Raipur, March 26, 2010
Congress MLA Kawasi Lakhma on Friday alleged in the Vidhan Sabha that the Forest Minister Vikram Usendi was misleading the House by claiming that Rs 3.81 crore Jatropha and bamboo plantation works had been done in Sukma. He said huge corruption prevailed in the plantation works in the naxal-hit forest region. Lakhma raised the issue during question hour.
Lakhma said that no plantation had been done in 3390 hectare land in Sukma owing to fear of naxals in the region. Lakhma demanded from the government to conduct high-level inquiry into the entire plantation works and asked whether the Forest Minister would resign if his claims would be proved wrong.
Another Congress member Dharmjeet Singh also took a dig at Usendi’s claim and wondered how forest officials could undertake such massive plantation when constables were wary of entering the area. He criticised the government for indulging in corruption in the name of rebels.
As the Opposition continued to demand an inquiry, Usendi agreed to undertake a survey in some select areas to ascertain facts.
Now DTH subscribers have to pay entertainment tax
Raipur, March 26, 2010
Now, the people who have taken Direct to Home (DTH) service would have to pay entertainment tax. Commercial Tax Minister Amar Agrawal tabled the Chhattisgarh Entertainment Fee and Advertising Tax Bill 2010 (Amendment) in Vidhan Sabha on Friday which was passed unanimous consent.
Agrawal informed the House that the DTH subscribers living in the cities with population less than ten thousand would not have to pay any tax. However, those who live in the cities with population ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 would have to pay Rs 10 as entertainment tax, he said. Similarly, the subscribers for city above 50,000 population would have to pay the tax to the tune of Rs 20, he added.
Agrawal informed that the government was by far taking tax only for cable telecast services but through the amended bill, the DTH subscribers would also come within the tax net.
Opposing the bill, Congress MLA Paresh Bagbahra said the government should not impose tax on the DTH subscribers as a majority of them belong to financially weaker section. He alleged that the government tabled this bill because it had failed to recover tax from the cable service providers. “The government has never succeeded in recovering entertainment tax from more than 25-30 percent of the total cable service providers which indicates that it wants to compensate the remaining amount from DTH subscribers,” he said.
“If the government is unable to take tax from cable operators then it should close down all the cable services,” he said. Bagbahra pointed out that the cable operators frequently violate various norms and openly show pirated and uncensored movies to their subscribers. He further pointed out that the huge competition among the cable operators cause gang wars. He alleged that a number of politicians had also been involved in getting the contact of cable services.
Speaking favour of the bill, BJP MLA Deepak Patel informed the House that the government was getting Rs 2.25 crore tax from the cable operators and would expectedly get Rs 1.50 crore from DTH subscribers.
Illegal hoardings
Congress MLA Kawasi Lakhma on Friday alleged in the Vidhan Sabha that the Forest Minister Vikram Usendi was misleading the House by claiming that Rs 3.81 crore Jatropha and bamboo plantation works had been done in Sukma. He said huge corruption prevailed in the plantation works in the naxal-hit forest region. Lakhma raised the issue during question hour.
Lakhma said that no plantation had been done in 3390 hectare land in Sukma owing to fear of naxals in the region. Lakhma demanded from the government to conduct high-level inquiry into the entire plantation works and asked whether the Forest Minister would resign if his claims would be proved wrong.
Another Congress member Dharmjeet Singh also took a dig at Usendi’s claim and wondered how forest officials could undertake such massive plantation when constables were wary of entering the area. He criticised the government for indulging in corruption in the name of rebels.
As the Opposition continued to demand an inquiry, Usendi agreed to undertake a survey in some select areas to ascertain facts.
Now DTH subscribers have to pay entertainment tax
Raipur, March 26, 2010
Now, the people who have taken Direct to Home (DTH) service would have to pay entertainment tax. Commercial Tax Minister Amar Agrawal tabled the Chhattisgarh Entertainment Fee and Advertising Tax Bill 2010 (Amendment) in Vidhan Sabha on Friday which was passed unanimous consent.
Agrawal informed the House that the DTH subscribers living in the cities with population less than ten thousand would not have to pay any tax. However, those who live in the cities with population ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 would have to pay Rs 10 as entertainment tax, he said. Similarly, the subscribers for city above 50,000 population would have to pay the tax to the tune of Rs 20, he added.
Agrawal informed that the government was by far taking tax only for cable telecast services but through the amended bill, the DTH subscribers would also come within the tax net.
Opposing the bill, Congress MLA Paresh Bagbahra said the government should not impose tax on the DTH subscribers as a majority of them belong to financially weaker section. He alleged that the government tabled this bill because it had failed to recover tax from the cable service providers. “The government has never succeeded in recovering entertainment tax from more than 25-30 percent of the total cable service providers which indicates that it wants to compensate the remaining amount from DTH subscribers,” he said.
“If the government is unable to take tax from cable operators then it should close down all the cable services,” he said. Bagbahra pointed out that the cable operators frequently violate various norms and openly show pirated and uncensored movies to their subscribers. He further pointed out that the huge competition among the cable operators cause gang wars. He alleged that a number of politicians had also been involved in getting the contact of cable services.
Speaking favour of the bill, BJP MLA Deepak Patel informed the House that the government was getting Rs 2.25 crore tax from the cable operators and would expectedly get Rs 1.50 crore from DTH subscribers.
Illegal hoardings
Raipur, March 26, 2010
The RMC’s Town Planning department has warned the agencies who have erected illegal hoardings in the city to pay fine before March 29 to avoid stern action against them. The department’s president Jaggu Singh Thakur informed that the illegal hoarding owners would not only have to pay the municipal’s annual rent but they would also have to deposit double the amount of the display fee.
Vidhan Sabha adjourned sine die
Raipur, March 26, 2010
Vidhan Sabha adjourned sine die
Raipur, March 26, 2010
Vidhan Sabha Speaker Dharamlal Kaushik on Friday adjourned the House sine die. The third session of the third Vidhan Sabha was significant in every aspect as it was 75-day long during which the members discussed for 140.50 hours in total 25 sittings, said Kaushik.
He further informed that 285 questions were asked during 24 sittings meant for question hour. Similarly, the Vidhan Sabha received the total of 2152 question in this session of which 1351 were starred and 801 were unstarred questions, he said.
The House received 681 call attention notices of which 143 were accepted while 471 were withdrawn. Similarly, 149 notices were received in zero hour of which 83 were accepted while 66 were withdrawn. The government tabled 16 bills in this session and all were passed after discussion, he added. About 36 reports of different committees besides annual reports of all the departments and report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India 2008-09 were also tabled in the House in this session.
Housing societies under government scanner
He further informed that 285 questions were asked during 24 sittings meant for question hour. Similarly, the Vidhan Sabha received the total of 2152 question in this session of which 1351 were starred and 801 were unstarred questions, he said.
The House received 681 call attention notices of which 143 were accepted while 471 were withdrawn. Similarly, 149 notices were received in zero hour of which 83 were accepted while 66 were withdrawn. The government tabled 16 bills in this session and all were passed after discussion, he added. About 36 reports of different committees besides annual reports of all the departments and report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India 2008-09 were also tabled in the House in this session.
Housing societies under government scanner
Raipur, March 26, 2010
The government has announced in the Assembly that it would conduct high-level inquiry into the alleged commercial use of residential plots and edifices by housing societies and into violation of norms of lay-out plan. The Parliamentary Secretary for Cooperative department Vijay Baghel made the declaration while replying to a question of BJP MLA Devjibhai Patel during call attention notice in the Vidhan Sabha on Friday.
Patel alleged that none of the housing societies have lands reserved for gardens. Similarly, the norms of lay-out plan have not been followed in various colonies including Avanti Vihar Colony, Sundar Nagar, Rohinipuram, Anupam Nagar, Anand Nagar and New Tilak Nagar.
“The Cooperative department never keeps an eye on the works of these housing societies because its own officials and employees have nexus with the office-bearers of the societies. This is the reason the societies are audaciously making commercial use of the residential plots,” Patel charged.
Baghel denied all the allegations leveled by Patel and said it was untrue that none of the housing societies had left land for gardens. In fact, some of the societies have reserved lands for the entertainment purpose, he said.
Patel said the government would itself know about the wrongdoings of the housing societies by conducting high level probe. Baghel assured that the government would certainly conduct probe into the matter and said, “We have taken action against the housing societies a number of times in the past but in some cases the inquiry stops owing to pressure created by some influential people.”
Rs 17 cr Jaitkhambh to cost Rs 52 cr now
Congress alleges corruption, stages walkout
Raipur, March 26, 2010
Patel alleged that none of the housing societies have lands reserved for gardens. Similarly, the norms of lay-out plan have not been followed in various colonies including Avanti Vihar Colony, Sundar Nagar, Rohinipuram, Anupam Nagar, Anand Nagar and New Tilak Nagar.
“The Cooperative department never keeps an eye on the works of these housing societies because its own officials and employees have nexus with the office-bearers of the societies. This is the reason the societies are audaciously making commercial use of the residential plots,” Patel charged.
Baghel denied all the allegations leveled by Patel and said it was untrue that none of the housing societies had left land for gardens. In fact, some of the societies have reserved lands for the entertainment purpose, he said.
Patel said the government would itself know about the wrongdoings of the housing societies by conducting high level probe. Baghel assured that the government would certainly conduct probe into the matter and said, “We have taken action against the housing societies a number of times in the past but in some cases the inquiry stops owing to pressure created by some influential people.”
Rs 17 cr Jaitkhambh to cost Rs 52 cr now
Congress alleges corruption, stages walkout
Raipur, March 26, 2010
The Opposition Congress created uproar in the Assembly on Friday on the height of Jaitkhambh. The Congress alleged that the government had reduced the height of Jaitkhambh and huge irregularities prevailed in the construction of the nation’s tallest brick tower. Denying the Opposition’s charge, the PWD Minister Brijmohan Agrawal said he was ready to conduct inquiry into the entire matter but dissatisfied by the minister’s reply, Congress staged a walkout.
Congress MLA Mohammad Akbar raised the issue of Jaitkhambh’s height in the House during question hour and said that the constriction should have been completed within one year but the timeframe was being extended continuously. “The minister should inform the House that how many times the timeframe for Jaitkhambh project has been extended,” Akbar said.
In his reply, Agrawal informed that the Jaitkhambh in the famous Girodpuri temple was expected to be completed by July, 2011.
Agrawal accepted that earlier the estimated cost of the Jaitkhambh was Rs 17 crore but now it would be completed at the cost of Rs 52 crore. Jaitkhambh is being built by the government crore in the honour of Satnami community’s founder Guru Ghasidas who was born in Girodpuri, Agrawal said.
He informed the House that the government had hired one Kolkata-based construction firm for the project that was using the most advanced technology to make the magnificent tower quake-resistant.
Agrawal drew flak from the opposition Congress for allegedly bringing down the height from the proposed 122 m to 77 m and escalating project cost following delay in construction work.
Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and Leader of the Opposition Ravindra Choubey demanded action against the contractor for the delay and wanted that the Jaitkhambh should be twice the height of Delhi's Qutub Minar as per its original plan.
While admitting that the project, scheduled to be completed in 2007, had got delayed, Agrawal said that nearly 55 per cent work was finished. The government will impose penalty on the firm for the delay, he added.
Appealing to the Congress members not to politicise the issue Agrawal stoutly denied opposition members' claim that the Jaitkhambh was ever planned to be taken to a height of 122 m.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the Minister's reply, the Congress members staged a walkout.
Rs 51.22 cr approved for Ravar anicut
Congress MLA Mohammad Akbar raised the issue of Jaitkhambh’s height in the House during question hour and said that the constriction should have been completed within one year but the timeframe was being extended continuously. “The minister should inform the House that how many times the timeframe for Jaitkhambh project has been extended,” Akbar said.
In his reply, Agrawal informed that the Jaitkhambh in the famous Girodpuri temple was expected to be completed by July, 2011.
Agrawal accepted that earlier the estimated cost of the Jaitkhambh was Rs 17 crore but now it would be completed at the cost of Rs 52 crore. Jaitkhambh is being built by the government crore in the honour of Satnami community’s founder Guru Ghasidas who was born in Girodpuri, Agrawal said.
He informed the House that the government had hired one Kolkata-based construction firm for the project that was using the most advanced technology to make the magnificent tower quake-resistant.
Agrawal drew flak from the opposition Congress for allegedly bringing down the height from the proposed 122 m to 77 m and escalating project cost following delay in construction work.
Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and Leader of the Opposition Ravindra Choubey demanded action against the contractor for the delay and wanted that the Jaitkhambh should be twice the height of Delhi's Qutub Minar as per its original plan.
While admitting that the project, scheduled to be completed in 2007, had got delayed, Agrawal said that nearly 55 per cent work was finished. The government will impose penalty on the firm for the delay, he added.
Appealing to the Congress members not to politicise the issue Agrawal stoutly denied opposition members' claim that the Jaitkhambh was ever planned to be taken to a height of 122 m.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the Minister's reply, the Congress members staged a walkout.
Rs 51.22 cr approved for Ravar anicut
Raipur, March 26, 2010
State government has sanctioned Rs 51.22 crore for construction of Ravar anicut on Mahanadi at Rajim to provide potable water for Naya Raipur besides groundwater conservation and irrigation works, informed the officials of Water Resources Department (WRD) on Friday. The department has issued a directive in this regard from Mantralaya. The WRD Minister Hemchand Yadav has instructed the officials to complete the project without increasing its estimated cost and within the give timeframe and within the give timeframe.
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