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IT raids in
Maharashtra
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keen on changing name New Delhi, March 28 After having undergone a metamorphosis in its profile during the past few years, the Central Industrial Security Force is now keen to change its name and replace the word ‘industrial’ with ‘internal’ to more accurately reflect its responsibilities. Probe ordered into
conspiracy angle Law to register pvt
hospitals soon SC seeks Centre’s
response on closure threat to fast track courts
President APJ Abdul Kalam presents the Padma Bhushan Award to playback singer Manna Dey at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday. — PTI photo BJP announces
National Council Sonia may visit Haryana next month India to discuss F-16 offer with US Maldives First Lady
visits thalassaemics Reject US proposal to
join missile defence system: CPM President’s rule a
temporary phase: Paswan Relief to people going abroad Foreign Secy leaves for China today
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IT raids in Maharashtra
Mumbai, March 28 Raids were conducted in Mumbai, Nagpur, Akola and Chandrapur cities of Maharashtra as tax sleuths unearthed evidence about bogus documents being filed to obtain TDS refunds. According to sources, incriminating documents were seized from several chartered accountants which would be scrutinised by income tax officials. IT officials are also said to be co-ordinating with other agencies to probe the matter. Over the past several weeks, raids by CBI and income tax officials in different parts of the country have thrown up intriguing aspects of the operation with small-time businessmen, chartered accountants and Income Tax Department employees coming under the scanner. Sources say the racketeers usually obtain permanent account numbers (PAN) in the names of fictitious persons who are shown as employees of non-existent companies. Using these, fake documents are prepared complete with forged bank documents to claim TDS deductions. Crooked IT officials who are part of the conspiracy usually pass these claims without much verification. Sources say the absence of an online tax network makes it difficult for income tax officials to accurately verify the claims before making the refunds to non-existent claimants. The fake TDS scam was discovered more than a year ago and investigations had been in progress in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Assam, West Bengal, UP, Kerala and Haryana, sources said. The scam was, however, rampant in Maharashtra and Gujarat where chartered accountants have traditionally had a long history of nexus with income tax officials. Sources say it is not physically possible to verify the authenticity of thousands of documents due to problems of logistic. Most of these are computer-generated documents and can be easily fabricated by anyone. |
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Maldives President holds talks with PM
New Delhi, March 28 External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran were also present during the Prime Minister’s talks with Mr Gayoom. President Gayoom also thanked the Prime Minister for the large scale, timely and effective assistance that India extended in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster. On the economic issues, it was felt that the joint commission between India and Maldives, which has not been held since the year 2000, should be held soon and it should be used to reprioritise the economic agenda between the two countries, foreign office spokesman said. President Gayoom, here on a six-day official visit at the invitation of President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, will be calling on Dr Kalam tomorrow. Mr Natwar Singh and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee would call on him tomorrow. |
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CISF keen on changing name
New Delhi, March 28 This minor and subtle change will also ensure that the initials of one of the country’s largest para- military force remain unchanged, as they had come to be accepted and known all over. A communication to this effect has already been sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs with a detailed note why it had become imperative to go for a name change at this stage. A majority of officers and personnel was unhappy with the word ‘industrial’ as they felt this put them more or less on a par with private security guards employed by industrial units and the name did not reflect the character and function of the para-military force. Sources said that the request was being seriously considered and the help of the law department was being sought to bring about the required legislative changes that would be required to amend the original Act through which the force was raised in March 1969. On June 15, 1983, the CISF was made an armed force through another Act of Parliament. Raised initially to provide security to government installations and public sector undertakings (PSUs), the CSIF had in the past few years given the responsibility of providing security to at least a dozen airports, including some international ones, in the country. Obviously satisfied by its performance, the authorities had recently indicated that they would like the force to take up the responsibility of more airports, including some in the sensitive North Eastern states of the country. The government has also taken a decision to hand over VIP security to this force in order to relieve the elite commando force, National Security Guard (NSG), presently deployed on VIP security, for operational requirements. The CISF at present is engaged in raising a ‘specialised’ security unit of commandos for this purpose. Starting with a force of a mere strength of 2,800 personnel when it was raised in 1969, the CISF today has a strength of over 95,000 personnel with units spread all over the country. |
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Probe ordered into conspiracy angle
Dehra Dun, March 28 Giving in to the pressures by the dissidents and the Opposition, the government agreed to the demand raised by Mr Harak Singh Rawat and legislators supporting him to order a probe into the conspiracy angle of the Jenny sex scandal. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Indira Hridayesh said the government had decided to order an inquiry into the matter on issues outside the purview of the trial by the Special Judicial Magistrate. The matter is sub judice in the district courts of Dehra Dun since Mr Rawat had filed a defamation case after being given a clean chit by the CBI. The house was adjourned twice before the government announced its decision. A no-confidence motion proposed in the house by the BJP fell flat with the BSP aligning with the Congress. What began with ruckus over former minister Harak Singh Rawat demanding a probe into conspiracy angle of the Jenny sex scandal shifted to talks of change of guard in the state over development issues. Not only the Congress legislators supporting former minister Harak Singh Rawat who was accused and later absolved in the Jenny sex scandal, but also other party legislators said they would meet the high command to discuss development issues of the state. Rawat, however, said as justice delayed was justice denied the Congress legislators would meet the high command and AICC General Secretary Ahmed Patel in Delhi to discuss these issues. The legislators said the CLP had not met in the past three years to discuss party issues, making the divide among the factions wider. MLA Ranjit Singh Rawat said the Chief Minister had not visited certain district headquarters for a long time let aside tehsils and villages. The state and its people needed a dynamic leader, he added. Meanwhile, speaking to newspersons Chief Minister ND Tiwari said those talking about his removal must understand that he was working in the interest of the people of the state.
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Law to register pvt hospitals soon
Chennai, March 28 Talking to the media here today, Dr Ranadoss said: “We are still discussing whether to make the district Chief Medical Officers or District Collectors the registering authorities, but in any case, the private institutions will be registered with the state governments.” He said that only five states in the country had a system of registration of hospitals and even there, it was not being properly implemented. Under the proposed registration system, there would be registering bodies at the district, state and national levels. Dr. Anbumani said the government was also considering the introduction of two kinds of accreditation, one for health tourism and the other a general system of accreditation. He said that under the health tourism category, the idea was to accredit 50 allopathic hospitals and 25 drawn from institutions practising the Indian systems of medicine. In the general category, accreditation was likely to be made optional. Accredited institutions would have to follow clearly laid-down standards of care and treatment, and the process would take at least two years, the Health Minister said. Dr. Ramadoss said that the proposed National Rural Health Mission, to be inaugurated in the second week of April by the Prime Minister, would make a significant difference to the quality of healthcare in the country. Its main feature would be the appointment of 2,50,000 “accredited social and health activists” (ASHA), one each in every village in 18 states. He said his ministry was doing everything possible to expedite the establishment of six AIIMS-like institutions in the country, announced by the previous NDA regime two years ago.
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SC seeks Centre’s response on closure threat to fast track courts
New Delhi, March 28 Describing it a “serious matter”, a Bench, comprising Mr Justice S. B. Sinha and Mr Justice S. H. Kapadia, directed Solicitor -General Goolam E Vahanvati to submit Union Government’s response by Wednesday when a petition on the issue would be taken up for further hearing. The Bench told the Solicitor-General that the Centre had all along been giving an impression to the Court that it would provide the financial support to the 1699 FTCs functioning in 28 states but now it has been informed that the 12th Finance Commission had not made any provision of funds to these courts. The 11th Finance Commission had provided Rs 502 crore to these courts, considered to be the brainchild of former Law Minister Arun Jaitley, who mooted the idea of establishing them with a view to lessen the huge burden of pending criminal cases in the country, particularly those belonging to the undertrial prisoners. The Solicitor-General told the Court that he would discuss the matter with Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Mr K. Venkatapathy,in a written reply to Parliament during the ongoing Budget Session, had said that a request was sent to “the 12th Finance Commission to provide funds for the continuance of the existing FTCs .”
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President confers Padma awards
New Delhi, March 28 At an impressive and traditional ceremony at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President honoured nine Padma Vibhushan awardees, 30 Padma Bhushan awardees and 57 Padma Shri winners. The awards presentation ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Prime Ministers, leaders of different political parties and top civil and military officials. Among the awardees were late National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit, noted Cartoonist R.K. Laxman, Attorney General Milon Kumar Banerji, veteran Politician Karan Singh, Olympic Games Silver medalist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, ace cricketer Anil Kumble and megastar Shah Rukh Khan.
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BJP announces
National Council
New Delhi, March 28 BJP President L.K. Advani included Kedarnath Sahani and Babu Parmanand in the new team along with five other former Governors and five former Union Ministers, a BJP press note said Prominent names included S. S. Bhandari, Bhai Mahavir, Lt Gen S.C. Jacob, Sunder Lal Patwa, Vishnu Kant Shastri, O.P. Kohli, Jagmohan, Chaman Lal Gupta, Swami Chinmayanand and Bhavna Chikhaliya, Sardar Ajit Singh, Mangeram Garg, Omprakash Dhankad, Chartilal Goel and Pon Radhakrishnan. Among others finding place in the new council are Prakash Javdekar, Jagdish Shettigar, Ramapati Shastri. U.V. Krishnamraju, Gautam Sen, Tamil Selvi and Nand Kumar Rai. Cine actors Mukesh Khanna, Gajendra Chauhan and Vijay Shanti have also been included in the team. |
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Sonia may visit Haryana next month New Delhi, March 28 AICC sources said Ms Gandhi is likely to visit the state next month. The exact dates of her visit and the venue of her rally are being finalised. The rally will be “thanksgiving” to the people of Haryana for their “massive” support to the party in the assembly polls. Sources said Mr Hooda apprised Ms Gandhi of the political situation in the state. He also met AICC treasurer Motilal Vora.
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India to discuss F-16 offer with US New Delhi, March 28 He termed as “premature” the US offer to sell the F-series warplanes to India and declined to comment on it saying that the terms and conditions of the offer was yet to be known by the Indian Government. “The USA has decided to give F-16s to Pakistan. As far as India is concerned, there is an offer. But the terms and conditions, we do not know. It is premature for me to say. We will discuss with them”, Dr Manmohan Singh told newspersons on the sidelines of the 2005 Padma Awards function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here today. “We do not know what we will be getting. We will discuss with them. We have good relationship with the USA”, he said. The Prime Minister said he was looking forward to meeting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf during his visit to New Delhi on April 16-17 to watch the one-day cricket match between India and Pakistan. “Of course, I am looking forward to meeting him (General Musharraf),” he said.
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Maldives First Lady visits thalassaemics
New Delhi, March 28 Ms Gayoom spent two hours in the company of five thalassaemic children in the St. Stephen’s hospital in North Delhi. During her last visit to India four years ago, Ms Gayoom had visited thalassaemics in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here. Ms Shobha Tuli, secretary of the Thalassemics India, a 20-year-old association of parents of thalassaemics and doctors, introduced Ms Gayoom to five thalassaemics and their parents. Ms Tuli said the First Lady wanted to know if the blood transfusion was from voluntary blood donation. Ms Tuli informed her that the thalassaemics don’t have to pay anything for the blood but have to pay for the blood filter used during the transfusion. India has more than 80,000 thalassaemics. |
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Reject US proposal to join missile defence system: CPM
New Delhi, March 28 In a statement issued here on Monday, the CPM Politburo has said that the US was trying to draw India into its global strategic plans by asking it to join the missile defence system. Commenting on the US decision to sell F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan and subsequent offer to sell the fighter planes to India along with missile defence systems, the
CPI (M) has said that the UPA government should be wary of such offers. |
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President’s rule a temporary phase: Paswan
New Delhi, March 28 Mr Paswan said almost all “secular” parties in Bihar had refused to support the RJD. He said the President’s rule was imposed in the state as there was no other option. “But it is a temporary phase.”
— TNS |
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Relief to people going abroad New Delhi, March 28 The ministry stated in a press note that people could get their educational certificates authenticated by authorised officials in the their respective state government and did not have to come to New Delhi for the purpose. It said the HRD Ministry, in consultation with the External Affairs Ministry, had already delegated power to the state governments. The state governments have to now authorise nominated officials for the purpose. Although all foreign governments did not insist on authentication, a few West Asian countries required it.
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Foreign Secy leaves for China today New Delhi, March 28 During his March 30-31 visit, Mr Saran will hold discussions with his counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, and will call on Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and other senior Chinese leaders. The JWG is to discuss issues related to the India-China boundary question, including confidence building measures (CBMs) and clarification and confirmation of the Line of Actual Control. The Foreign Secretary will also take advantage of this visit to hold discussions with the Chinese leaders on preparations for the forthcoming visit of Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao.
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Curfew relaxed in Sojat 3 of family commit suicide |
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