The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

NEIGHBOURHOOD

rahat scheme
Excise Dept allures shopkeepers to pay taxes
Tribune News Service

Dera Bassi, June 21
In an effort to popularise its new scheme ‘Rahat’ and to collect taxes, the state government has allured small shopkeepers of the Dera Bassi sub-division.

Interacting with shopkeepers from Zirakpur, Dera Bassi and Lalru areas, Excise and Taxation Commissioner (ETC), Punjab, Anurag Verma, claimed that the scheme had been introduced to free small shopkeepers from “Inspector Raj”.

Any shopkeeper opting for the scheme would have to pay a nominal tax, (for example, dealers with a turnover of up to Rs 25 lakh will have to pay an annual lump sum tax of Rs 5,000 only) and that too in four quarterly instalments.

Verma, accompanied with local MLA NK Sharma, who is also the Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Industries, Punjab, while interacting with shopkeepers here on last evening, briefed the features of the Rahat Scheme to the shopkeepers.

Verma said: “Once a dealer is registered under the scheme, no Inspector or Excise and Taxation Officer can visit his premises without prior permission of the ETC.”

No assessment of such dealers would be taken up by the department. So, the dealers would not have to maintain account books for the department, he said.

He said all dealers with a turnover of up to Rs 1 crore were covered under the scheme.

The ETC said this turnover excludes the turnover of tax-free goods and single stage items and clarified that all dealers opting for the scheme would remain eligible for the Social Security Insurance Scheme, which was recently introduced by the department.

Interacting with the dealers, Sharma said the broad policy of the government was to reduce the hassles of its citizens. He said the government wants to finish ‘Inspector Raj’ and with this objective in mind, schemes like Rahat Scheme, had been introduced.

He added that once a dealer opts for this scheme, he would get almost complete immunity from harassment at the hands of lower officials.

The dealers of Zirakpur also asked the MLA to introduce the scheme in Class-I towns also. Sharma assured them that he would take up the matter with the Punjab Deputy Chief Minister for introducing the scheme in Class-I towns too.

Harinder Brar, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Ropar; Ashwani Jain, president, Traders’ Association, Dera Bassi; Raghubir Juneja, president, Traders’ Association, Lalru; Mahaveer Aggarwal, president, Trader Those who were present include s’ Association, Zirakpur; and Paramjit Singh alias Pammi, president, Traders’ Association, Baltana; were among those others present.

Doc booked for death due to negligence
Tribune News Service

Dera Bassi, June 21
The Dera Bassi police today booked a Mubarikpur-based medical practitioner for causing death due to negligence.

On a complaint of Rajinder Singh, a resident of Issanpur and president of the Welcome Canter Union, Dera Bassi, a case under Section 304-A of the IPC has been registered against Dr Paras Suri at the Dera Bassi police station.

Dera Bassi SHO Gurjit Singh said in his complaint , Rajinder Singh had stated that Jasmer Singh, a resident of Pandwala village, was rushed to a private clinic in Mubarikpur after his health deteriorated suddenly.

The complainant claimed that the doctor informed them that the patient had suffered a cardiac arrest.

He alleged that the doctor instead of rushing Jasmer to the PGI, Chandigarh, or other better hospital kept ferrying him in an ambulance to local private hospitals, which led to his death.

The doctor did not even inform the family members of the patient when his health deteriorated, he alleged.

Long power cut haunts residents

Kalka, June 21
Residents of the town and neaby areas faced hardships due to a five-hour power cut here today. They alleged that the electricity supply remained suspended from 8am to 1pm.

RK Rohila, SDE, said the electricity supply to these areas was disrupted due to a major snag in the 66-KV substation at Kalka. — OC

SPORTS

City golfer seals berth in Youth Olympics
Games to be held in China in August
Mehakdeep Grewal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
Maintaining his top form, city golfer Feroz Singh Garewal paved his way easily into the Indian squad for Youth Olympics, which will be held in China in August this year along with Delhi golfer Aditi Ashok.

Feeling on top of the world yet focused, Garewal said: “The selection has boosted my morale and confidence, the hard-work that I had put in has finally brought out the results.”

The 17-year-old city lad is currently the leader in the Indian Golf Union Order of Merit in Category A and B combined.

While claiming that this year his entire focus had been on preparing for the Asia Cup, he said: “The news about selection in the event by The Indian Golf Union on Thursday was broken by my father to me. It came as a big surprise to me for I had been preparing for only the Asia Junior Golf Championship this year.”

He further said in July last year he clinched a title in his category in the Jakarta World Junior Championship while he had finished second in five tournaments.

This year, he won the Northern Amateur Junior Golf Championship, which was held at the ITC Manesar, Gurgaon, in March.

The young golfer had also been the part of the four-member Indian contingent that finished fifth in the Asian Junior Golf Championship held in Korea last year.

“I did not participate in any tournament in May and June as I had been focusing on improving my short games. Last year, I changed my swing and it has worked out for me since then,” he said.

On his preparation for the Youth Olympics, he said, “It will be my maiden tournament in China, I am excited about it, earlier I have played in Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. Hence, I have an idea about the weather conditions there.”

The young golfer, who has been training for over hours daily in golf course and two hours in the gym, gave credit to his trainer Sagar Dhiwan and coach Jesse Grewal for his form and selection.

Nikhil ’s ton rescues Ludhiana
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
Nikhil Chaudhary’s ton helped Ludhiana recover from quick loss of five wickets in the first innings of a match against Chandigarh in an U-19 tournament being played at the cricket stadium in Sector 16 here.

After winning the toss, Chandigarh asked visitors to bat first. Openers Rajat Arora and Kashish Panseja lost their wickets quickly to Bhagmender Singh Lather and Himank Chaudhary, respectively.

The Ludhiana team was at 162 for 5 when Nikhil Chaudhary went to the crease and turned the game in his team’s favour by slamming 121 runs off 176 balls. Nikhil sent 18 balls across the rope.

With Parul Mehndiratta on the other end, they put up an 82-run partnership for the fifth wicket before Arpit Singh Pannu scalped Parul’s wicket. Later, Harnoor and Nikhil added 73 runs to the team’s total before Nikhil was caught out by Arvind Chauhan on Jagit Singh Sandhu’s delivery. By the end of the day one, Ludhiana scored 255 runs at the loss of seven wickets.