Chandigarh, February 4
The Haryana cabinet today decided to raise Value Added Tax (VAT) rate on selected commodities from 4 per cent to 5 per cent.These include IT products, bread, gur and gachak, plastic footwear, readmade garments, cigarettes, vanaspati ghee, salt, spices and milk powder for which the consumer will have to pay more.

Essentially, the rate of tax on goods listed in Scheduled C of theVAT Act from entry No. 1 to 101, (entry 102 of industrial inputs and packing materials shall remain unchanged), will be increased form 4 per cent to 5 per cent.

However, this upward revision will not be applicable on declared goods listed in Section 14 of Central Sales Tax Act viz. cereals, coal, cotton, cotton yarn, iron and steel and oilseed.

“The government had the option of hiking VAT from 4 per cent to a maximum 10 per cent. We have increased the rate only marginally to 5 per cent. Other states have substantially hiked the VAT rates on Schedule C items,” claimed an officer, admitting that this move would push up prices of several items used by the common man. With this, the department hopes to mobilise an additional revenue of about Rs 300 crore per annum. The cabinet decided to reduce the rate of tax on mutilated rags from 12.5 per cent to 4 per cent to boost the woollen and yarn industry reeling under recession.Tax exemption to Central Police Force canteens has been brought on a par with CSD canteens.

The tax burden on halwais has also been reduced. The cabinet has waived interest and penalty imposed on the halwais amounting to Rs 28.08 lakh and over Rs 1.88 lakh respectively on account of late payment of bhatti tax.

Approval to a proposal by the Excise and Taxation Department to make amendment in Schedule B and Schedule C of the Haryana Value Added Tax Act, 2003 so as to grant refund to the contractors who have sold goods to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited for completion of Gurgaon Metro Corridor was given certain concessions proposed in Haryana VAT Rules, 2003.

The cabinet approved amending Rule 25 of the Haryana VAT Rules for prescribing the ratio of labour or service and other such charges and material likely to be used or consumed in works contract of different nature.

Thisa is to check the menace of bogus input tax credit as per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. These amendments will streamline the assessment process under the Haryana VAT Act and Rules.

Chandigarh, February 4
Expecting to mop up Rs 2,200 crores as excise revenue during the next fiscal, the Haryana government has decided not to increase the rate of excise duty on country liquor or the IMFL. The number of retail outlets remain the same.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda gave his nod to the new excise policy and transport policy today, besides taking other policy decisions.

The government has decided to renew the licence of vends at an increase of 10 per cent (country liquor) and 5 per cent fee for IMFL (except L-2 vends in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Palwal, Mewat, Rewari and Narnaul which would be renewed at an increase of 8 per cent). Those vends where licences cannot be renewed, allotment will be through sealed tenders.

Introducing a new provision, the department will now allow one-time transfer of licence within the same category.

The government has decided to grant wholesale licence of IMFL (L-1) to those retail licensees who have contributed maximum revenue for a particular district in terms of license fee of L-2 vends for better liaison between wholesale and retail trade.

It has also been decided to provide Rs 10 crore for encouraging barley cultivation among farmers. Under the Haryana Integrated Bus Service Scheme, 1776 routes will be allotted. In all, 2,699 permits will be given to either individuals or coop societies. These permits would include 923 existing permits.

Permit holders of the 1993 scheme will be given preference in the new scheme. They shall also be allowed to retain their original routes, if they desire so. The scheme has been carved out in two types of permits and is expected to generate 10,000 plus jobs.

The scheme will fetch an additional revenue of more than Rs 50 crores per annum in the form of passenger tax. Among the other decisions approved by the cabinet are approval of a draft Bill to enact a new legislation by revising Haryana Urban(Control of Rent and Eviction) Act, 1973.

The Act would be known as Haryana Urban (Regulation of Rent and Eviction) Act, 2010 and will include expiry of the tenancy period as a ground for eviction of tenant. A provision of five per cent increase in basic rent per annum has been provided in the Act and after every five years. 

Rohtak, February 4
The police has booked members of the khap panchayat of Kheri Meham village who had handed out the order on annulment of the marriage between Satish and Kavita on January 30. The couple has an infant son.

The action follows a police complaint by Kavita yesterday day. She had threatened to approach the High Court in case no action was taken.

The SSP, AK Rao, said the accused booked under Sections 499, 153,504 and 505, IPC were yet to be identified.

He said at least one policeman and a government employee could be part of that panchayat. He said he would write to the Deputy Commissioner for issuance of notice to such employees after verification.

The khap had declared that since the couple hailed from Berwal and Beniwal gotra they could not marry as they shared bhaichara.

Chandigarh, February 4
The INLD today joined the exercise to get the five MLAs, who quit the Haryana Janhit Congress and joined the Congress, disqualified. The party filed six petitions seeking their disqualification before Speaker HS Chatha.The HJC petitions are already pending before the Speaker.

The petitioners have sought immediately disqualification of Satpal Sangwan, Rao Narinder Singh, Vinod Bhyana, Zile Ram Sharma and Dharam Singh Chhokar under the anti-defection law.

Chatha told newsmen that he had given notices to the former HJC MLAs on the petitions filed by the HJC. Their replies were still awaited. If they did not reply by tomorrow, fresh notices would be issued.

In Sirsa, HJC chief Kuldeep Bishnoi today accused Haryana Assembly Speaker HS Chatha of adopting dilatory tactics on his party’s petition seeking disqualification of his five MLAs who had joined the Congress. Talking to mediapersons here today, Bishnoi alleged that the Speaker was functioning as a loyal worker of the ruling party.

Rohtak, February 4
Chaudhary Ranbir Singh’s worldview reflected a humanistic approach and concern for the poor and the downtrodden. He was not only a freedom fighter and a follower of Gandhian values, but an able parliamentarian too who played a significant role in the making of the Constitution.

This was stated by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee while delivering the first Chaudhary Ranbir Singh Memorial Lecture at Tagore Auditorium, MDU, here today.

Mukherjee said the great leader relentlessly worked for the welfare of the masses and played a key role in various state and national projects, inlcuding the Bhakra-Nangal Multipurpose Irrigation and Power project, which helped usher in the Green Revolution.

“Chaudhary Ranbir Singh was an embodiment of ethics, integrity and patriotism,” he said. The Finance Minister stressed on the importance of quality education. “Quality education forms the foundation for a strong and vibrant economy. Universities are platforms for development of powerful, innovative, dynamic and sustainable ideas.”

He expressed the hope that Maharshi Dayanand University would take up new challenges and set new paradigms in higher education.

Quoting Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Mukherjee said we must all work towards meeting the ideals of the makers of our Constitution. This would be real tribute to the departed leader.

He recalled a speech delivered in the Constituent Assembly on November 6, 1948, by Chaudhary Ranbir Singh in which he had declared: “We want to create a classless society. All backward people are either peasants or workers and we should protect working classes; farmers and workers.”

He quoted him during a debate in the Constituent Assembly: “If safeguards are to be provided, they must be only for those who are peasants and wage earners.”

Delivering the presidential address, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said Chaudhary Ranbir Singh’s life was a struggle for human values, communal harmony and against social ills. He recalled Chaudhary Ranbir Singh’s contribution to society and the state of Haryana.

Mukherjee laid the foundation stone of Swaraj Sadan which is to house Chaudhary Ranbir Singh Institute for Social and Economic Change.

A memento was presented to the Finance Minister by the Chief Minister. Member of Parliament Jitender Malik and Shadi Lal Batra, former Governor Sultan Singh, former MP Chiranji Lal Sharma, state ministers and some MLAs were present on the occasion. 

Chandigarh, February 4
Haryana today admitted it did not have in place guidelines for dealing with child molestation cases, and tainted cops involved in such matters.

The assertion came less than a month after the Punjab and Haryana High Court questioned the state on the existence of such guidelines; and made clear its intentions of coming out with guiding principle to be adopted in child molestation cases, particularly the ones involving senior police officers.

In reply to a petition in the Ruchika molestation and suicide case, Special Secretary (Home) Srikant Walgad said the state government had not issued guidelines separately, which were to be adopted by the police and the administration in child molestation cases. All cases of molestation were decided in accordance with the provisions of the IPC.

“All crimes against women, including molestation, are special reported cases, in which a special report of such cases is immediately sent to senior police officers, including the DSP and the DGP’s office. A gazetted officer verifies the investigation on the first opportunity available; and the state crime branch monitors the progress of such cases on a day-to-day basis,” Walgad said.

He added: “No guidelines for objective procedure have been issued separately by the state government, which are to be adopted when senior police officers are accused in such cases”. In an apparent attempt to defend the state’s inability to act, he said the chargesheet in the Ruchika case pertained to the period when Rathore was on deputation with the Government of India as the Director-Secretary with the Bhakra Beas Management Board.

“The competent authority to institute proceedings and to impose penalty in the case was the Central Government. The matter was got examined legally and after examination the state government vide order dated July 7, 1994, decided to drop the proceedings against Rathore”, he said.

Fatehabad, February 4
Tension prevails in Bhirdana village in this district after Madan Lal, a Dalit, died late last evening after he was seriously injured in a group clash between members of the Bishnoi and the Dhanak communities of the village over the possession of a piece of land.

The police has registered a case of murder against 21 Bishnois. The body of the victim was cremated amid heavy police presence in the village today.

According to reports, Balwant Ram, a Bishnoi, had laid his claim to a piece of land, included by the Dhanaks in their basti in the village.

After a heated exchange of words, members of the two communities resorted to a clash, in which both sides threw stones on each other.

Later, the Bishnois allegedly set belongings of the Dhanaks on fire.

Over 12 persons from both sides, including some women, had sustained injuries in a clash between members of the two communities over a piece of land at Bhirdana yesterday.

Madan Lal (45), belonging to the Dhanak community, died in a private hospital, where he was admitted for treatment late last evening.

Members of the Dhanak community held a demonstration in the local general hospital today, after the victim’s body was handed over to them in the morning.

However, the authorities pacified them and assured them justice.

The authorities have provided an interim relief of Rs 30,000 to next of kin of the victim from the District Red Cross Society.

Meanwhile, former MP and Congress leader Sushil Indora today demanded justice to the victim’s family and also demanded adequate relief from the government.

He alleged that despite decades of independence, Dalits in villages were still vulnerable to attacks from dominant communities.

Indora also condemned the Khap controversy involving a Dhanak couple in a Hisar village and said such things had never happened in their community in the past.

“Some insane elements of the community have created this controversy and the Dhanak community by and large has nothing to do with this,” he claimed.

Karnal, February 4
Haryana Roadways’ employees today gheraoed the Karnal bus stand for nearly two hours in protest against the plying of private buses without valid permits. The employees of three unions constituted a joint action committee, demanding action against these private buses and those being plied illegally on several routes by transport cooperative societies. They virtually sealed the bus stand from all directions.

The protesters blocked both gates by parking buses there and held a protest rally at the third gate, bringing the movement of buses to a grinding halt for two hours.

Ravi Shankar, district president of the roadways’ union, said the issue regarding illegal plying of buses was brought to the notice of the administration, but it failed to act.

President of the Haryana Sahkari Parivahan Samitian Kalyan Sangh (Karnal unit) Shesh Pal, on the other hand, said 60 buses were plying on different routes throughout the district since 1994 but the roadways’ employees were not letting the private buses enter the bus stand. If some buses were being plied on certain routes without valid permits, action should be taken against their owners but inconvenience should not be caused to the people by paralysing the bus services, he added.

SDM Varinder Sherawat and General Manager (Transport) SS Kundu reached the spot and informed the protesters that action had already been initiated against the buses plying without valid route permits. They disclosed that five such buses had been challaned and impounded. 

Sirsa, February 4
Ved Parkash Vidrohi, spokesperson for the HPCC, today alleged that the INLD had distributed blankets among voters two months prior to the announcement of the Ellenabad byelection and “purchased votes for Rs 3,100 each” on the day of polling.

He was reacting to Abhey Singh Chautala’s allegations levelled yesterday that the Congress had used fake money to buy  votes. — TNS