Archive for the ‘Policy’ Category
Friday, June 27th, 2008 |
The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) has issued the draft Costal Management Zone (CMZ), Notification, 2008 on May 1, 2008. This CMZ Notification, 2008 shall supersede the existing Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification of February, 1991. It seeks to regulate and impose blanket restrictions on certain industrial and development activities in coastal areas which could be harsher than the existing CRZ dispensation.
To enable industry and other stakeholders understand the implications of CMZ Notification, 2008 and to help everyone in the workshop formulate suggestions, comments or observations for sending them to MoEF, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized a one day workshop on CMZ Notification, 2008 and REACH Regulation of EU today at Kolkata.
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Thursday, June 26th, 2008 |
Indian Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment has announced that the Government has approved revision of the Scheme for prevention of drug abuse. The key features of the new Scheme are provision of grant for food for BPL addicts; Integrated Centre for Rehabilitation of Addicts; flexibility regarding number of Beds and duration of stay of addicts in the centres; RRTCs as an integral component of the Scheme; Panchayati Raj institutions as eligible bodies for running centres; greater emphasis on awareness, preventive education and Media campaign; and enhanced financial support to the centres. Minister was addressing a gathering in a function to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Organized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, here today. Minister said that the most effective way to eradicate drugs from the earth would be to create a grand alliance of the government, the civil society, the corporate houses and the media.
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Thursday, June 26th, 2008 |
Central Government has issued notification No.29/2008-Service Tax, dated 26.06.2008 to exempt fully from levy of service tax on supply of transport vehicles (goods carriage) to a goods transport agency (GTA) to be used for transport of goods by road [section 65(105)(zzzzj) of the Finance Act, 1994].
Representations have been received from the All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners’ Associations and also from the All India Motor Transport Congress requesting to provide relief on account of levy of service tax on supply of goods carriage to GTA for use in transport of goods. It has been stated that GTAs often provide services in relation to transportation of goods by road using the goods carriage obtained on rent or hire basis. The relief has been sought on various grounds inter alia that the service tax paid on renting / hiring of goods carriage, without right of possession and effective control, could not be taken as input credit for payment of service tax towards GTA service.
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Posted in Policy, Travel and Transport | No Comments »
Thursday, June 26th, 2008 |
The Union Cabinet toady gave its approval for adoption of Cruise Shipping Policy of India.
Cruise Shipping would be a path breaking development in India’s effort to carve a prominent space in world tourism. Cruise Shipping would showcase India as a major source and destination of world tourism. It would spill out growth in diverse other sectors thereby earning precious foreign exchange for the country. It will also generate enormous employment opportunities. Cruise tourism would also promote people to people contact which will enhance India’s friendly ties with foreign countries.
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Posted in Policy, Travel and Transport | No Comments »
Thursday, June 26th, 2008 |
‘As part of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) Department of Information Technology (DIT) is implementing the most prominent schemes like State Wide Area Network (SWAN), Common service Centers (CSC) and State Data Centers (SDC) in a major way’, said the Union Minister for Communication & Information Technology at the meeting of the Consultative Committee on ‘National e-Governance Plan’ here today.
He further added that the SWAN Scheme has been approved at a total cost of Rs. 3,334 crores and the under the Scheme the DIT is currently overseeing the establishment of a State Wide Area Network with 2 Mbps connectivity, connecting the State Headquarters, District Headquarters and over 6,000 Blocks across the country. This Scheme once completed would provide connectivity to over 1,00,000 Government offices all across the country.
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Friday, June 6th, 2008 |
Direct tax collections at Rs.3,14,468 crore surpassed indirect taxes for the first time by about Rs.34,000 crore in the fiscal 2007-08. Higher direct tax collections have helped the government reduce fiscal deficit, meet the FRBM targets, and increase public investment in the social sectors. In view of the responsibility of being the primary contributor to the exchequer of the Government of India, the Income Tax department will discuss various issues relating to further improving direct tax administration during the Annual conference of Chief Commissioners and Directors General of Income Tax to be held on 9th and 10th June 2008.
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Posted in Economy, Policy, Politics | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 |
The Government today issued a series of guidelines simplifying the procedure for hiring or requisition of lands and buildings by the Armed Forces in Jammu &Kashmir. The decision to issue the guidelines follows various representations from discontented owners whose properties were occupied by the Armed Forces and there was delay in regularization of occupation of such properties due to various operational reasons.
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Posted in Defence, Policy | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 |
Besides, setting up of Coal Regulatory Authority, the Coal Ministry will put in place a new policy as per which coal blocs will be awarded to their developers with prior necessary clearances from government itself w.e.f. 2009-10 to ensure that early coal production commences in such blocs without any delay, discloses Minister of State for Coal, Mr. Santosh Bagrodia.
Addressing the ASSOCHAM organised Interactive Session on Public Private Partnership in Coal Sector’, the Minister further disclosed that a decision to set up a Coal Regulatory Authority has already been taken to introduce competition and remove inefficiencies of Coal India Ltd. to end its monopoly.
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Posted in Commodity and Energy, Policy | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 |
Home Minister, Mr. Shivraj Patil on Monday announced that centre would allocate Rs.2000 crore to upgrade and modernize 14,000 police stations across the country to equip them to take on the menace of terrorism and internal law and order security.
Delivering his Keynote Address at the 87th Annual General Meeting of the ASSOCHAM here today, the Home Minister said that the centre is in talk with states in this regard as after all it is the state who have to finally upgrade and modernize their police force.
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Monday, June 2nd, 2008 |
Government of India signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on Income and on capital, here today. This Agreement shall enter into force on a date to be notified in due course. The Agreement also aims at promoting economic cooperation between the two countries. It was signed by Shri R.S. Mathoda, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. Marc Courte, Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary on behalf of the Government of Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
The DTAA between India and Luxembourg will cover in the case of India, the Income-tax and the wealth tax including any surcharge thereon. In the case of Luxembourg it would cover the income tax on individuals, the corporation tax, capital tax and the communal trade tax.
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Posted in Export and Import, External Affairs, Policy | No Comments »
Saturday, May 31st, 2008 |
The Second Pay Revision Committee Report for the Executives of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) was presented here today by the Chairman of the Committee Justice M. Jagannadha Rao, Retired Judge of Supreme Court to Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. The Committee was constituted by the Government in November 2006. The Committee discussed various issues with a number of CPSEs, Officers’ Associations, Public representatives, SCOPE, Sixth Central Pay Commission, PESB, selected private sectors and other stake holders.
The effective date of pay revision will be 1.1.2007. The CPSEs have been classified into five categories and the classification is based on the turnover, size of manpower and geographical spread of the CPSE. There will be five sets of pay scales based on categorization of CPSEs. There will be two components of pay i.e. Basic Pay and Risk Pay. (more…)
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