also be made available,' he added.

Regarding carrying cash through ATM vans and others, the District Election Officer directed that banks will ensure that the vehicles carrying cash received from agencies/companies do not under any circumstances carry cash of any party other than the bank's cash.

'Cash-carrying personnel accompanying the vehicles will carry with them identity cards issued by the concerned agencies. Also, if the vehicles carrying cash are stopped for inspection, then the company/agency should be in a position to prove by direct inspection of the documents and currency that they have used the cash to replenish the cash at the banks' ATMs or to deposit in the banks,' he instructed.

/IANS