CHENNAI: Spurred on by targets set by officials, flying squads of the Election Commission have unleashed random vehicle checks and cash seizures across poll-bound Tamil Nadu, adversely affecting mostly common people and traders. While a patient on his way to dialysis lost 1.5 lakh to the city squads on Tuesday, a woman carrying cash to buy wedding silk for her family lost 2.5 lakh in Tiruttani on Wednesday.Not a single, huge cash seizure, on lines of the 4-crore seizure made during the run-up to the parliamentary election in 2024, has been reported from anywhere in the state. But, hundreds of commuters and traders have been criticizing the squads for arbitrary seizure of cash exceeding 50,000.“A tomato vendor was ‘caught’ with 53,000. No retail trader sells his wares and issues receipts. It is a cash and carry business,” said R Rajkumar, secretary, Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu, adding that it is a strenuous process to retrieve the seized money.Complaining of loss of business, he said that visitors in commercial hubs such as T Nagar carry anywhere between 50,000 to 1 lakh when shopping for silk sarees or gold. Civic activist Ganesan M questioned why no major hauls of cash have been seized from politicians so far. “I was caught at four different points. At every juncture, I was asked to disclose personal details including my name and phone number. Why must I do so if nothing suspicious was found,” asks Bala B, a businessman.A C Mohan, secretary, Federation of Tamil Nadu rice mill owners & paddy rice dealers association, said, “When money or commodities linked to farmers or paddy transport are seized, it can disrupt the entire supply chain. While we ensure drivers carry bills and ID cards, this may not always be possible for local farmers.” Chief electoral officer, Archana Patnaik said, “The idea is not to trouble anybody. I have received representations from various traders’ associations to increase the cash limit from 50,000. But that decision cannot be taken at our level. The public is requested to carry necessary documents which must be submitted at the spot..”