EC GIVES GO-AHEAD TO GST COUNCIL MEETING ON MARCH 19
The Election Commission
has given approval for holding the upcoming GST Council meeting on March 19 to
consider various issues including the implementation of lower GST rates for the
real estate sector. The next meeting will be held through videoconferencing,
sources said. Following the approval from the Election Commission, sources
said, notices have been sent from the GST Council Secretariat to states for the
34th meeting of the Council on March 19, they said. The nod from the Election
Commission was required as the Model Code of Conduct has been in force since
Sunday. The meeting will be held to discuss only transition provision and
related issues for the implementation of lower GST rates for the real estate
sector, the sources said.
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RESOLVE ANGEL TAX ISSUES FAST, CBDT TELLS ITS OFFICERS
The Central Board of
Direct Taxes (CBDT) has asked its officers across India to avoid taking
coercive measures against companies that have received notices under the
so-called angel tax, in what can be seen as softening of its stance on an issue
that has roiled the startup ecosystem. In its written communication, the
department also asked tax commissioners to resolve disputes with startups on a
priority basis The tax deals with premiums paid by investors while they invest
in unlisted companies. The tax department’s latest step comes after the
government issued a directive recently, giving a reprieve to startups on the
treatment of such investments on a prospective basis. Tax officials had
questioned increasing valuations of startups even when their revenue is falling
or remaining stagnant. The revenue department deems the capital in excess of a
fair market value as ‘other income’ that is taxable. Also, in cases where the
investor is not Indian, the tax department has in the past issued notices
branding such investments as unexplained cash credits, charging a 30% tax. It
had sent notices to many startups, asking them to pay the tax. The CBDT has
written two sets of letters to tax officers, asking them to avoid taking
coercive steps against startups. In the past, tax officers had frozen the bank
accounts of startups in cases were notices were issued.
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GSTN ASKS BUSINESSES TO DOWNLOAD PROPOSED GST RETURN DOCUMENTS
The Goods and Services Tax
Network has asked the taxpayers to download the new revised GST returns
documents Proposed Return documents, as approved by the competent authority,
can now be downloaded from the Download section of the GST Portal. This is to
enable various stakeholders in adapting their systems to make them compatible
with the proposed return format and business processes, GSTN said in a statement.
A few days ago, the Central Government has notified the new GST returns
applicable from 1st April 2019 under which the businesses can report invoices
on a continuous basis. As per the recommendation of the GST Council, the new
revised GST returns would be implemented on a pilot basis from April 1, 2019,
and would be mandated across the country from July. The new and revised return
format would obviate the need to furnish returns under the family of GSTR-1,
GSTR-2, and GSTR-3, but the annual return GSTR-9 might continue, experts said.
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MORE TAXPAYERS SINCE DEMONETISATION: MADHYA PRADESH,
CHHATTISGARH ADD 6.82 LAKH INCOME TAX PAYERS
The number of income
taxpayers has crossed 20 lakh in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh so far this
fiscal year, an official said Tuesday. The growth has been perceptible since
the demonetisation and GST, and the number of new taxpayers added between then
and now has risen by 6.82 lakh in MP and CG, Ajay Kumar Chauhan told. Due to
this, the number of taxpayers in the two states has swelled over 20 lakh, he
added. The target is to realise Rs 27,431 crore from these two states this
fiscal. We have so far collected Rs 17,928 crore in income tax, he added. Chauhan
said department has found irregularities in sale and purchase of 870 immovable
properties in MP and CG and notices have been issued in these cases for tax
collection. He said more than 100 properties have been temporarily attached
under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 in these
states.
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GOLD COINS FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION MAY NOT QUALIFY FOR INPUT TAX
CREDIT
Giving free gold coins
could prove expensive for businesses as it is unlikely to be classified for
input tax credit (ITC). In sync with the Authority for Advance Rulings in
Maharashtra (AAR Maha), the Finance Ministry has said ITC shall not be
available to the supplier on the inputs, input services and capital goods to
the extent they are used in relation to the gifts or free samples distributed
without any consideration. However, experts say that ‘without any consideration’
is very vague. According to them, normally price of a ‘free gift’ is factored
in the sales price of accompanying goods or services. The matter here is
related with a Mumbai-based company Biostadt India Ltd. It launched a new sales
promotion scheme namely The kharif Gold Scheme 2018 for its customers and
decided to give gold coins (10 grams and 8 grams) on a purchase in the
prescribed quantity. The company approached the AAR to find whether input tax
credit (ITC) can be claimed by the applicant on procurement of gold coins which
are to be distributed to customers as per the scheme. The company argued that
in terms of GST law, every registered person is entitled to credit of input tax
charged on any supply of goods or services which are used or intended to be
used in the course or furtherance of business. The scheme launched by the
applicant grants an advantage to the applicant over the competitors and ensures
brand as well as market royalty which are important aspects of any business.
Accordingly, the scheme is in the course or furtherance of business and thus
GST paid on gold coins qualifies to be an ‘input tax’ and credit should be
given. However, the tax authorities said the gold coins to be distributed by
the applicant do not qualify as ‘inputs’ because the said distribution first,
is not in line with basic business model. Second, it is not essential for
continuity of business and third, is not concerned with making of taxable
supply for consideration. The AAR observed that gold coins are not given by the
applicant under any contractual obligation as no contract/agreement has been
signed by customers in writing accepting the scheme floated by the applicant.
Accordingly, the gold coins are given by the applicant voluntarily on
fulfilment of certain conditions. Further, it said, in the present case, the
statement that gold coins will be distributed to customers on achievement of
certain conditions is an assurance to give away ‘gifts’ on those conditions
being achieved by the customers. Accordingly, it ruled that the applicant
cannot claim ITC on procurements of gold coins or on other promotional schemes.
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LEAKAGE OF RAFALE PAPERS AMOUNTS TO THEFT, HAS PUT NATIONAL
SECURITY IN JEOPARDY, CENTRE TELLS SC
The Centre on Wednesday
told the Supreme Court that leakage of sensitive documents by photocopying in
the Rafale case amounts to theft and this has put national security in
jeopardy. In an affidavit filed in the apex court, the government said that the
petitioners are guilty of leaking sensitive information Those who've conspired
in this leakage are guilty of penal offences including theft by unauthorized
photocopying and leakage of sensitive official documents affecting national
security. These matters are now subject of an internal inquiry which commenced
on Feb 28, the government told the court. Petitioners Yashwant Sinha, Arun
Shourie, Prashant Bhushan are guilty of leaking sensitive information, the
Centre said. The defence ministry said that the documents attached by the
petitioners in the Rafale review case relate to war capacity of the combat
aircraft.
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RS 8-CRORE TAX RECOVERED FROM PANIPAT INDUSTRIALISTS
The state Excise and
Taxation Department has recovered Rs 8 crore tax out of Rs 13 crore from the
industrialists in Panipat who have been involved in tax evasion. These firm
owners had used bogus bills from 25 fake firms for tax credit input. The
special investigation team (SIT) of the police has also sought details of all
25 firms from the department to conduct investigations. According to sources,
the department had identified 25 non-existent firms in the city that had issued
fake bills of Rs 706 crore and evaded Rs 71.38 crore tax in the past two
months. During investigation, the department found that more than 254 firms in
the city had used bogus bills to credit input tax under the Goods and Service
Tax Act and found Rs 13 crore tax evasion by these firms. The department had
served notices to the registered owners of around 254 industries and directed
them to deposit tax and also lodged cases against these 25 non-existing firms in
Chandnibagh police station.
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MYSURU SAID COLLECTED RS.94,000 CRORE THROUGH GST EVERY MONTH
Implementation of GST
(Goods and Service Tax) has been hugely successful and the Governments across
the country have collected Rs. 94,000 crore through GST every month, said
Sundara Raju. He said: Through implementation of GST, the filing of returns
have been simplified GST has helped reduce the tax rates and the processing of
registration returns has been simplified. In this scenario, so many issues have
come to picture particularly fake invoices. Around 20,000 crore fake invoices
have been detected across the country and GSTN (Goods and Services Tax Network)
System helping them to trace these revenue leakages, he said and cautioned the
industry to have their KYC (Know Your Customer) norms in place to ensure they
are dealing with genuine vendors. He also mentioned that till January, in
Mysuru Commisionerate alone 9,500 people have not filed their returns and asked
the industry to complete the compliances.
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CHANDA KOCHHAR’S FATE WAS SEALED BY HUSBAND’S ADMISSION
Former ICICI Bank CEO
Chanda Kochhar’s fate was sealed after her husband acknowledged dealings with
the Videocon Group continuing over several years in April last year and the
board found it difficult to believe her explanation of the sequence of events
leading up to the disclosure. Conversations with officials having direct
knowledge of the events show the board lost faith in Chanda Kochhar after her
husband’s disclosures and her own attempts to explain the lack of transparency.
Deepak Kochhar, Chanda’s husband and the man at the centre of the controversy,
wrote to the board in April 2018 acknowledging his relationship with the
Videocon Group. The disclosure came a few weeks after media reports about
alleged conflict of interest and the relationship between him and Videocon
Group. This followed a Sebi directive to the ICICI board, asking it to seek a
formal letter from Deepak Kochhar detailing his dealings with the VN
Dhoot-promoted group. The letter, which ran contrary to Chanda Kochhar’s
assertions, forced the board to confront her and revisit her disclosures under
the bank’s code of conduct rules. Board officials were peeved that Chanda
Kochhar had continued to claim even after the events of 2016 that there were no
business dealings between her husband and the Videocon Group. Responding to an
internal ICICI inquiry, Kochhar had said there were no business dealings. It is
difficult to believe that even in 2017 and 2018 she did not mention anything
about the dealings in her filings, said one of the persons who did not want to
be identified. She may have asked her husband after the first round of charges.
If even after that the dealings did not come out, then it was not professional
conduct.
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NATIONAL HOUSING BANK COMPLETES INSPECTION OF DHFL'S BOOKS
National Housing Bank
(NHB) has concluded its inspection of books for Dewan Housing Finance
Corporation Ltd’s alleged misappropriation of loans. The four-member committee
of the housing regulator checked the company’s books of accounts in offices in
New Delhi, Nagpur and Mumbai and is expected to submit its report in the next
few weeks two people familiar with the matter told. The inspection ended last
week. A consortium of 33 lenders, led by Union Bank of India, is said to have
given clean chit to DHFL on Tuesday after they heard TP Ostwal &
Associates, the auditor, which cleared the company of allegations of
wrongdoing.
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CBI TO MISS DEADLINE IN RAKESH ASTHANA CASE AS IT SEEKS INFO
FROM UAE
The Central Bureau of
Investigation has approached the UAE authorities to verify the claims of
Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Sana Babu that he paid Rs 3 crore bribe to
former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana through Dubai-based investment
banker Manoj Prasad and his brother Somesh Prasad. As a result, now the agency
won’t be able to complete its probe against the Gujarat cadre IPS officer
within 10 weeks, as directed by the Delhi High Court. CBI sources, requesting
anonymity, confirmed that a letter rogatory (a judicial request seeking
information from a country) has been sent to the UAE as the alleged crime
originated in Dubai. They added that since the meeting between Sana and Prasad
brothers took place in Dubai, and he was allegedly shown the WhatsApp picture
of Asthana there, these facts need to be verified at UAE’s end. The LR reply
might take some time hence CBI will seek more time from the high court. The HC
deadline for finishing the probe is set to end on March 25.
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INCOME TAX DEPT RAIDS MAYAWATI'S FORMER SECY NETRAM
Mont Blanc pens worth Rs
50 lakh, four benami luxury cars including one Mercedes and two Toyota
Fortuners, besides papers of properties worth more than Rs 225 crore were
discovered by income tax authorities in searches on multiple locations related
to Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati’s former secretary Netram. A retired 1979
batch IAS officer, Netram had held key positions in the UP government when
Mayawati was the chief minister from 2007 to 2012. The income tax authorities
stumbled upon 30 shell companies in most of which either family members of the
assessee or his in-laws were shown as shareholders and directors, sources
claimed. The searches were carried out on Tuesday. Taxmen also searched
Netram’s in-laws who expressed complete ignorance about such companies in which
they were shown as stakeholders, sources said. Netram’s children are authorised
persons to operate bank accounts of shell companies, they said. Accommodation
entries of about Rs 95 crore from Kolkata-based entry operators/companies were
found, they said, adding that six properties had been acquired out of bogus
share capital of Rs 95 crore. The searches have so far recovered Rs 18 lakh
cash from a Lucknow house, Rs 86 lakh from the GK-1 house, and Rs 60 lakh from
a linked person, sources claimed. Another Rs 50 lakh is said to be in a locker.
The authorities also recovered property papers pointing to additional
properties worth Rs 225 crore.
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CRACKDOWN ON TICKETLESS TRAVELLERS! INDIAN RAILWAYS ZONE EARNS
WHOPPING RS 116.86 CRORE
Recently, the Western
Railway zone of the national transporter said that it has earned an amount of
Rs 116.86 crore from ticketless travellers The amount has been collected from
passengers in the last eleven months, according to a PTI report. In a statement
issued by the Western Railway, it has been stated that between April 2018 and
February 2019, the zone had detected as many as 25.17 lakh cases of ticketless
or irregular travel, including cases of unbooked luggage. The statement further
added that the cases were registered during the regular checks conducted by
2,363 ticket checking staffers of Indian Railways. According to the statement
by Western Railway, this time the recovery is 17.67 per cent more as compared
to last year’s corresponding period. The spokesperson also said that if a
passenger fails to pay the penalty on the spot, he or she is produced before
the magistrate and is further prosecuted under the sections of 137 and 138 of
the Railways Act, 1989. The Western Railway zone consists of six sub-divisions
namely, Mumbai, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Ratlam and Bhavnagar.
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I-T RECOVERS RS 1.64 CRORE CASH, MONT BLANC PENS WORTH RS 50L
AFTER RAIDS ON RETIRED UP IAS OFFICER
Cash worth over Rs 1.64
crore Mont Blanc pens of Rs 50 lakh, four luxury SUVs and documents indicating
benami assets of Rs 300 crore have been recovered during the I-T Department
raids on premises linked to a retired IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, who
served in top positions during Mayawati's chief ministership, officials said
Wednesday. The taxman had swooped down on a dozen premises linked to 1979-batch
Indian Administrative Service officer Net Ram after it had credible inputs that
the former top bureaucrat and his associates have made accommodation or bogus
entries of about Rs 95 crore from Kolkata-based shell firms in the past,
including in the post-demonetisation period. They said after the over 26-hours
long searches, the department has recovered a total of Rs 1.64 crore in cash
from three houses in Lucknow and Delhi, while another Rs 50 lakh is believed to
be stashed in a bank locker, which will soon be opened. The officials said the
former bureaucrat was negotiating for a Lok Sabha ticket from a party and that
is when he came under the scanner of the tax department. Documents related to
30 shell firms, in which Net Ram's family members and in-law's were
shareholders, have been recovered and are being scrutinised.
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ED SUSPECTS ROLE OF PAK HIGH COMMISSION IN TERROR FUNDING CASE
Enforcement Directorate
(ED) is suspecting the role of Pakistan High Commission to disburse funds to
the Kashmiri separatists and creating unrest in Jammu and Kashmir. This has
come after the law enforcement agency attached property of a Kashmiri
businessman worth more than a crore in Gurugram in connection to a money
laundering case and over the allegation of terror funding. In the coming days,
the Enforcement Directorate can attach more properties, which could again worth
in crores. According to reports, ED has received information that separatists
in Kashmir received Rs 7 crore from across the border to play for their
nefarious activities and create tension in the valley. ED is suspecting that
the funds were routed via Pakistan's High Commission in India and through other
channels. ED claims that they seized a document during its search at Bhatt's
residence who works as cashier-cum-accountant with Watali.
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ROSE VALLEY SCAM CASE: INVESTORS CAN APPROACH ASSET DISPOSAL
PANEL, SAYS ED
The Enforcement
Directorate (ED), probing into the multi-crore Rose Valley ponzi scam case, has
urged the duped investors to approach the asset disposal committee appointed by
the Calcutta High Court to recover their dues. According to an ED official, the
investors, who were promised high returns on their investments by the ponzi
firm, are free to approach the committee which was set up following a high
court suggestion in 2015. In the Rose Valley ponzi scam case, so far the ED has
attached properties worth ₹ 4,600 crore, an ED official, who did not wish to be named,
told PTI. The enforcement agency attached Rose Valley properties worth ₹
2,300 crore in one go, including two dozen hotels and resorts, which till date
is the single largest attachment in the case.
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DELHI COURT FIXES MARCH 18 ON FRAMING CHARGES IN MUZAFFARPUR
SHELTER HOME CASE
A Delhi court on Wednesday
fixed March 18 for the framing of charges in the Muzaffarpur shelter home
sexual assault case. Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Kulshreshtha passed the
order after completion of the arguments of all the accused. Five people accused
in the case had earlier denied allegations levelled against them by the CBI and
said there was not enough evidence to prosecute them. Other accused in the case
too had denied allegations against them previously. There are 21 people
chargesheeted in the case.
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MUZAFFARPUR BALIKA GRIH CASE: ED ATTACHES ASSETS OF ACCUSED
BRAJESH THAKUR
The Enforcement
Directorate (ED) has attached immovable and movable properties including 26
Plots, three vehicles, balance in 37 bank accounts and investments in Mutual
funds; insurance policies totaling amounts to Rs 7.30 crores of accused Brajesh
Thakur (owner of NGO, Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti) and his family members in
Muzaffarpur Balika Grih Case. According to the agency, huge funds were received
by Thakur’s NGO from the State government and other sources which were meant to
be spent on welfare of girl children and others. Investigation revealed that
funds received by the NGO were not utilized for the stated objectives i.e.
welfare of the children. ED has said that funds received by the NGO were
illegally diverted/siphoned off for acquisition of properties and personal use
by Brajesh Thakur and his family members. Documents gathered during
investigation revealed that Donation from other sources / Grant-in-aid from
government have been received to the tune of Rs. 7, 57, 48, 820 during the
financial years from 2011-12 to 2016-17, ED has said. This is evident from the
fact that funds to the tune of Rs. 1,53,86,129/- have been transferred from the
bank accounts of Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti to the bank accounts of Brajesh
Thakur & his family members for acquisition of huge movable and Immovable
properties and also for payment of fees for medical education of Mehul Anand
S/o Brajesh Thakur.
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15 SURGICAL STRIKES TOOK PLACE UNDER CONGRESS RULE, BUT IT
NEVER TALKED ABOUT IT: ASHOK GEHLOT
Accusing the Modi
government of politicising actions of defence forces, Rajasthan Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday claimed 15 surgical strikes took place during the
Congress rule, but the then dispensation never talked about it. He said former
prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi had made huge contributions
for the nation, but the Modi government has never highlighted the same and
instead defamed the Gandhi family. The countrymen are innocent. They think that
Prime Minister Narendra Modi got the surgical strikes done, but 15 surgical
strikes have taken place earlier. Under the Congress rule, surgical strikes
took place 15 times, but it was never said that such action has taken place,
Gehlot told. He said it was not a standard thing (on part of the government) to
highlight such developments. Modi became the prime minister and satellites were
launched by ISRO, but it was presented as if the satellites were launched only
in his rule. It took years for former prime minister Indira Gandhi to make ISRO
and hundreds of satellites were launched, the Congress leader said. The chief minister
said Modi has also not acknowledged the fact that Indira Gandhi created the
nation of Bangladesh by dividing Pakistan and without letting Khalistan take
shape. Taking a dig at Modi, Gehlot said the prime minister should have been an
actor. He should have become a Bollywood actor. Movies have actors, actresses,
villain they talk about love and affection and the audiences are amused, but
movies have no reality and the love and affection shown there is not true, he
said.
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CROSS-LOC TRADE SUSPENDED IN J&K'S POONCH AFTER PAKISTAN
VIOLATES CEASEFIRE
The cross-LoC trade was
suspended on Wednesday after Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire along the
Line of Control by resorting to unprovoked mortar shelling and small arms
firing in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said. Five mortar
shells hit the trade facilitation centre at Chakan-da-Bagh, damaging a few
sheds, including the one housing the X-ray scanner, custodian of LoC trade
centre, Poonch, Fareed Kohli told PTI. He said the shelling took place around
12.30 pm, when the process of scanning of the trucks was almost complete. There
were no casualties but the shelling caused panic among those present at the
centre, he said, adding that the main building remained safe. Kohli said the
cross-LoC trade was suspended for the day in view of the shelling. Officials
said the shelling started in Krishna Ghati sector around 10.30 am and later
spread to Poonch sector.
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SINGTEL DESERVES TAX REFUND FOR GIFTING SINGAPORE GOVT A STAKE
IN AIRTEL
Singapore
Telecommunications Ltd. should ask for a tax refund After all, here’s a telco
that got the chance to maintain its stake in an overseas business on the cusp
of something new at a steep discount to the market price. And what did it do?
SingTel renounced a part of those rights in favour of Singapore’s sovereign
wealth fund for no consideration. Yes, gratis, free of charge. Given that GIC
Pte’s investment returns play a big role in funding Singapore’s increasingly
welfarist budget, it’s only fair that SingTel should ask for a tax offset against
its gift to the fund. Let’s back up a bit. SingTel’s prized investment is
Bharti Airtel Ltd., India’s mobile market leader. The company is raising as
much as Rs 250 billion ($3.6 billion) via a rights issue to strengthen its
balance sheet amid a bruising fight with Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., which has
made a splashy entry into India’s 4G market offering cheap data and lifetime
free voice calls.
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PUNJ LLOYD WINS ARBITRATION AWARD AGAINST ONGC
Engineering and
construction firm Punj Lloyd Wednesday said it has won an arbitration award
worth over USD 4.98 million (about Rs 34 crore) with respect to a project in
Maharashtra. It said the arbitration award pertained to Heera Redevelopment
Project. The Arbitration Tribunal in the matter of Punj lloyd Ltd & Anr vis
Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd in respect of Heera Redevelopment
Project, has given an award in favor of Punj lloyd Limited for an amount of USD
4,985,866.37 with interest @ 9 per cent p.a from due date till the date of
payment/ realization, the company said in a filing to the BSE. It said the
award mentions payment of a further amount of USD 17,500 and USD 7,919,661. The
amount of USD 7,919,661.00 has to be paid within four months from the award
otherwise interest @ 12 per cent p.a.will be payable till the payment or
realization thereof, the company said without giving details.
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INDIA, US TO ESTABLISH SIX US NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN INDIA:
MEA
India and the United
States on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to work together to prevent the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to
deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors. The agreement
was reached during the ninth round of the India-US Strategic Security Dialogue
held here. The Indian delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale,
while the US delegation was led by Andrea Thompson, Under Secretary of State
for Arms Control and International Security. The two sides exchanged views on a
wide range of global security and non-proliferation challenges and reaffirmed
their commitment to work together to prevent the proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons
by terrorists and non-state actors, according to a statement by the External
Affairs Ministry. The US also reaffirmed its strong support of India's early
membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group. They committed to strengthen
bilateral security and civil nuclear cooperation, including the establishment
of six US nuclear power plants in India the MEA said.
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INDIA WILL GO TO ANY EXTENT TO AVENGE HIT ON NATIONAL PRIDE:
RAJNATH SINGH
Home minister Rajnath
Singh said on Wednesday that India now had a new approach towards terror — that
it will go to any extent to retaliate to an attack that hurts national pride.
Look, this is a changed India. So, it was clear to us that we will retaliate.
It was not such a difficult decision as people make it out to be. We are very
clear that we will go to any lengths for the sake of protecting our national
pride no country in the world can stop us from taking countermeasures, Singh
told. The home minister made it clear that the military action should not be
politicised, but added that talking about national pride and national
self-confidence is a different matter. It’s politicisation when someone asks
how many terrorists were killed. That’s like raising doubts on your security
forces it’s not their (armed forces’) job to count the dead. But there’s
nothing wrong in talking about our national pride or how such decisive action
is a reflection of national self confidence, he said. Singh asserted that the
operation was successful and completed with precision. All I can say is this
mission was carried out on the basis of very credible intelligence inputs. It
was targeted, and it was a successful operation, Singh told.
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WEAK MODI'S SCARED OF XI: RAHUL SLAMS PM AFTER CHINA SHIELDS
MASOOD AZHAR
Rahul Gandhi Thursday hit
out at Prime Minster Narendra Modi, saying he was weak and scared of Chinese
President Xi Jinping. The Congress chief attacked the prime minister and said
he had not spoken on China blocking the resolution in the UN Security Council.
The party accused the BJP of letting Masood off the hook again and also
questioned Modi what was the use of swinging with Xi. Weak Modi is scared of Xi
Not a word comes out of his mouth when China acts against India. NoMo's China
diplomacy: 1. Swing with Xi in Gujarat. 2. Hug Xi in Delhi. 3. Bow to Xi in
China, Gandhi said on Twitter. India's bid to designate the Pakistan-based
terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief as a global terrorist suffered a setback
with China on Wednesday putting a technical hold on a proposal to ban him
following the Pulwama terror attack. With China having blocked our bid to
designate Masood Azhar a global terrorist, the question on every Indian's mind
is, what was the use of all the swinging with Modi and President Xi, the
Congress said on its official Twitter handle.
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INDIA DISAPPOINTED AS CHINA BLOCKS BID TO BAN JEM CHIEF
India said Thursday it was
disappointed by China again delaying a bid to blacklist the leader of a
Pakistan-based militant group that claimed a massive suicide bombing in Kashmir
last month. China on Wednesday put on hold a request by Britain, France and the
United States to add the leader of JeM, Masood Azhar, on a UN sanctions
blacklist which would subject him to a global travel ban, an assets freeze and
an arms embargo. China -- an all-weather ally of Pakistan which has blocked
three similar moves -- said it needed more time to examine the sanctions
request targeting Azhar, and asked for a technical hold which could last up to
nine months. In a statement, the Indian foreign ministry said it was
disappointed by the outcome adding it would continue to pursue all avenues to
make sure terrorist leaders who are involved in heinous attacks on our citizens
are brought to justice. China has blocked three previous attempts at the
committee on sanctions against Al-Qaeda and IS-linked groups to blacklist the
JeM leader. The group itself was added to the UN terror list in 2001.
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SENA CAUTIONS BJP OVER INDUCTION OF LEADERS FROM OPPN PARTIES
The Shiv Sena on Thursday
asked ally BJP to be cautious while inducting leaders from opposition parties,
saying doing so may pose problems in future. The remark came two days after
senior Maharashtra Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil's son joined the
BJP. Hitting out at opposition parties, the Sena also referred to a recent blog
post of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he alleged that Congress and
corruption were synonyms. The incoming from the Congress and NCP may be seen as
beneficial today, but it can cause problems in future, we have this experience.
Today, people are coming because there is power. When there is none, they will
find other relations, the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece
'Saamana'.
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INDIA’S EFFORTS FOR GLOBAL PHASE-OUT OF SINGLE USE PLASTICS AT
UN ENVIRONMENT ASSEMBLY FAIL
India’s efforts at
piloting a resolution at the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly for a
global phase-out of single use plastics by 2025 failed in the face of strong
opposition from the United States. The United States was opposed the idea of a
time-bound phase out of single-use plastics. The US refused to acknowledge
single-use plastics as a serious pollutant, and one that needed to be
eliminated. Instead it articulated the view that environmental menace posed by
single-use plastics could be addressed through better waste management.
Single-use plastics or disposable plastics are commonly used for plastic
packaging, accounting for 36 per cent of 400 million tonnes of plastic produced
annually, and other items, grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws,
containers, cups and cutlery. On Wednesday, after nearly a week of intense
negotiations a compromise was worked out. It does not mention phasing out of
single-use plastics, therefore no time line. Instead its focus is on better
waste management. What emerged were two distinct approaches —one that viewed
single-use plastic as waste management issue while the other viewed it as a
class of pollutants that must be addressed at source and eliminated, said an
expert privy to the negotiations. The weakened outcome was disappointment for
India and the European Union. While accepting the compromise, paving the way
for the adoption of the resolution by the assembly later this week, both India
and the European Union stressed that they would not allow for the weakening of
the reference to single use plastics in the ministerial declaration. The
compromise text acknowledges the need to address the problem presented by
single-use plastic products such as packaging, bags, and straws. However,
rather than putting an end to the use of this class of plastic products thereby
substantially reducing the generation of new plastic waste the resolution
focuses on more efficient waste management.
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I'M IN NO RUSH TO COMPLETE US-CHINA TRADE DEAL, SAYS DONALD
TRUMP
US President Donald Trump
said on Wednesday he was in no rush to complete a trade pact with China and
insisted that any deal include protection for intellectual property, a major
sticking point between the two sides during months of negotiations. Trump and
Chinese President Xi Jinping had been expected to hold a summit at the
president's Mar-a-Lago property in Florida later this month, but no date has
been set for a meeting and no in-person talks between their trade teams have
been held in more than two weeks. The president, said he thought there was a
good chance a deal would be made, in part because China wanted one after
suffering from US tariffs on its goods. But he acknowledged Xi may be wary of
coming to a summit without an agreement in hand after seeing Trump end a
separate summit in Vietnam with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un without a peace
deal. I think President Xi saw that I'm somebody that believes in walking when
the deal is not done, and you know there's always a chance it could happen and
he probably wouldn't want that, Trump said.
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US LOOKS TO TEST GROUND-LAUNCHED CRUISE MISSILE IN AUGUST
The United States aims to
test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range of about 1,000 km (620
miles) in August, a Pentagon official said on Wednesday, after Washington
announced last month it plans to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear
Forces Treaty. Last month, the United States said it would withdraw from the
INF treaty in six months unless Moscow ends what Washington says are violations
of the 1987 pact. Russia announced it was suspending the treaty. Moscow denies
flouting the accord and has accused Washington of breaking the accord itself,
allegations rejected by the United States. We're going to test a
ground-launched cruise missile in August, said a senior defense official, who
declined to be named. If the testing is successful, the missile could be
deployed in about 18 months. The official said the United States was also
looking to test an intermediate-range ballistic missile in November, adding
that both would be conventional and not nuclear.
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CHINA HINTS IT MAY BLOCK MOVE TO DECLARE MASOOD AZHAR AS
GLOBAL TERRORIST
Hours before the UN
Security Council is to take up a resolution on listing Jaish-e-Muhammed chief
Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, China on Wednesday hinted that it may once
again block the move saying only the solution that is acceptable to all sides
is conducive to resolve the issue. The fate of the proposal to designate
Pakistan-based Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council will be
known in less than 24 hours when the deadline to raise objections to the bid
expires. The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions
Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, UK and the US on
February 27. I could reiterate that China will continue to adopt responsible
attitude and participate in the deliberations in the UNSC 1267 Committee,
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told. China, a veto-wielding member
of the UNSC, has blocked the move by India and other member nations three times
in the past to designate Azhar. On the issue of listing Azhar, he said, I want
to say that China always adopts a responsible attitude, engage in consultations
with various parties and properly deal with this issue.
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TRUMP TO FARMERS: I LOVE YOU! BUT I STILL WANT TO CUT YOUR
SUBSIDIES
President Donald Trump’s I
LOVE YOU! tweet to farmers is facing another challenge: Budget cuts that will
slash subsidies for crop insurance and small growers Trump’s 2020 budget,
released Monday, calls for a 15 per cent funding drop for the Department of
Agriculture, citing overly generous subsidies. The president is seeking one of
the largest-ever cuts to domestic discretionary spending in a $4.7 trillion
fiscal 2020 budget proposal that also boosts defence spending and adds $8.6
billion for building a border wall. The plan would trim the USDA budget by $3.6
billion to $20.8 billion, lowering subsidies for crop insurance premiums to 48
per cent from 62 per cent, and limiting subsidies for growers who make less
than $500,000 annually. The Trump administration responded with a plan to
authorise as much as $12 billion in aid, but even prior to the ruckus between
the world’s two largest economies, American farmers were dealing with low
prices and a decline in incomes wrought by bumper crops. Trump’s budget
proposes that USDA responsibly and efficiently use taxpayer resources by making
targeted reforms to duplicative programs and overly generous subsidy programs,
according to the document.
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SPOTIFY FILES EU ANTITRUST COMPLAINT AGAINST APPLE FOR APP
STORE RULES
Spotify has filed a
complaint with EU antitrust regulators against Apple, saying the iPhone maker
unfairly limits rivals to its own Apple Music streaming service. Spotify, which
launched a year after the 2007 launch of the iPhone, said on Wednesday that
Apple's control of its App store deprived consumers of choice and rival
providers of audio streaming services to the benefit of Apple Music, which
began in 2015. Central to Spotify's complaint, filed to the European Commission
on Monday, is what it says is a 30 percent fee Apple charges content-based
service providers to use Apple's in-app purchase system (IAP). Horacio
Gutierrez, Spotify's general counsel, said the company was pressured into using
the billing system in 2014, but then was forced to raise the monthly fee of its
premium service from 9.99 to 12.99 euros, just as Apple Music launched at
Spotify's initial 9.99 price. Spotify then ceased use of Apple's IAP system,
meaning Spotify customers could only upgrade to the fee-based package
indirectly, such as on a laptop. Under App store rules, Spotify said,
content-based apps could not include buttons or external links to pages with
production information, discounts or promotions and faced difficulties fixing
bugs. Such restrictions do not apply to Android phones, it said. Voice
recognition system Siri would not hook iPhone users up to Spotify and Apple
declined to let Spotify launch an app on its Apple Watch, Spotify said.
#For Source of Information copy and paste the heading in google.
Thanks & Regards,
CS Meetesh Shiroya
Thanks & Regards,
CS Meetesh Shiroya
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