Heroin worth Rs 400 cr seized from Pak boat off Gujarat coast; 6 held

 A Pakistani fishing boat with six crew members and carrying 77 kg of heroin worth around Rs 400 crore was apprehended in the Indian waters off the Gujarat coast, officials said on Monday.

A Pakistani fishing boat with six crew members and carrying 77 kg of heroin worth around Rs 400 crore was apprehended in the Indian waters off the Gujarat coast, officials said on Monday. The drug seizure was made on Sunday night in a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), they said. Gujarat’s defence PRO in a tweet said the Coast Guard in a joint operation with the state ATS apprehended the Pakistani fishing boat ‘Al Huseini’ with six crew members on board in the Indian waters.

They seized “77 kg of heroin worth approximately Rs 400 crore,” the tweet said. The boat was brought to the Jakhau coast in Kutch district of Gujarat for further investigation, it stated. In April this year, the Coast Guard and the ATS had carried out a similar operation and apprehended a boat with eight Pakistani nationals and carrying 30 kg of heroin worth about Rs 150 crore, from the Indian waters near the Jakhau coast in Kutch.

At least eight dead in Ahmedabad’s Covid hospital fire, PM expresses grief

PM Modi spoke with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and city mayor Bijal Patel regarding the situation

Eight patients at a private Covid-19 designated hospital died after a fire broke out in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad early Thursday morning. on Thursday,. “Fire broke out at the Shrey Hospital in Navrangpura area of Ahmedabad during the early hours of Thursday,” said an official. Around 40 other Covid-19 patients at the facility were rescued and shifted to a civic hospital in the city, he said. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the loss of lives in the fire accident and said the administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected. “Saddened by the tragic hospital fire in Ahmedabad. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon,” the prime minister tweeted.

Modi spoke with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and city mayor Bijal Patel regarding the situation. “Administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected,” he said. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund would be given to the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the hospital fire in Ahmedabad, the PMO said in a tweet…Read More

Bullet train project acquires 60% land, but may fail to meet 2023 deadline

Apart from land acquisition, another major cause for concern before the project is cost escalation owing to a fall in the rupee against the Japanese yen.

Despite facing public protests and resistance from the Maharashtra government, the country’s first bullet train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai has been able to acquire almost 60 per cent of the land required for the project. However, meeting the December 2023 deadline is still a cause for concern for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project on the back of the Covid-19 outbreak.

“We are on fast track. We have acquired 60 per cent of the land required for the project. Interestingly, in Gujarat it goes up to around 77 per cent,” said Achal Khare, managing director of the National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL), the company in charge of India’s bullet train road map.

The total land requirement for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor project was reduced to 1,380.08 hectares (ha), from 1,434.47 ha late last year, mainly due to actual reconciliation of the project scope. Of the total land required, 1,004.91 ha is private land. So far, around 820-830 ha has been acquired by NHSRCL.

Guj’s lion count rises to 674 from 523, PM hopes positive trend continues

The territory or the distribution area of the big cat has also increased by 36 per cent from 22,000 square kilometres to 30,000 km during the same period

Junagadh (Gujarat), June 11 (ANI): Good news came in from Gujarat’s Junagadh, where population of Asiatic lions have increased. The forest officials have recorded total 674 Asiatic lions in the region. According to D.T. Vasavada, Chief Conservator of Forests, Junagadh Wildlife Circle, “If we compare it with 2015 data so there is an increase of 151 Asiatic lions in the region and the lions used to roam in 22,000 sq. ft. but now the big cats are roaming in 30,000 sq. ft.” He said that the forest department has used high tech radio collars to track the movement of lions.

The population of Asiatic Lion has increased from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020, a growth of about 29% as per the latest census. The territory or the distribution area of the big cat has also increased by 36 per cent from 22,000 square kilometre to 30,000 km during the same period. The Gujarat government on Wednesday credited the Forest Department’s conservation efforts for the success.

The Forest Department conducted an exercise ‘Poonam Avlokan’ (jungle watching during full moon) on June 5, 6. During the two-day census, the department counted a total of 674 lions. Among them are 161 males and 260 female adults and 45 male and 49 female along with 22 unidentified sub-adults. Plus, 137 cubs were also identified.

There has been a steady growth in lions’ population from 284 in 1990 to 359 in 2005. But from there, it just climbed to 411 in 2010 to 524 in 2015 and 674 in 2020. The latest count shows a growth of 28.87% over 2015 figures…Read More

Coronavirus update: Key developments in the last 24 hours and takeaways

Yesterday, in a video conference with chief ministers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated the nationwide lockdown could be extended beyond May 17, but with eased restrictions for businesses

The total number of Covid-19 cases in India has reached 70,765, with more than 3,600 cases being reported in 24 hours. Here are some key takeaways: Delhi has added 319 new cases in a day. It has consistently added more than 200 cases for 11 days. Total cases added on these days comes to 3718, which is 51.5% of all case tally of 7233.

Also Read: Centre releases Rs 6,195 crore to 14 states to fight coronavirus crisis

Gujarat has added 347 new cases in 24 hours. It has consistently added more than 300 cases on each of the past 13 days. Total cases added during this period, 4767, is 56% of its case tally of 8541. Maharashtra has added 1230 new cases in 24 hours. The state has consistently added more than 1,000 cases on seven of the past eight days. Its addition of cases in the past eight days is 10427, which is 44.5% of its case tally of 23401…

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Coronavirus updates and highlights: A quick look at the major developments

In Russia, new cases exceeded 10,000 for the first time, while the death toll in Britain mounted near that of Italy, the epicenter of Europes outbreak

Globally, more than 3.5 million people have been infected by the coronavirus, and close to 2.5 lakh people have died due to the pandemic. Speaking of the nations hit most with the infectious disease, the US tops the list with more than a million cases, followed by Spain (247,122), Italy (210,717), the UK (186,599), France (168,693) and Germany (165,664).

However, the US, Italy, and Spain among others have started thinking about re-opening as the virus spread seems to have slowed down. While millions of people took advantage of easing coronavirus lockdowns to enjoy the outdoors, some of the world’s most populous countries reported worrisome new peaks in infections Sunday, including India, which saw its biggest single-day jump yet, AP reports. The total number of Covid-19 cases in India has reached 42,533, with more than 2,500 cases being reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Statewise, Maharashtra has reported the most cases in the country (12,974), followed by Gujarat (5,428), Delhi (4,549), Madhya Pradesh (2,846), Rajasthan (2,772), Tamil Nadu (2,757), and Uttar Pradesh (2,626).

In major developments, we came across the news of the US President Donald Trump claiming that a vaccine to treat corona patients could be ready by end of this year. Trump believes as many as 100,000 Americans could die in the coronavirus pandemic, after the death toll passed his earlier estimates, but said he was confident a vaccine would be developed by the year’s end…Read More

Govt identifies 170 districts in India as hotspots, 207 potential hotspots

The officials said that health facilities in a buffer zone outside the containment zones will be oriented and people facing SARI and influenza-like symptoms will be tested there

The Union Health Ministry has identified 170 districts as Covid-19 hotspots and 207 districts as potential hotspots, officials said on Wednesday, reiterating that there has been no community transmission of the disease in the country so far.

Addressing the daily briefing on coronavirus situation in the country, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health Lav Agarwal said that states have been asked to classify districts which have reported a higher number of cases as hotspots, the districts where cases have been reported as non-hotspots, and green zones where no cases have been reported. “Hotspots are those districts which are reporting more number of cases or where the rate of growth of Covid-19 cases is high,” Agarwal said, adding a detailed direction has been issued to states stating consolidated efforts are required to utilise this period of lockdown to curb the spread of the virus.

ALSO READ: India GDP projections by World Bank, IMF too optimistic: Ex-CEA Subramanian

“Cabinet secretary held a video conference today with all chief secretaries, DGPs, health secretaries, collectors, SPs, municipal commissioners and CMOs where hotspots were discussed and orientation on field level implementation of containment strategy was given.”

“They were told about large outbreak containment strategies, cluster containment strategies. Delineation of buffer and containment zone, parameter mapping, defining of entry and exit points were also discussed in detail,” he said. The joint secretary said movement of people will not be allowed in containment zones except for those related with essential services and special teams will search for new cases and samples will be collected and tested as per sampling criteria.

110 dead in four days due to heavy rains across country; Patna worst hit

As many as 13 deaths were also reported on Saturday from Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in incidents triggered by heavy rains

Nearly 110 people died in rain-related incidents across the country in the past four days, with Uttar Pradesh reporting the maximum deaths, while incessant rainfall in Bihar has badly hit normal life, with almost all areas of capital city Patna under knee-deep waters and people struggling to meet their daily needs.

In what the weather department said could be the longest delayed withdrawal of Monsoon, rains continued to lash several states including Bihar, where at least 13 people have died over the past 48 hours, while large swathes were inundated, affecting railway traffic, healthcare services, schools and disrupting power supply. In Uttar Pradesh, at least 79 people have died since Thursday. According to a state government report, 25 people died on Saturday, 18 lost their lives on Friday and 36 the day before.

In Gujarat, three women drowned after their car was swept away at a flooded causeway in Rajkot district on Sunday following heavy rains in several parts of Saurashtra region, officials said. As many as 13 deaths were also reported on Saturday from Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in incidents triggered by heavy rains…

Read More: Patna Flood

Gujarat govt goes lenient, slashes new traffic violation fines by 90%

The new provisions will come into force in Gujarat from September 16, chief minister Vijay Rupani said

Current Affairs: The BJP-ruled Gujarat government on Tuesday announced a drastic cut in the penalties for traffic violations even as the Centre is justifying the steep fine amounts under the amended Motor Vehicles (MV) Act.

In some cases the reduction in the state is as steep as Rs 1,000 from Rs 10,000. On July 31, Parliament passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019. But some states, especially those ruled by non-BJP parties, have opposed its stringent provisions and not implemented them yet.

The amended Central MV Act provides for a fine of Rs 1,000 for driving a two-wheeler without helmet; in Gujarat traffic fine will be Rs 500, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced here. The penalty for the offence in the state, currently, is a mere Rs 100.

While the Central law has proposed a fine of Rs 1,000 for pillion rider not wearing helmet, this provision will not be implemented at all in Gujarat, Rupani said. Further, one can produce driving license or other documents in digitised form after storing them in ‘DigiLocker’ app, he said….

Cyclone Vayu skirts Saurashtra coast, moves towards north-west Gujarat

According to Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh, the state government was prepared as it had consulted Odisha, which saw Cyclone Fani last month

As Cyclone Vayu progresses towards the Gujarat coast and is required to make landfall Thursday evening, the state government has moved around three lakh individuals from low-lying regions of Saurashtra and Kutch locales, authorities said Wednesday.

As indicated by the most recent meteorological forecast, the violent wind has strengthened into an “exceptionally extreme cyclonic tempest” and changed its course somewhat. Presently, it would hit the Gujarat coast anyplace between Veraval in the south and Dwarka in the west Thursday evening.

The twister is presently situated around 200 km south, south-west of Veraval and “is in all respects liable to move about northwards and hit the Gujarat coast with wind speed of 155 to 165 kmph blasting to 180 kmph around evening of June 13,” a discharge issued by the MeT office said.

The “extreme” cyclonic tempest, Vayu, moved north-westwards on Thursday in the wake of evading the Saurashtra coast in Gujarat. As indicated by Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh, the state government was set up as it had counseled Odisha, which saw Cyclone Fani a month ago. Showing uplifted readiness in front of the plausible landfall of Cyclone Vayu, the Gujarat government cleared in excess of 300,000 individuals from a few areas. Indeed, even as Vayu did not make a landfall in Gujarat on Thursday, it disregarded the Saurashtra area, influencing Amreli, Gir Somnath, Diu, Junagadh, Porbandar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, and Dwarka areas, carrying across the board precipitation with overwhelming to extremely substantial downpours.

The Western Railways dropped 70 trains from the Saurashtra and Kutch area, while 28 trains must be short ended. In any case, uncommon help trains were squeezed into administration for supply of basic items to influenced zones and clearing of individuals.

After railway tickets, now boarding pass of Air India has PM Modi’s pics

On March 20, tickets with photos of the prime minister were withdrawn by the railways after the Trinamool Congress complained to the Election Commission about them

Latest News: A boarding pass issued by Air India with pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has come under criticism, days after the PM’s photo on railway tickets created a furore.

The airline said the passes featuring the photographs, which were third-party advertisements, would be withdrawn if they are found to be in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Former Punjab DGP Shashi Kant on Monday tweeted a photograph of his boarding pass issued at the New Delhi airport, questioning how pictures of the two leaders could be on it.

“At New Delhi airport today March 25th, 2019. My Air India Boarding Pass, prominently flashes Narendra Modi, “Vibrant Gujrat” & Vijay Rupani. Picture of boarding pass is below. Wonder why we are wasting public money on this Election Commission, which doesn’t see, hear or speak…,” he tweeted.

Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said the boarding passes seemed to be one printed during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit held in January and the photographs were part of the advertisement from ‘third parties’. “The rolls seem to be the ones left over from the boarding passes printed during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and the photos are third-party advertisements. It has nothing to do with Air India….

Will rename Ahmedabad as Karnavati if govt gets support: Gujarat deputy CM

The Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister also welcomed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s move to rename Faizabad as Ayodhya

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that his government is considering renaming Ahmedabad as ‘Karnavati’ if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) manages to muster support from the people.

“Since a long time, there has been a demand to change the name of Ahmedabad and name it to Karnavati. If we get to support people to support the legal process we are ready to change the name of the city. People of Ahmedabad like the name Karnavati. Whenever the time is appropriate we will change the name,” he told ANI.

The Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister also welcomed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s move to rename Faizabad as Ayodhya. “Seeing Uttar Pradesh people’s sentiments. Uttar Pradesh government and Yogi Adityanath changed the name of Faizabad to Ayodhya. We congratulate citizens and the state government,” he said.

The Uttar Pradesh government recently also changed the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj saying the name holds great significance to India.

The Mughalsarai Railway Station was also renamed as Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Junction earlier in the year.

Business Standard OR BS

Statue of Unity: How environment, Adivasi rights lost again to Patel’s name

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is often thought of as the inspiration for the Sardar Sarovar dam which faced a lot of environmental and humanitarian protests

Latest News | India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today inaugurate the world’s largest statue, the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. At 182m tall (240m including the base), it is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty, and depicts India’s first deputy Prime Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The statue overlooks the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River. Patel is often thought of as the inspiration for the dam, which came to international attention when the World Bank withdraw its support from the project in 1993 after a decade of environmental and humanitarian protests. It wasn’t until 2013 that the World Bank funded another large dam project..|BS

Like the dam, the statue has been condemned for its lack of environmental oversight, and its displacement of local Adivasi or indigenous people. The land on which the statue was built is an Adivasi sacred site that was taken forcibly from them.

The Statue of Unity is part of a broader push by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to promote Patel as a symbol of Indian nationalism and free-market development. The statue’s website praises him for bringing the princely states into the Union of India and for being an early advocate of Indian free enterprise. 

The BJP’s promotion of Patel also serves to overshadow the legacy of his boss, India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru’s descendants head India’s most influential opposition party, the Indian National Congress.

(Business Standard)

The statue of unity: Can it become the new magnet of tourism for India?

History shows that once-in-a-lifetime structures like the Statue of Unity create opportunities around them, especially in tourism, that create a positive return on investment in just a few decades

Current Affair| The Statue of Unity will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow. Located facing the Narmada Dam, 3.2 kilometres away on the river island called Sadhu Bet near Rajpipla in Gujarat, the monument along with its surroundings occupies over 20,000 square metres, and is surrounded by a 12-sq-km artificial lake.|BS|It is the world’s tallest statue with a height of 182 metres (597 feet). The Statue of Unity is almost 100 feet taller than China’s Spring Temple Buddha, the world’s current tallest statue at 502 feet. The Sardar Patel statue will be almost twice as high as the Statue of Liberty in New York, which is 305 feet tall. The Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, checking in at a mere 170 feet height, is almost tiny when compared to the new wonder in Gujarat.

The Statue of Unity surely deserves a place in the history of the world. It joins an impressive list of manmade structures that have earned the admiration of the world through generations. The Tower of Jericho came up on the West Bank in about 8000 BC. It was 28 feet high, but was at that time the tallest structure made by man in the world. Mankind progressed significantly over the next 5,000 years. The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt that was constructed in 2560 BC was 481 feet tall. 

 In the modern era, the distinction for heights obviously belongs to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, currently the tallest building in the world, at 2,722 feet high. By comparison, the Washington Monument in Washington DC is 555 feet high; the Eiffel Tower in Paris is 986 feet high; the Empire State Building in New York is 1,250 feet high. Not all the comparisons are apple-to-apple but the Statue of Unity is surely a marvel of Modern India and puts India on the tourism map of the world. 

The massive Statue of Sardar Patel has cost somewhere in the vicinity of Rs 30 billion. There has been much debate about whether the money spent in celebrating and commemorating the memory of India’s Iron Man (Business Standard) could have been better spent on other projects more directly beneficial to the common man. But history shows that once-in-a-lifetime structures such as the Statue of Unity create opportunities around them especially in terms of tourism, that create a positive return on investment in just a few decades.

Statue of Unity: Villagers write open letter to protest PM

The headmen of 22 villages situated near the Sardar Sarovar Dam Monday wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that villagers would not welcome him at the inauguration of the Statue of Unity on October 31.

 Latest News| Local tribal leaders have also announced a boycott of the function citing destruction of natural resources due to the memorial. The Statue of Unity, a memorial to Sardar Patel, is situated on an islet here and, at 182 metres, is touted as the world’s tallest statue.

“These forests, rivers, waterfalls, land and agriculture supported us for generations. We survived on them. But, everything is being (Business Standard) destroyed now and celebrations are also planned. Don’t you think its akin to celebrating someone’s death?  We feel so,” the letter, having common content and signed by sarpanchas of 22 villages, stated.

“We all villagers want to tell you with extreme grief that we will not welcome you on October 31. Even if you come  |BS| here like an unwanted guest, you are not welcome here,” it added. They alleged that people’s hard-earned money is being wasted on projects like Statue of Unity though several villages of the area are still deprived of basic facilities like schools, hospitals and drinking water.

Read Full Story : Statue of Unity

5 arrested for flogging dalit man to death in Gujarat as video goes viral

According to the complaint filed by the victim's wife, Jayaben Vaniya, her husband was beaten up by the five people as they suspected the couple of committing a theft

Police have arrested five people for allegedly thrashing to death a 35-year-old Dalit man suspecting him to be a thief in Gujarat's Rajkot district, an official said today.

A video of the incident -- purportedly showing two people taking turns to beat the man, identified as
Mukesh Vaniya, a ragpicker, with a stick while another person holding him by a rope tied to his waist -- has gone viral on the social media.

Based on the video, the police arrested the five people.

"A man who used to collect garbage was beaten up by some people at the Radadiya Industries compound near Shapar town yesterday. The factory owner accused him and his wife of theft," Rajkot (rural) in-charge superintendent of police Shruti S Mehta said.

The victim's wife lodged a complaint at the Shapar-Veraval police station in Rajkot last evening, accusing the five people of thrashing her husband following which he died, Mehta said.

"We have arrested the five people based on the video that purportedly showed the victim being beaten up. An investigation is underway," she said.

According to the complaint filed by the victim's wife, Jayaben Vaniya, her husband was beaten up by the five people as they suspected the couple of committing a theft.

The couple was picking garbage near the Radadiya Industries, located in the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) area, when they were held and then beaten up by the accused.

Mukesh died while being taken to the government hospital in Rajkot, an official at the Shapar-Veraval police station said.

An FIR was lodged under sections 302 (murder) and 308 (culpable homicide) of the IPC, he said.
Four of the arrested persons were identified as Chirag Patel, Divyesh Patel, Jaysukh Radadiya and Tejas Zala.

Jaysukh Radadiya is the owner of the factory where the incident allegedly took place while the others are his friends, according to the police.

Read More : Dalit killed in Gujarat

'Let's take Modi out with sniper rifle': ISIS associate overheard on phone

A charge sheet has been filed by the Gujarat ATS against two ISIS operatives who might have been planning lone wolf attack on Jews

A charge sheet filed by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) against two suspected ISIS operatives last month has claimed that an unidentified associate of one of the two arrested men talked about assassinating Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Yeah let's take Modi out with a sniper rifle," is a line from a conversation cited in the charge sheet, attributed to an associate of Ubed Ahmed Mirza.

The charge sheet against Mirza and Mohammad Kasim Stimberwala -- both arrested last October -- was filed before the chief judicial magistrate at Ankleshwar in Bharuch district. As per a WhatsApp chat between Mirza and his associate, identified only as 'Ferrari', on September 10, 2016, Mirza talked about buying pistols.

In response, according to the charge sheet, 'Ferrari' said, "Yeah, let's take (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi out with a sniper rifle Insha-Allah". When 'Ferrari' mentioned a Russian-made gun, Mirza promptly replied, "I want it".

In another WhatsApp chat with Ferrari on July 26, 2016, Mirza was told that ISIS handlers had asked its modules and lone-wolf attackers in India to use machetes and big chopping knives to target people.Instead of taking the risk of buying guns and assembling explosives, one can target people, 

"especially foreign citizens", using chopping knives, Ferrari told Mirza.

According to an ATS official, the process to identify the other people who figure in these chats, including 'Ferrari', is underway. The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad has alleged that Stimberwala and Mirza were "highly radicalised by the Jehadi ideology of Islamic State and were actively planning lone-wolf attacks on Jews".

While Stimberwala worked as a laboratory technician at a hospital in Ankleshwar, Mirza was a practising lawyer at the Surat district court. Abdullah el-Faisal, a radical preacher based in Jamaica, and suspected ISIS handler Shafi Armar have been shown as absconding accused in the charge sheet.

ATS claimed Stimberwala and Mirza were in touch with el-Faisal and Armar to plan attacks on Jews in India. They conducted a recce of some of the targets and were planning to send radicalised youths outside India to take part in terrorist acts, the charge sheet said. Both have been charged under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 121-A (sedition) and 125 (waging war against any Asiatic power in alliance with India), apart from the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Good news for Gujarat farmers: BJP offers loans up to 3 lakh at 0% interest

The move is likely to benefit 2.5 million farmers

With Gujarat polls around the corner and the Congress giving neck-to-neck competition to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, on Monday, announced farm loans of up to Rs 3 lakh at zero per cent interest.

The move, aimed at wooing voters of rural Gujarat, is likely to benefit 2.5 million farmers.

Addressing the BJP workers at 'Gujarat Gaurav Sammelan', Rupani said that the seven per cent interest on loans will be borne by the state and Centre, the English daily added.

The state’s exchequer will have to deal with an additional burden of Rs 700 crore per annum.(economy news)

As reported earlier, Vijay Rupani also said the government would be setting up 16 new Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) industrial estates that would generate employment for 100,000. 

Gujarat government had also announced a cut in value-added tax (VAT) of four per cent on retail petrol and diesel prices.

Farm loan interest during Congress’ regime VS BJP’s

Launching a scathing attack on Congress, BJP President Amit Shah said from 16 per cent interest during Congress’ regime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had brought farm loans interest to one per cent....READ MORE

 

Maharashtra may cut VAT on petrol, diesel, suffer Rs 2,600 cr revenue loss

BJP-ruled Maharashtra levies 46.52 per cent VAT (47.64 per cent in Mumbai) on petrol, the highest in the country

After Gujarat, the Maharashtra government may opt for a Rs 2 per litre cut in value-added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel, adding to the losses of the debt-ridden state.

BJP-ruled Maharashtra levies 46.52 per cent VAT (47.64 per cent in Mumbai) on petrol, the highest in the country. Moreover, a surcharge of Rs 11 per litre and Rs 2 per litre is already collected on petrol and diesel, besides the VAT.

After the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST), several states have increased the value-added tax, leading to a rise in fuel prices.

VAT cut impact on Maharashtra

The move will not only hit Maharashtra’s exchequer but also lead to a revenue loss of Rs 2,600 crore, reported Indian Express.

Farm loans: The cost of waiving farm loans will shoot Maharashtra’s debt stocks to Rs 4.13 lakh crore in FY17, the report added. Therefore, the cut will further aggravate the state’s burden to revive economy.

Gujarat becomes the first state to cut VAT

Gujarat, which currently levies 28.96 per cent VAT on petrol and diesel, became the first state to cut VAT.

ALSO READ: Gujarat first state to slash VAT on fuel prices

Most BJP-ruled are likely to follow Centre’s move, even though Devendra Fadnavis government had earlier rejected Centre’s suggestion for the same. Even Madhya Pradesh, which levies 38.79 per cent VAT on the fuel, indicated considering the option. However, non-BJP ruled states like Kerala and Odisha opposed against lowering of taxes.

Govt cuts excise duty on petrol, petrol

For the first time since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, the NDA government cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre to cushion the impact of rising international crude prices. The Centre took a hit of Rs 26,000 crore in revenue in the cut in excise duty….READ MORE

Will UP under Adityanath go the Bihar way and ban liquor?

There have been violent anti-liquor protests led by women across cities and smaller towns in UP

 

Following the Supreme Court (SC) directive to shut down liquor vending and serving within the 500-metre radius along the highways, coupled with the rising spate of violent anti-liquor protests led by women across cities and smaller towns in Uttar Pradesh (UP) in the last few days, the state could possibly be slowly going the Bihar way in prohibiting liquor.

The incumbent Yogi Adityanath government has already issued stern directives to the district and police authorities to adhere to the SC and high court orders with regards to sale of liquor and take punitive action against liquor shops flouting the rules.

To add another dimension to this development, UP has been witnessing furious street protests in major towns and semi-urban centres by local residents with a fair and active participation by women against liquor retail shops in Lucknow, Kanpur, Meerut, Gonda, Kushinagar, Saharanpur, Auraiyya and others.

Owing to the SC order, the liquor shops have started shifting away from the highways and settling in the midst of populated pockets, posing fresh challenges for local people and also maintenance of public order, safety and health.

Demands are already being made in the state to prohibit sale of liquor in UP on the lines of Bihar, where the Nitish Kumar government had promulgated Excise Act 2016 proclaiming prohibition in April 2016.

The act contains provisions to punish anyone carrying liquor and raid suspected premises. The law declares 11 years jail for offenders, while adult members of a household could be punished if liquor is found in their premises. The ban on liquor had been one of the most populist pre-poll promises by Nitish in the run up to Bihar poll, and even in the face of stiff opposition and criticism, he has stayed put with the ban.

(READ MORE)