The Election Commission is seriously considering the issue of how to bring down the massive expenditure being made by contesting parties and candidates, election commissioner V S Sampath said here tonight.

"We have been doing our best. To a very large extent, by significant augmentation of force availability, muscle power has been brought down to a very great extent, he said.

"Money power is an area where still something needs to be done. We have to see what best we can do in the given circumstances. I can mention to all of you, the present Commission, we are working on expenditure monitoring in a very serious way, various issues involved in that. And this is not the forum (to elaborate), that is not the agenda," he said.

He was speaking at a function where the chief electoral officer of Andhra Pradesh signed MoUs with three universities and civil society organizations to promote greater people's participation in electoral process.

Replying to complaints from political leaders about the functioning of EVMs, he said the EC is open to address all genuine concerns on the issue.

"We don't ignore the apprehensions. At the same time, this is not to say that every day we keep changing the means of elections. No. Whatever genuine apprehensions are there, EC will be second to none in taking note of them and taking remedial measures," he said.

The protective measures like putting seals are taken to ensure the safety of EVMs, he said.

The EC would certainly take all genuine concerns over the safety of EVMs on board but the Commission itself is striving continuously to improve the things, Sampath added.