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| Saturday,
September 9, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Distilleries can’t deduct tax at source: HC Governor for peaceful
poll to student body HP to ease Excise
& Taxation rules
Residents nab three burglars HP engineers to resist PSEB efforts |
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Governor for
developing consciousness Mahasabha members burn effigies Shimla to have
new bus stand HC dismisses rape accused plea One-way traffic to
be implemented Internet node
opens at Solan Official of apple
centre suspended
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Distilleries can’t deduct tax at source: HC SHIMLA, Sept 8 — A Full Bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court comprising the Chief Justice, Mr C.K. Thakkar, Mr Justice R.L. Khurana and Mr Justice M.R. Verma, today ordered that the distilleries were not to collect Income Tax at source under Section 206 C of the Income Tax Act, 1961 from the wine contractors holding L-13/L-13A licences. A petition has filed by some wine contractors holding L-13/L-13A licences through Mr Mohan Jain, former Advocate General, Haryana and Mr Naresh Thakur, advocate that the distilleries were not liable to collect Income Tax at source under Section 206 C of the Income Tax Act, 1961 from them on the ground that the judgement of the Division Bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in the case of M/s Rudra and Co. was not good in law, on the basis of which the distilleries were collecting the Income Tax at source. It was pleaded that the wine contractors holding L-13/L-13A licences, where the sale price is fixed and the goods are not obtained by way of auction, are exempted from the purview of Section 206 C in view of the explanation to section 206 C of the act. It was pleaded that in the judgement in the case of M/s Rudra and Co., the explanation of Section 206 C was wrongly interpreted. When this fact was brought to the notice of the high court, the matter was referred to a full Bench for decision. Counsel for the petitioner wine contractors, argued that the judgement of the Division Bench in the case of M/s Rudra and Co., wrongly interpreted the provisions of Section 206 C and reliance was placed upon the judgement of the Supreme Court of India in the case of A. Sanyasi Rao. It was also argued that in view of the explanation to Section 206 C, the wine contractors, holding L-13/L-13A licences were excluded from the applicability of the said Section 206 C as they were to sell the liquor at a fixed price and the liquor was not obtained by them in auction. The full Bench, after considering the arguments of Mr Jain and the various judgements and the provisions of the Income Tax Act, allowed the petition while overruling the judgement of the Division Bench in the case of M/s Rudra and Co. and directed the distilleries not to collect Income Tax at source under Section 206 C from the wine contractors holding L-13 licence. A Single Bench of the high court consisting Mr Justice K.C. Sood granted bail to Ranjit Singh and Davinder Singh both alleged to be involved in under Section 41 and 42 of the Indian Forest Act Sections 379 of the IPC. According to police case on August 29 at 9.45 a.m. a goods carrier was intercepted by forest officials which was carrying 41 scantlings of timber i.e. 39 of kail and 2 of deodar. Mr Vikas Rathore counsel for the accused contended that the main accused Kishan Chand who was driver of the canter has already been released on bail. |
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Governor for peaceful
poll to student body SHIMLA, Sept 8 — Mr Vishnu Kant
Shastri, Himachal Governor who is also the Chancellor of the Himachal Pradesh university, today expressed hope that the ensuing elections to the Students Central Association would be peaceful and the students would prove that they deserved the democratic right by exercising restraint and keeping violence at bay. Since the elections were discontinued in the wake of violence, leading to murder of a student leader in 1995, the onus of holding a peaceful election was on students who had been demanding it. He told newsmen here today, violence should have no place in educational institutions as it vitiated academic atmosphere. He refused to comment on the demand of the ABVP for making English an optional subject instead of compulsory and said the committee set up for the purpose would examine the issue. He said to encourage Hindi, official work in the Raj Bhavan was being done in the national language. Meanwhile, the ABVP has expressed apprehensions that the rival SFI might incite violence during the ensuing election to the
S.C.A. Addressing a press conference Mr Ram Kumar and Mr Kamal Nayan, president and general secretary of the
parishad, respectively, squarely blamed the SFI and the then Congress government’s for the past violence. The
NSUI, the students wing of the Congress also did not agitate for the restoration of electing the
S.C.A. and toed the government line. The two leaders clarified that the parishad would not pursue its demand for the removal of Dr
S.K. Gupta, the Vice-Chancellor, as he had agreed to hold the election. |
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HP to ease Excise
& Taxation rules SHIMLA, Sept 8 — The Himachal Government had decided to amend the Excise and Taxation Act to simplify rules and
procedures and bring transparency in the tax regime. Mr Praveen Sharma, Himachal Excise and Taxation Minister, said here today that every section of the act would be examined and necessary amendments recommended by the high-powered committee set up for the purpose. He said complicated taxation laws and cumbersome procedures were mainly responsible for evasion of taxes by traders. The uniform tax regime being enforced under the national policy and the steps being taken by the state to simplify procedures would go a long way in plugging leakages. Besides setting up tax advisory committees, tax adalats were being organised for the benefit of traders. The registered dealers had no longer to go to the Treasury to deposit tax and they could remit tax in the bank in which they had account. He said the “Vishwas-2000” scheme which covered dealers up to a turnover of Rs 50 lakh, had helped in better tax compliance and the arrears had come down to just Rs 34 crore. The annual revenue collection increased from Rs 503.85 crore in 1998-99 to Rs 565.66 crore in 1999-2000 and this year it was likely to touch Rs 650 crore. Mr Sharma, said that the functioning of the department was being computerised which would bring efficiency and transparency in tax administration. The government was considering to adopt the Punjab pattern for postings of excise inspectors and excise and taxation officers at tax barriers to check corruption under the system the staff at the barriers was shifted every year. There was also a plan to construct residential accommodation at barriers located in secluded places for the convenience of staff. |
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Food adulteration rampant KULU: The menace of adulteration is assuming alarming proportions. The implementation of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, has been reduced to a farce in this district. It is learnt from reliable sources that food inspectors posted in different districts find themselves in a quagmire because of a nexus between politicians and bureaucrats. The officials concerned say what to talk of checking adulteration in food items, the inspectors are unable to check even milk adulteration. Milk vendors in this district can be seen adding water openly. According to medical experts, most of the stomach disorder cases among children are due to contaminated milk. An officer alleged whenever any sample of eatables is checked, a hue and cry is raised. Political pressure, money power and at times even, muscle power, are a common practice here. Even the integrity of the working staff is doubted. The staff is pressurised and threatened with dire consequences. It is learnt that there are only seven food inspectors in the Himachal State (one is due to retire in December). Most of them have been assigned responsibility of two districts — the food inspector of Hamirpur has additional charge of Bilaspur, Sirmour district is looked after by the Mandi inspector. The food inspector at Kulu has to oversee Lahaul-Spiti as well. The allocation of two districts to one food inspector affects their work. According to government’s fixed norms, a food inspector is supposed to take minimum of 10 samples every month but none of the inspectors have fulfilled the norm. The government should recruit more food inspectors and the staff should be provided with the requisite infrastructure, lest, curbing the menace of adulteration will remain a far cry and the common man will suffer in silence. |
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Residents nab three burglars DHARAMSALA, Sept 8 — Residents of Sidhbari nabbed three persons last night when they were trying to break open the locks of a liquor vend. It is suspected that this gang may be behind the large number of thefts and burglaries that have taken place in the town during the past two months, causing insecurity amongst the residents. The three, Ravi (20), Vijay (22) and Tatria (25), all from Jhansi area of Uttar Pradesh, are residents of a slum in Kangra town. They were caught last night when the chowkidar at the liquor vend raised the alarm. According to the police, local residents immediately came out of their homes and launched a hunt for the burglars who hid themselves in nearby bushes. After being caught, the three were thrashed by the people and handed over to the police. The condition of Tatria, the kingpin of the gang, is reported to be serious. Another member of the gang, Rama (15), was caught this morning. A case has been registered under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC against all four. A police team is making raids in Kangra to arrest their accomplices. The police disputed claims of the locals that the burglars belonged to the “kala kachha” gang as they had seen them without clothes and with oil on their bodies. The SSP said during these thefts and burglaries, no person had been attacked. This was unlike the “kala kachha” gang whose members belonged to the Bawaria tribe of Uttar Pradesh. In another case of burglary last night, three computers were stolen from a travel agency in
McLeodganj owned by Mr Jagmohan Gupta. According to the police, last month too there was an attempt to break into his office, but Mr Gupta did not make a police complaint. |
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HP engineers to resist PSEB efforts SHIMLA, Sept 8 — Himachal power engineers have said that they will resist “efforts” by the PSEB and other partner states to oust Himachal Pradesh from the BBMB. The Himachal Power Engineers Association yesterday held an emergency meeting of its executive committee at which the issue of share of HP in the organisational strength of BBMB projects in Himachal Pradesh was discussed threadbare. The move of PSEB engineers in this regard was decried. The association said the propaganda launched by “interested” parties that HP had no share in the posts of the BBMB was factually incorrect. After getting the status of partner in the BBMB in 1983, HP had in fact, staked its claim for a share in the organisation strength of the BBMB and consequently the issue stood referred to the Centre in 1985. Any decision was pending because of counter-pressure from other partner states opposed to HP’s interests. Mr Suneel Grover, general secretary of the association, said the point raised by “interested” parties that the HPSEB did not qualify for the post of Additional Secretary in the BBMB was “incorrect, baseless and far from any truth.” After attaining the status of a partner state and due to the untiring efforts of Mr Kailash Mahajan, the then Secretary (Power) and Chairman, HPSEB, and as member of the BBMB, a decision was arrived at that all partner states of the BBMB would be represented suitably at key positions in the BBMB secretariat. Since 1986, the post of Additional Secretary in the BBMB was being manned by an officer from the HPSEB of the rank of Superintending Engineer. Thus, raking up of the issue at this juncture was uncalled for. The power engineers cautioned the Chairman, BBMB, that no “retrograde” step under the threat of the PSEB Engineers Association be taken. Further, the issue for sharing of assets be decided in accordance with the population ratio of member states. The population ratio for the territory of HP at the time of re-organisation of states was 7.19 per cent. As such HP had a right to the extent of 7.19 per cent in power generation in the BBMB-managed projects as well as in the organisational strength. The power engineers lamented that despite persistent requests by the HP Government, the state continued to get a meagre share of 2.5 per cent on an ad hoc basis. This could be allowed to continue for an indefinite period. Mr Grover said the power engineers had already urged the Chief Minister and the board management to take up the issue with the Chairman, BBMB. |
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Governor for
developing consciousness SHIMLA, Sept 8 — Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri, Himachal Governor termed consciousness as inborn quality of human race and stressed on its sustained development. Referring to seven roles of consciousness in Indian philosophy he said that the meaningfulness of human life lay in the fact that we strive to elevate our consciousness from curiosity to the heights of realisation of truth. He also stressed to experience the universe in its totality and cautioned to remain vigilant from the evil tendencies of mind. The Governor was presiding over the inauguration ceremony of three-day national seminar on science and consciousness organised in Indian Institute of Advance Study. While describing the seven roles of consciousness he said that curiosity, sense of hearing, grasping maintaining confusion, physical science and realisations of truth were the various stages of consciousness and one can go ahead only after attaining these respectively. |
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Mahasabha members burn effigies KANGRA, Sept 8 — The All-India Hindustan Mahasabha’s state unit workers yesterday took out a rally in this town in protest against the direct interference of Pakistan in Kashmir and abetting terrorism in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, and against the kidnapping of a Himachali youth by the Pakistani army in Kargil in July last. They raised anti-Pakistan and anti-Farooq slogans and burnt the effigies of the chief executive of Pakistan, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah. The protesters, carrying saffron flags and placards, took out a rally in the town, held a demonstration at the tehsil chowk and blocked traffic on the Dharmsala-Shimla highway. The state president of the mahasabha, Dr Nalinder Gautam, addressing the protesters, criticised both Central and Jammu and Kashmir Governments for their alleged failure on the Kashmir front. The protesters also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister through Mr R.L. Rao, SDM. |
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Shimla to have
new bus stand DHARAMSALA, Sept 8 — The state capital, Shimla, would soon have a modern bus stand to be constructed at a cost of Rs 10 crore. This was disclosed by the Transport Minister, Mr Kishan Kapoor, on the occasion of the 51st vanmahotsava function held at Khaniyara village, near here. He said the foundation stone of the bus stand would be laid by the Chief Minister on September 26. He said special attention was being paid towards improving facilities at various bus stands in the state. He said beginning with the district, all bus stands would be improved in a phased manner. He said in Himachal 38 per cent of the land had been brought under forest cover, adding that in Dharamsala 13 panchayats had been brought under the Sanjhi Van
Yojna. |
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HC dismisses rape accused plea SHIMLA, Sept 8 — A Division Bench of the Himachal High Court comprising Ms Justice Kamlesh Sharma and Mr Justice K.C. Sood has dismissed the appeal of Pinja Ram against the judgement passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Dharamsala. The court also upheld 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and rupees 5000 fine awarded by the Additional Sessions Judge, Kangra to a 29-year-old Pinja Ram, who raped an eight years old girl in Kangra district in November, 1996. A single Bench of the high court consisting of Mr Justice M.R. Verma yesterday dismissed the bail application of Hari Singh, who was alleged to be involved in a rape case. The case of the prosecution against the accused in brief, is that the prosecutrik was preparing meals in December 1999 at 12:15 p.m. in her kitchen and she was alone. The accused came there to return utensils, when the prosecutrik went to the adjoining room to keep the utensils the accused, her uncle, followed her and overpowered in the room and raped her. |
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One-way traffic to
be implemented HAMIRPUR, Sept 8 — Mr Rajendra Mohan Sharma, the new district police chief, has said that traffic laws would be strictly implemented in the district but added that no innocent person would be made to suffer on this account. Talking to newsmen here this evening, he said that he would ensure that one-way traffic system was implemented in the town and there was no violation of parking orders. He said he would also hold discussions with the Deputy Commissioner in connection with new parking places. He said that he had constituted a special cell at the local thana to deal with the cases of serious nature like murders, rapes and atrocities on Dalits. Mr Sharma said that he was issuing strict orders to officers working in all police stations to ensure that law and order reports within the areas of their jurisdiction were made available to him by 6 a.m. everyday so that every possible step was taken to tackle the situation. He said that he would go to all parts of the district and hold open darbars, especially during the weekends or vacation days. He said that such darbars were a must to infuse a sense of confidence among the people and to have close interaction with them. He said that he would also ensure that students studying in various educational institutions were taken to nearby police stations and were made to understand the working of the police. |
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Internet node
opens at Solan SOLAN, Sept 8 — The Minister of State for Communications, Mr Tapan Sikdar, inaugurated Himachal Pradesh’s sixth internet node at the local telephone exchange here last evening. He said the new node had a capacity of providing 300 connections which could on demand be expanded to 1200 connections at a short notice. Responding to local MLA Rajiv Bindal’s demand for qualitative improvement in the
rural telephone network, Mr Sikdar said all those villages which were not being served well through the existing metwork would be linked via the local loop wireless system soon. The Chief General Manager, Mr N.S. Gill said Solan telecom district had been provided with all modern facilities like the ISDN and was way ahead of other districts in the state. Mr Sapan Bose, General Manager, Telecom, Solan district, said his department planned to add 11,000 more lines this year in the district after which telephone connections would be available on demand everywhere in the district. |
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Official of apple
centre suspended SHIMLA, Sept 8 — The official in charge of the Nandpur Apple Procurement Centre has been suspended for allegedly indulging in irregularities in the procurement of apples as found by the Minister of State Mr Narinder Bragta, during his visit to various procurement centres in Shimla district on Tuesday and Wednesday last. Mr Narinder Bragta has warned to ensure transparency in the procurement and added that anybody found guilty would be dealt with sternly. |
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