Jammu, March 7
The state government today nearly doubled value added tax (VAT) on cigarettes and cigars, raised toll tax on tobacco, livestock and edible oils, among others, in the Budget for 2011-12 presented in the Legislative Assembly today.

State Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather also proposed to bring services such as chartered accountants, advertisers, new constructions, repairs, services provided by production houses of TV and radio programmes, architects and interior designs, among others, under the tax net.

The Rs 31,212-crore Budget with “zero deficit” focused on resource mobilisation and welfare initiatives. “We have presented a zero deficit Budget in the state Legislative Assembly with focus on resource mobilisation and welfare initiatives,” Rather told reporters after presenting the Budget.

He said the toll tax on sheep and goat, which were brought from outside the state, had been increased to Rs 250 per quintal and on poultry to Rs 5 per kg. The government also increased VAT on cigarettes, cigars and smoking pipes from 13.5 per cent to 25 per cent and brought beedis and gutkha under the tax net with a high rate of 25 per cent.

The Finance Minister said the government had taken welfare initiatives in the Budget by announcing much-awaited Dearness Allowance (DA) at the rate of 10 per cent from July 2010 along with the salary and pension of April 2011.

Pensioners, who had attained the age of 90 years and those between 80 and 90 years as on April 1, would get 50 per cent of the pension revision arrears in one and two instalments, respectively.

Similarly, daily wage workers would get an enhanced renumeration of Rs 125 per day from April this year from the present Rs 110 per day, the Finance Minister said, adding that Rs 55 crore had been kept in the Budget for golden handshake of the employees of the ailing public sector undertaking (PSUs).

Rather said toll tax on edible oils and tobacco had been enhanced to Rs 200 and Rs 250 from Rs 140 and Rs 150 per quintal, respectively.

Rather proposed to exempt pesticides, weedicides and insecticides from VAT. These items were exempted from toll tax last year. Similarly, 10.5 per cent service tax on the installation of polyhouse and greenhouse technologies too was withdrawn to give a fillip to floriculture and vegetable farming. The minister also proposed to introduce a system of full refund of VAT to all beneficiaries who bought micro irrigation equipment and systems from manufacturers and suppliers or install them in their greenhouses, fields, orchards and farms or through contractors. To further boost allied activities, the import of rice bran and wheat bran into the state for use as poultry and cattle feed was also exempted from toll tax. The outward movement of beehives and bee colonies too was exempted from toll tax. Their import was exempted from tax in the last annual Budget.

To ward off any potential adverse political fallout in the ensuing panchayat elections due to food inflation, the government also announced to continue with exemption from VAT (between 4 per cent and 5 per cent) on food items like atta, maida, suji, basen and rice. “I am prepared to forgo the revenue of a few hundreds of crores of rupees annually to keep foodgrain prices under check,” said Rather.

The minister did not have anything new to offer to the trade and industry except announcing certain procedural relaxations related to the verification of raw material consumption by registered SSI units and the registration of certain class of dealers. The remission of VAT to industrial units under specified conditions was continued for another year. Similarly, hotels, lodges and guest houses were exempted from tax on rental income to boost tourism.

Jammu, March 7
Although the controversy over discrimination in the distribution of funds was resolved, the Legislative Assembly today witnessed an uproar over the alleged discrimination in the allocation of time in the House. The government faced embarrassment when coalition party members also joined the Opposition and created an uproar in the House on the issue of the neglect of the back benchers in the debate. “The Assembly is not meant for only five or six members sitting in the front row,” shouted Khafir-ur Rehman, NC legislator from Karnah. He was joined by Congress legislator Vakar Rasool, who represents the Banihal Assembly constituency.

“This is unfortunate that only six members have been dominating the proceedings of the House despite the fact that we too are the representatives of the people,” Rehman said, adding that “our voices have been gagged in the House”.

BJP member Bharat Bhushan, a back bencher, supported Rehman and charged the Speaker with discriminating against them in the allocation of time in the Assembly.

The PDP also staged a walkout from the Assembly in protest against the Speaker, Mohammad Akbar Lone, for disallowing a PDP MLA from clarifying his position. When Question Hour started, PDP MLA from Bandipora Nizam-ud-din Bhat sought time from the Speaker to clarify his stand on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remarks against him in the Assembly during a debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Governor’s Address on Saturday. The Speaker ignored his repeated calls, following which Bhat staged a walkout during Question Hour. Later talking to the reporters, Bhat said the Chief Minister had been misled by his officials. “Omar made a personal attack on me and termed me a liar. He tried to damage my image in my absence,” he said.

Jammu, March 7
Seven persons, including two policemen, were injured when government employees protesting under the banner of the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees’ Joint Consultative Committee clashed with the police near the Press Club here today.

Members of the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees’ Joint Consultative Committee scuffle with the police during a rally in Jammu on Monday; and (right) a protesting employee being detained by the police.Photos: Inderjeet Singh

Jammu, March 7
The ongoing controversy over the post of the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council refuses to die down, as NC legislator Mohammad Rashid Qureshi and PDP legislator Murtaza Ahmad Khan had a heated argument in the House today.

During Question Hour, both legislators accused each other of misbehaviour. They were heard telling each other, “You don’t know how to talk in the House. Talk to me properly”, while seeking permission from the acting chairman of the Upper House, Arvinder Singh Micky, to put supplementary questions to Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Taj Mohi-ud-Din.

Qureshi was the first to seek permission for a supplementary question, but in the meantime Murtaza also sought permission, resulting in a heated exchange between the two. However, Micky, maintaining the sanctity of the House, did not allow them to ask questions and instead permitted legislator Ajay Sadhotra to ask question.

Earlier, the NC had raised the issue in the Legislative Council on March 1 that Murtaza Ahmad Khan of the PDP could not be called the Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House, as the PDP did not have the requisite strength in the House to claim the post.

Jammu, March 7
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Ali Mohammad Sagar today admitted in the Legislative Assembly that some undeserving persons had been taking the benefits of the schemes meant for the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in the state.

The minister, however, blamed the elected representatives for the inclusion of undeserving persons in the existing BPL lists in the state. Replying to a query of the Jammu State Morcha (JSM) member, Ashwani Sharma, in the Assembly about discrepancies in the existing BPL lists, the minister said these lists were finalised on the recommendations of the local legislators. He, however, assured the House that the process had been started to remove the discrepancies and incorporate deserving people in the BPL list.

Sagar said some rich people were taking the benefits of the schemes like the Indira Ayas Yojana. He took a dig at PDP member AR Veeri and accused him of recommending some undeserving persons for availing of benefits under the BPL schemes. Although Veeri refuted the charge and termed it as misleading, Sagar remained firm on his statement.

Earlier, Ashwani pointed out that the existing BPL lists were prepared on the basis of a survey conducted in 2001. “Ten years have passed but no action has been taken so far to rectify the discrepancies in the BPL lists,” he said. During the last one decade deserving families had been denied the benefits of the schemes, he added

The minister informed the House that 1,420 cases under the Indira Ayas Yojana were sanctioned in the Jammu region in the year 2008-09 and 2,266 cases were approved under the scheme in the year 2009-10. He said he had directed the officers of his department to identify deserving cases on their own so that they could get the benefit of the schemes meant for BPL persons.

Jammu, March 7
The state government today proposed new initiatives for girl students belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category, on-the-spot settlement of power dues and an Open Access Power Purchase Scheme for bulk consumers.

Announcing this in his budget speech today, the Finance Minister informed that the scheme called Beti Anmol would be implemented from the next financial year.

Under it, the girl students belonging to the BPL category, who had passed Class X and got enrolled in Class XI, would be given incentive.

This would be in the shape of a bank deposit of Rs 5,000 and it could be encashed by the beneficiaries on passing Class XII, he said.

The scheme would start in 97 educationally backward blocks of the state identified for the purpose.

Another significant initiative entailed the setting up of Bijli Adalats to help bona fide consumers, who could not clear their dues on account of pending disputes related to billed amounts, meter reading or calculation of surcharge. Besides providing relief to the consumers in terms of on-the-spot resolution of their disputes, the government too would stand to gain on account of spontaneous collection of arrears, said Rather.

It is pertinent to mention that the government has been suffering a loss of revenue due to lower recovery against a very heavy cost of power supply to the consumers.

The proposal to implement an Open Access Power Purchase Scheme in the coming financial year is another measure to meet the power requirements of bulk consumers like large commercial houses or industrial units.

Under this, they could approach any outsider supplier of power to meet their demands with thepermission of the state Power Development Department (PDD), which was entitled to levy charges on its transmission services as determined by the State Power Regulatory Authority.

The scheme would become functional in the coming fiscal as a pilot project, informed Rather.

Jammu, March 7
The Bar Association Jammu organised a function in the Conference Hall of the District Courts Complex here today to welcome Justice FM Ibrahim Kalifulla on his maiden interaction with the Bar members since his resumption of charge as a Senior Judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

The function was attended by Justices Virender Singh, JP Singh, Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Sunil Hali. Besides, it was attended by the Advocate General of the state and the Registrar General of the High Court, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Jammu, members of subordinate judiciary, office-bearers of the Bar Association, designated Senior Advocates and the members of the Bar.

While welcoming Justice Kalifulla, the president of the Bar Association, BS Salathia, apprised him of the healthy tradition of the Bar in extending full cooperation in the administration of justice.

Slathia drew the attention of Justice Kalifulla towards the vacancies of the High Court Judges and requested him that these be filled at the earliest to ensure the speedy disposal of cases and the administration of justice. At present there are only 10 Judges, including the Chief Justice, as against the sanctioned strength of 14 Judges.

Slathia highlighted the difficulties being faced by the members of the Bar and impressed upon Justice Kalifulla to formulate a scheme for the welfare and betterment of the members of the Bar in the discharge of their professional duties.

Justice Kalifulla assured full cooperation of the Bench for addressing the concerns of the Bar members. Vikram Sharma, general secretary of the Bar Association, conducted the proceedings while the vote of thanks was presented by MU Salaria, vice-president of the association.

Jammu, March 7
Security forces apprehended a sympathiser of militants from the Pul Doda area in Doda district yesterday. An official note issued here said a joint column of the Rashtriya Rifles and the police apprehended an overground worker of the militants, Mohammed Aslam Malik (25) of Seel village in the Bhandas area, from the Pul Doda area around 12:30 pm yesterday.

Malik was being interrogated by the police. 

Srinagar, March 7
To dissuade the youth from indulging in anti-national and anti-social activities, the CRPF inaugurated a computer centre here today.

“We know the problems of society, so this is our small effort to connect with the people,” said DIG, CRPF, Srinagar, PK Singh.

The computer centre is the brainchild of the Commandant of the 117 battalion of the CRPF. “Earlier, we have given computers to various schools in the city, but this time we decided to open a computer centre where the youth from different parts of the city can come and get computer education,” said Prabhakar Tripathy, Commandant of the 117 battalion.

He said the centre had initially been given four computers and more computers and infrastructure would be provided later. “So far more than 20 students have enrolled themselves for the training. In the coming days we would upgrade infrastructure and more students would be enrolled,” Tripathy added.

He said the CRPF had also employed a woman teacher, who would provide the computer training to girl students.

“We are happy that the CRPF opened the computer centre. We now look forward to learning computer here,” said a youth at the computer centre.

Jammu, March 7
While the state government has received over 600 applications from parents and relatives of “misguided youths”, who had crossed over to PoK and wanted to return now, the Army has also been keeping a track of such youths.

Last year, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had announced a rehabilitation policy for the “misguided youths”, who wanted to return from Pakistan or PoK.

The policy stated that those who had gone to either Pakistan or PoK between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 2009, and now wanted to return would be given amnesty.

The White Knight Corps, also called the 16 Corps, in Jammu had so far received a list of 100 such youths, who wanted to return, said sources in the Army.

Though their families had to submit applications to the civil administration and the police, the Army had also received information from various sources about such youths, they said.

“Since we operate on the ground, the Army is also maintaining a record of such youths,” they added.

“We always furnish information to the police about those who either want to surrender or return from PoK,” said an Army officer. He added that though the task of rehabilitating the youths was of the civil administration, it was to be done in consultation with the Army.

Besides the 16 Corps, the 15 Corps in Kashmir had also maintained similar lists, he said. The sources divulged that there were a number of Kashmiri youths in terror camps in PoK, who were considered as a “spent force” by the ISI.

“These persons now desperately want to come back. Once they return, proper checks and balances by the police will be put in place to watch their behaviour,” they said.