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The <keyword id="40807" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="election-commission" source="Orion">Election Commission</keyword> on Friday said "record seizures" of cash, liquor and freebies have been made as <keyword id="6354766" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gujarat" source="Orion">Gujarat</keyword> and <keyword id="6358126" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="himachal-pradesh" source="Orion">Himachal Pradesh</keyword> go for assembly polls. While HP goes to poll on Saturday, Gujarat will have voting on December 1 and 5. The poll panel said there has been a five-fold increase in seizures in Himachal Pradesh compared to the 2017 assembly elections. The <keyword id="6355822" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="commission" source="Orion">Commission</keyword> said its comprehensive planning led by Chief Election Commissioner <keyword id="125928" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="rajiv-kumar" source="Orion">Rajiv Kumar</keyword> ahead of the polls has given "encouraging" results in terms of seizures. Gujarat witnessed seizures of Rs 71.88 crore in just a few days of the announcement of elections, which surpasses even the seizures made in the entire duration of enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct in the 2017 assembly elections, which was Rs 27.21 crore. Similarly, the seizures in Himachal Pradesh are also significant, amounting to Rs 50.28 crore as compared to Rs 9.03 crore, marking more than a five-fold increase, it said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/death-of-infants-due-to-spurious-cough-syrup-sc-dismisses-j-ks-plea-against-nhrc-order-on-compensation/articleshow/95446171.cms">Death of infants due to spurious cough syrup: SC dismisses J-K's plea against NHRC order on compensation</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/us-treasury-secy-janet-yellen-roots-for-friendshoring-says-indo-us-ties-stronger-than-ever/articleshow/95449486.cms">US Treasury Secy Janet Yellen roots for 'friendshoring', says Indo-US ties stronger than ever</a>

Record cash, liquor seized as HP, Gujarat go for polls: EC

The <keyword id="91172" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Etawah">Etawah</keyword> administration in Uttar Pradesh has found a novel idea to promote the Covid vaccination drive. Notices that say "No <keyword id="6356212" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="LIQUOR">liquor</keyword> without vaccine certificate" have been prominently displayed <keyword id="11351102" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="outside-liquor-outlets">outside liquor outlets</keyword> in Sefai in Etawah district. The notices were put up at the direction of <keyword id="11351104" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="etawah-additional-district-magistrate">Etawah Additional District Magistrate</keyword> (ADM) <keyword id="11351103" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="hem-kumar-singh">Hem Kumar Singh</keyword>. ADM Singh, along with district police officials, inspected liquor outlets in Sefai after the Aligarh hooch tragedy where over 50 people died after consuming spurious liquor over the weekend. ADM Hem Kumar Singh directed liquor outlets to display notices clearly stating that alcohol will not be sold to anyone who is yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Owners of liquor outlets were also warned against selling liquor to customers without verifying their vaccination certificates. However, Etawah district excise official Kamal Kumar Shukla said no order has been issued to stop the sale of liquor to those who are yet to receive the jab. He went on to add that the district administration's efforts to shore up inoculations must be encouraged but there are no orders mandating vaccine certificates for the purchase of liquor. The Etawah ADM's order comes days after the district magistrate of Firozabad had said salaries of government employees will be withheld unless they receive the jab. Uttar Pradesh has set a target of administering one crore doses of <keyword id="9078985" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Covid-19-Vaccines">Covid-19 vaccines</keyword> in the month of June. In order to achieve this target, district officials in the state are implementing novel ideas to promote vaccination. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/good-nutrition-is-vital-if-you-are-recuperating-from-the-coronavirus-here-is-what-you-should-have/articleshow/83083748.cms">Good nutrition is vital if you are recuperating from the Coronavirus — here is what you should have</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/from-bhel-to-heg-and-cg-power-these-infrastructure-stocks-have-turned-10000-to-as-much-as-30600-in-just-six-months/slidelist/83104471.cms">From BHEL to HEG and CG Power ⁠— these infrastructure stocks have turned ₹10,000 to as much as ₹30,600 in just six months</a>

Uttar Pradesh's Etawah administration issues "No liquor without vaccine certificate" notice to promote COVID-19 vaccination drive

<keyword id="6356172" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Maharashtra-government">Maharashtra government</keyword> is planning to modify rules on liquor consumption including allowing a permit holder to keep 12 bottles of <keyword id="6359858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="alcohol">alcohol</keyword> at home against the existing two as it feels that these steps would help curb deaths due to sale of spurious alcohol. 
 
Under the present rules, a person in the state also needs a day's permit to consume alcohol at a bar or any other public place (permit room) but the government is mulling doing away with this system too. 
 State <keyword id="97443" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Excise-minister">Excise Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6357736" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Eknath-Khadse">Eknath Khadse</keyword> said the government is likely to issue a notification next month to modify the existing law. 
 
"More than a 100 people unnecessarily lost their lives in the Malwani hooch incident. After that incident, the state Excise department is trying various measures to curb the sale of spurious and illegal alcohol," Khadse told PTI. 
 
"One of the steps the Excise department has suggested is to allow a permit holder to keep 12 bottles of liquor at home in place of the existing two," he said. 
 
Under the current law, a person needs a permit to keep alcohol at home in Maharashtra. 
 
The government will be not be required to amend the existing Bombay Prohibition Act, he said adding that the state Cabinet is empowered to bring necessary changes in the law. 
 
The government is also likely to do away with the existing system where a person consuming alcohol has to take a day's permit before consuming liquor, the minister said. 
 
"When a person goes to a permit room that is legal, he has to spend on getting a day's permit. One should not be asked to pay extra while sitting in a place that already has a permit to serve alcohol," he told PTI. 
 
Khadse said the Excise department has also suggested to increase the minimum quantity of alcohol to be stored in each bottle from the existing 750 ml to 1,000 ml. 
 
"The Excise department has suggested increasing the minimum quantity that can be stored in each bottle from 750 to 1,000 ml. But we are not keen on doing that at the moment," he told PTI. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Raise a toast! Maharashtra government planning to let people keep 12 bottles of alcohol at home

New Delhi, Apr 23 () Fearing huge financial losses and job cuts, the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) has urged states to impress upon the Centre about an urgent need to start sale of liquor in non-COVID zones.Pointing out that the states have already lost around Rs 20,000 crore in revenues during the lockdown period so far, the apex body of the Indian alcoholic beverage industry has urged the Centre as well as states to allow opening of liquor shops while strictly following all social distancing guidelines, besides considering online sales to check overcrowding at outlets.In its letter written to all state chief ministers (barring states which are under prohibition), the CIABC has pleaded "the state governments should take up the matter once again with the Centre to permit production, distribution and sales of alcoholic beverages outside containment zones, in conformity with COVID-19 guidelines"."Constitutionally, alcohol is a state matter, and hence it is state government which should unequivocally be the only authority to permit or not permit trade in alcohol," the letter said. Pointing out that the governments need to bring in systemic changes in the way the alcoholic beverage industry works to ensure social distancing in future, the CIABC has asked the state governments to impress upon the Centre to push for technology-based controls in place of physical man-based controls on production/warehousing sites and on stock in transit.It has also sought addition of new sale channels which do not need gathering of people such as home deliveries through dedicated portals or government's websites.Noting that in these difficult times when entire industry and economic activities are shut, the states' coffers are taking a big hit, CIABC Director General Vinod Giri told , "This is the second letter which we have written to the chief ministers since the lockdown began urging them to take up the matter of opening liquor industry with the Centre."He further said, "Our industry is the major source of revenues for the states. We employ 20-lakh workforce and assist livelihood of 40 lakh farmers. Under current circumstances when our earnings are zero, we cannot sustain for long. This will lead to huge job cuts and massive financial losses. The governments need to urgently consider opening of sale and distribution."According to CIABC, the Indian alcoholic beverage industry contributes around Rs 2 lakh crore per annum in revenues to the government. Tax on alcohol consists of 20 to 40 per cent of tax revenues of states. A total ban on liquor deprives state governments of own revenue so vitally required in fighting COVID-19.Giri further noted that prolonged unavailability of legal alcohol has serious consequences. "There are growing reports of liquor smuggling, sale of illicit and spurious liquor, and looting of shops. These not only deprive state of legitimate tax revenues, they also pose grave threat to public health and law and order. It is also well known that some people need alcohol on medical grounds. Blanket ban on sale of liquor is unjustified," he said.Significantly, some state governments have taken up the matter with the Union Home Ministry for opening of liquor industry in their respective states.Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi governments have been more vocal about it. A few days back Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had written to the Centre seeking permission for opening of liquor vends. Delhi and Maharashtra have been pushing for online sale and home delivery of liquor. KKS MKJ

CIABC urges states to convince Centre to begin liquor sale in non-COVID zones

Chandigarh, Apr 20 () The Haryana government on Monday cautioned people to not purchase liquor from unauthorised sources during lockdown as it may be spurious and life-threatening."The Haryana government has not allowed any person or individual to conduct the sale of liquor in the state after March 27. However, after the closure of retail liquor vends, the cases of sale of illegal/illicit liquor have come to notice," an official statement said here.In this regard, several government agencies including the Excise and Taxation Department and Police have been continuously working to curb illegal sale of liquor, it said."In view of the current situation, the general public is hereby advised to not purchase liquor from any unauthorized source. It may be spurious, injurious to health and life-threatening," it said.Further, if any such activity including manufacturing and sale of illegal liquor is detected, the same may be brought to the notice of concerned Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner or Police Department, for necessary action, it said. SUN VSD ABHABH

Hry govt cautions public against purchasing liquor from unauthorised source during lockdown

<ul><li>SBI has cut the savings rate by 0.25% to 2.75% on all deposits. </li><li>The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) has urged 10 states to allow sale of alcoholic beverages. </li><li>Investor wealth on Tuesday jumped ₹ 7,71,377 crore as markets bounced back.</li></ul>Following are the top business stories of April 7. India biggest producer of 'game-changer' hydroxychloroquine drug; has enough capacity India is the biggest manufacturer of hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malarial drug that is being touted as 'game-changer' in the fight against COVID-19 and is being aggressively sought by US President Donald Trump. WhatsApp to limit sharing of frequently forwarded messages to one chat at a time WhatsApp will allow users to send frequently forwarded messages to only one chat at a time as part of efforts to curb spreading of misinformation amid the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic. Sensex, Nifty log best single session ever tracking global peers Indian market gauges Sensex and Nifty logged their biggest one-day gains ever in absolute terms on Tuesday, tracking global peers amid signs that the Covid-19 pandemic may be peaking in some of the hard-hit countries. Indian economy likely to grow 2% in FY21: Icra Icra Ratings on Tuesday sharply cut the country's GDP forecast amid the COVID-19 crisis and expects the economy to grow at just 2 per cent in the current fiscal. Rupee surges 49 paise to end at 75.64 against dollar amid stocks rally The rupee on Tuesday surged by 49 paise to close at 75.64 against the US dollar, following a rally in stock markets. Insurance cos start offering exclusive COVID-19 policies, partnering with online payment firms Seeing business opportunity amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, insurance companies in the country have started offering policies specific to COVID-19 and some of them partnered with digital payment service providers to push sales of such plans, officials said on Tuesday. Remuneration paid to directors to attract GST: AAR Companies will have to pay GST on the remuneration they dole out to directors, the Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR) has said. Food insecurity, malnutrition, poverty may escalate in developing world says IFPRI Food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty may escalate, particularly among marginalised people in the developing world due to the rapid spread of coronavirus, a latest report by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) said on Tuesday. Plunging fuel demand has OMCs worried on all fronts National oil companies are staring at inventory losses as they have to bring down refinery throughputs because of the plunging demand for fuels following the nationwide lockdown to contain the deadly coronavirus infection. RBI relaxes overdraft facility norms for states, UTs The Reserve Bank on Tuesday relaxed norms for state governments to avail overdraft facilities for a longer period until September 30 as they are facing cashflow mismatches amid coronavirus outbreak leading to countrywide lockdown. IL&amp;FS case a 'blessing in disguise' to address corp governance issues: Official Describing the IL&amp;FS matter as a "watershed moment", Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas has said it was a blessing in disguise that forced the government to take the bull by its horns and address the difficult issue of corporate governance. French firm Total's arm invests ₹ 3.7K cr to form JV with Adani Group French energy firm Total SA on Tuesday said it has invested Rs 3,707 crore to set up 50:50 joint venture with Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) through its step-down subsidiary. Investor wealth jumps Rs 7.71 lakh cr as markets recover Investor wealth on Tuesday jumped ₹ 7,71,377 crore as markets bounced back after two days of fall, tracking a broad-based rally in global equities. Vodafone Idea users face connectivity issues Several subscribers of Vodafone Idea on Tuesday reported poor call and data connectivity issues. SBI cuts savings rate by 25 bps to 2.75% The country's largest lender SBI on Tuesday said it has cut the savings rate by 0.25% to 2.75% on all deposits. Allow liquor sale; illicit trade burden on exchequer: CIABC to 10 states The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) has urged 10 states to allow sale of alcoholic beverages saying that a blanket ban during the lockdown to contain coronavirus has resulted in sale of illicit and spurious liquor while causing burden on exchequer. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/topic/coronavirus">Coronavirus News and Updates</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/how-to-check-coronavirus-symptoms-at-home/articleshow/74960334.cms">What are the Coronavirus symptoms and how to check for them at home</a>

From liquor sale amid lockdown to SBI cutting savings rate- here’s what you might have missed in headlines today

It is not just the rising prices of petrol and diesel which is hassling the common man in <keyword id="826" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="goa" source="Orion">Goa</keyword>. The state's heritage brew, <keyword id="162752" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="feni" source="Orion">feni</keyword>, too has become dearer for the average Goan, with its cost rising from Rs 4,000 per can (35 litres) to Rs 7,000 to 8,000. Hence, the stakeholders have expressed fear that some miscreants may start a making spurious versions of the popular drink. Feni, the most popular drink of the coastal state, was notified as the state heritage drink by the Goa government in 2016. Cashew feni is also the country's first indigenous liquor to obtain the <keyword id="54626" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="geographical-indication" source="Orion">Geographical Indication</keyword> tag, a process which was initiated by the local manufacturers of the brew in 2009. According to feni producers, an unprecedented drop in cashew production in Goa has in turn affected the production of cashew feni. "We were expecting that the price of cashew feni may be hiked by 20 to 30 per cent. But to our surprise, it has almost doubled as compared to last year's rate. Now the feni producers are charging Rs 7,000 to 8,000 for a single can of 35 litres. This rate will remain constant till the next production is done," Shailesh Naik, a retailer, told IANS. The increased rate has also fuelled fear of spurious versions of the traditional brew, which is one of the cheapest drinks in Goa. 'Urrak' is obtained from the single distillation process, while once double distilled, the drink is referred to as feni. Urrak, which is a seasonal drink containing alcohol, is consumed with lime juice. However, feni is blended with spices like clove, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon to make another variation called 'masala feni'. Speaking to IANS, Mac <keyword id="6445000" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vaz" source="Orion">Vaz</keyword>, founder-president of <keyword id="14367829" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="cashew-feni-distillers-and-bottlers-association" source="Orion">Cashew Feni Distillers and Bottlers Association</keyword>, said that the price hike is due to bad crop yield, which has been caused by the unseasonal erratic rains. "But the main concern is not the escalated price of feni. We fear that some stakeholders might try to fill in the shortfall by making spurious versions of the drink," said Vaz, who is also an exporter and bottler of the popular feni brand, 'Big Boss'. He also said that the increased rate will impact the feni industry. <keyword id="14367828" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="abhay-khedekar" source="Orion">Abhay Khedekar</keyword>, a feni manufacturer, said that the prices have gone up as the production of feni has been less. "There is a lot of demand for feni from local the retailers," he said. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/eknath-shinde-wants-a-breather-and-spend-time-with-families/articleshow/92666818.cms">Eknath Shinde wants a 'breather' and spend time with families</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/30-large-reservoirs-in-india-dip-to-a-decadal-low-after-erratic-rains-in-june/articleshow/92665877.cms">30 large reservoirs in India dip to a decadal low after erratic rains in June</a>

Goans hit by alcohol inflation after Feni rates double to Rs 8,000 per can

(Eds: Updating, combining related stories, adding details) New Delhi, Apr 7 () The Centre is mulling extending the nationwide lockdown beyond April 14 to contain the spread of COVID-19 following requests from several states and experts, government sources said on Tuesday, as the total number of coronavirus cases in India crossed the 5,000 mark.With only a week left for the 21-day nationwide lockdown to end, sources, however, did not indicate if a final decision has been taken on the extension, and Joint Secretary in the Union health ministry Lav Aggarwal said, "no decision on extending lockdown as yet (taken), please don't speculate."India is under the lockdown since March 25, with only essential services exempted, to contain the spread of coronavirus. While a tally based on figures reported by various states as on Tuesday showed more than 5,000 testing positive across the country and at least 145 deaths, the Union Health Ministry's evening update, however, showed 4,789 confirmed cases and 124 deaths.According to an ILO report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis has the potential to push around 40 crore informal sector workers in India deeper into poverty, with the lockdown and other containment measures affecting jobs and earnings.However, several chief ministers have favoured the extension of the lockdown as they feel that the country can recover from the adverse impact of the shutdown on its economy but it was necessary to save lives from the fast-spreading virus, which has killed more than 76,500 people globally and afflicted over 13.6 lakh across 183 countries."A lot of state governments as well as experts are requesting the Central Government to extend the lockdown. The Central government is thinking in this direction," a source said, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked countrymen to be ready for a long battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, and exhorted people to not feel tired or defeated while expressing confidence that India will emerge victorious in the fight. Chairing a meeting of the council of ministers through video conferencing on Monday, Modi had clearly indicated that the lifting of the lockdown in one go is very unlikely while discussing the modalities of lifting it. The Prime Minister also asked the ministers whether the restrictions should be lifted sector-wise or district-wise, a source said. Also on Tuesday, a group of ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 recommended that all educational institutions should remain shut and all religious activities having public participation should be restricted till May 15 irrespective of whether the government extends the 21-day lockdown beyond April 14, official sources said after a meeting of the GoM. The meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, also concluded that religious centres and shopping malls must not be allowed to resume normal functioning at least for four weeks from April 14. Several chief ministers have also favoured the extension of the lockdown, and pitched for lifting of restrictions in a phased manner. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said his government will extend lockdown, if a need arises, while his counterpart in Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot said the state cannot withdraw the lockdown immediately, and it has to be done in a phased manner. In a statement to mark two weeks of the lockdown, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said the next one week is "critical" for evolving an exit strategy as the data regarding the spread of coronavirus will have a bearing on the decision to be taken by the government. He also appealed to the public to abide with whatever decision the government ultimately takes, and cooperate with the same spirit that has been evident so far, even if it meant to continue with "some degree of hardship" beyond April 14. Stating that it's too early to take a call at present whether to lift the nationwide lockdown, Karnataka Medical Education Minister Sudhakar K, who is state in-charge of all matters related to COVID-19, however, favoured the extension of the lockdown in COVID-19 hotspots in the country by at least an additional two weeks. "Where there are red alerts and zones, those zones, in my opinion, should continue to be in a lockdown situation at least for two weeks...till this month-end, I will request them (the Centre) to do this," he said. Telananga Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Modi to extend the national lockdown imposed to contain COVID-19, saying it was essential to save lives. Agreeing that continuing the lockdown would adversely impact the economy, he, however, said ways can be found to recover from it once the threat of COVID-19 goes away but human lives cannot be saved. Favouring extension, Rao said ,"we can recover from economic problem. But, we cannot recover the lives of the people... So, I propose at least for another one-two weeks. Extension should be at least for one or two weeks more. Then we can review." The International Labour Organisation (ILO) report released in Geneva on Tyesday said,"in India, with a share of almost 90 per cent of people working in the informal economy, about 400 million workers in the informal economy are at risk of falling deeper into poverty during the crisis." "Current lockdown measures in India, which are at the high end of the University of Oxford's COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index, have impacted these workers significantly, forcing many of them to return to rural areas," it said in its updated report.Since there is no vaccine to fight COVID-19, the government has stressed that social distancing is the only way to check the spread of the virus. Lockdown is considered the best way to keep people indoors.Inter-state travel by public transport, including trains and buses, is banned, and so is domestic and international air travel.Meanwhile, the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) has urged 10 states to allow sale of alcoholic beverages saying that a blanket ban during the lockdown to contain coronavirus has resulted in sale of illicit and spurious liquor while causing burden on exchequer.It said the need to close on-shops (bars) is well understood in light of social distancing, but noted that the nationwide lockdown has resulted in the shutdown of all wholesale and retail shops selling alcoholic beverages also.The CIABC, which is the apex body of the Indian alcoholic beverage industry, has sent letters on Monday to chief ministers of 10 states -- Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. NAB MPB KKS PYK PYKPYKPYK

COVID-19: Govt mulls extending lockdown beyond Apr 14 following requests from states, experts

NEW DELHI: The country’s faltering <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> is likely to get a significant stimulus from election spending by political parties, candidates and the government which estimates suggest could be as much as Rs 30,000 crore. 
 
The figure is comparable to the $4 billion (around Rs 20,000 crore at the prevailing exchange rate) additional spending that the government announced in 2008 to shield the economy from the impact of the global financial crisis. It is, however, less than the $7 billion raised and spent by political parties in the 2012 US presidential polls. 
 
The election spend is often more effective than official economic stimuli as the money is actually spent — virtually without any transmission loss — in a short time. Moreover, there is a “trickle-down effect” as it often reaches the poorest voter. 
 
This poll there will be a sharp increase in expenditure from the 2009 elections, when total spending was estimated at Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000 crore. Experts pointed out a large chunk of the spending by political parties and candidates is in cash, which makes it difficult to estimate the actual amount spent. 
 “Spending will increase significantly in these elections. The estimate is about Rs 30,000 crore,” said N Bhaskara Rao, chairman of the <keyword id="196966" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Centre-for-Media-Studies">Centre for Media Studies</keyword>, a New Delhi-based think tank, adding that the figure includes the expenditure by the Centre. “No other election can match the 2014 elections,” CMS’s Rao said. 
 
 
 
He said the figure was based on an elaborate analysis undertaken by the think tank, which has been tracking various segments of elections since 1997. 
 
The 2014 general elections come at a time when growth is estimated to have slowed to a decade’s low of 4.9% and the industrial sector is weighed down by the slowdown in global and domestic demand. 
 
Several sectors of the economy, ranging from advertising, air charter services, security services, food and beverages, transport, liquor, fuel and automobiles are expected to see hefty activity, thanks to the sharp increase in spending. 
 
“Election spending provides a very sizeable boost to the economy. Traditionally we have seen it adds 0.2-0.3% to growth,” said Pronob Sen, chairman of the National Statistical Commission. 
 
“Liquor sales increase quite a bit during elections but nearly 80-90% of the consumers at that time are rural people who prefer country liquor, some of which is spurious too. Therefore it’s next to impossible to gather data that would show the real spike in the sales of liquor across the country during elections,” says Arvind Singhal, chairman &amp; MD of market research firm Technopak. 
 The budget for the Indian advertising industry in 2014 is nearly Rs 34,500 Cr to Rs 38,000 Cr. “The general elections are touted to give it a boost of 8-10% this year, which amounts to around Rs 3,000 crore,” says Harish Bijoor, brand expert and <keyword id="5645" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="CEO">CEO</keyword> of Harish Bijoor Consults. 
 
According to Bijoor, 45% of the total spend on political advertising will go into print, 38% will account for TV ad spends and the rest would go into outdoor and other forms of advertising. 
 Air charter services too have a busy season ahead. Industry experts say the hourly rates for jets and choppers can go up to Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh. Charter firms are seeking minimum contracts of three to four hours’ flying daily for 45 days. Estimates show that <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> and <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> could spend up to Rs 90 crore each. Hiring aircraft is an expensive affair. 
 “One finds evidence of a direct correlation between election spending and economic growth as over the last few election years, prices of <keyword id="6354298" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="stocks">stocks</keyword> relating to consumer durables (ITC, Unilever, etc.), banks and basic engineering goods have shot up in India,” said Nilanjan Banik, associate professor at Mahindra Ecole Centrale. 
 
However, the impact on the automobile sector particularly SUVs (sports utility vehicles) has slowed over the years 
 
“It is not the same as earlier. The code of conduct for elections is strict and candidates are careful about spending on vehicles, which is a big investment,” says Pravin Shah, CEO of Automotive Division of Mahindra &amp; Mahindra, but added that elections do provide some growth. 
 The election spending also comes against the backdrop of the <keyword id="6356916" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="excise-duty">excise duty</keyword> cut announced in the 2014-15 interim budget by the government and should help sustain the momentum of the economy for the short term but the new government will have to urgently unveil measures to revive sentiment and growth. 
 
Officially, the spending will only be a fraction of the amounts being talked about. In 2009, 8,070 candidates contested the polls. Assuming a similar number this time, and taking into account the expenditure ceiling for each candidate of Rs 70 lakh for the 2014 polls in most states, spending by candidates should officially be in the region of Rs 560 crore. In addition, government spending on general elections would add up to about Rs 1,000 crore. 
 
Rao said a large chunk of the expenditure by political parties and candidates is likely to involve unaccounted money, which is used for what he described as “notes for votes”. 
 
Government spending on polls is concentrated largely on activities such as voter awareness campaigns, labour, technology and other logistical aspects of conducting the elections. 
 The government’s expenditure per elector has gone up manifold, 20 times to be precise, from the first general elections to the 15th general elections, according to the <keyword id="40807" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Election-Commission">Election Commission</keyword>. 
 
(With inputs from Saurabh Sinha, John Sarkar and Pankaj Doval in New Delhi)

You Searched For "Spurious liquor" and got 9 results

Record cash, liquor seized as HP, Gujarat go for polls: EC

PTI

Uttar Pradesh's Etawah administration issues "No liquor without vaccine certificate" notice to promote COVID-19 vaccination drive

IANS

Raise a toast! Maharashtra government planning to let people keep 12 bottles of alcohol at home

BI India Bureau

CIABC urges states to convince Centre to begin liquor sale in non-COVID zones

PTI

Hry govt cautions public against purchasing liquor from unauthorised source during lockdown

PTI

From liquor sale amid lockdown to SBI cutting savings rate- here’s what you might have missed in headlines today

PTI

Goans hit by alcohol inflation after Feni rates double to Rs 8,000 per can

IANS

COVID-19: Govt mulls extending lockdown beyond Apr 14 following requests from states, experts

PTI

Rs 30,000 Crore Stimulus To Economy Expected From Poll Spending

Times Of India

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Record cash, liquor seized as HP, Gujarat go for polls: EC

PTI

Uttar Pradesh's Etawah administration issues "No liquor without vaccine certificate" notice to promote COVID-19 vaccination drive

IANS

Raise a toast! Maharashtra government planning to let people keep 12 bottles of alcohol at home

BI India Bureau

CIABC urges states to convince Centre to begin liquor sale in non-COVID zones

PTI

Hry govt cautions public against purchasing liquor from unauthorised source during lockdown

PTI

From liquor sale amid lockdown to SBI cutting savings rate- here’s what you might have missed in headlines today

PTI

Goans hit by alcohol inflation after Feni rates double to Rs 8,000 per can

IANS

COVID-19: Govt mulls extending lockdown beyond Apr 14 following requests from states, experts

PTI

​Rs 30,000 Crore Stimulus To Economy Expected From Poll Spending

Times Of India

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides

Rs 30,000 Crore Stimulus To Economy Expected From Poll Spending