220 candidates ready expenditure accounts

BERHAMPUR: With elections over in Ganjam district, candidates are busy taking stock of their day-to-day expenditure incurred during campaigning in consultation with accountants. The Election Commission has directed candidates to declare their poll expenditure within a month of announcement of results on May 16.
"I am consulting professionals to maintain a register of my election expenditure.They are doing it free of cost," said a candidate for Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency.
Candidates are taking professional help because they feel it is difficult to maintain the account. "Some accounting students are voluntarily doing the job for me," said a nominee of the ruling party.
The Election Commission has provided a 300-page booklet containing instructions and procedures on election expenditures from the day of filing of nomination.
It had fixed Rs 70 lakh for a parliamentary candidate and Rs 28 lakh for a candidate in state assembly. The EC has also asked candidates to open a separate bank account for all transactions, said collector (Ganjam) Prem Chandra Chaudhary.
"I have worked for maintaining the accounts and prepare final report for a Lok Sabha candidate and did not charge anything," said tax consultant PN Dave. He said there was no difficulty because all candidates made payments though cheques.
During campaigning, the EC observer (expenditure) verified the accounts of candidates thrice. No one had crossed the limit.