The Election Commission, EC, has asked Income Tax, IT, department to report to it all instances of cash movement through airports to check illegal spending in the ensuing assembly elections in five states.

The Commission has urged the I-T department to establish Air Intelligence Units (AIUs) at all major airports in the poll-bound states of Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab , Uttarakhand and Goa .

The AIUs at major airports like Delhi and Mumbai have been asked to keep a strict vigil on cash movement to these states.

The Election Commission has asked the IT department to report to it all cash movement, even if its is legal and accounted.

Similar instructions have also been issued to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which guards the airports.

The I-T department has been asked to install CCTV cameras at the AIUs in order to record the entire activity of interception to release or seizure of the cash at the airports.

The EC recently met the top brass of the I-T department of these poll bound states and senior officials of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to put in place the mechanism.