(source-sanjhamorcha)
===========================================
I-T dept to probe funds received by BSP
New Delhi: Widening its probe, the income tax department which is looking into the source of money used in a garland presented to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati, will also investigate funds and donations received by the Bahujan Samaj Party in the last few months. Sources said the probe into the funds would provide them with necessary information on the income of the party which like other political parties is exempted from paying taxes under Section 13A of the Income Tax Act. Political parties file their Income Tax returns by September every year the sources said adding the department will check if the donations and other modes of funding are recorded in the account books maintained by the BSP. The probe has been launched in both incidents where Mayawati was presented garlands made of currency notes, a source said. If the donations are unaccounted that makes a fit case of tax evasion, a source said. The previously audited account records of the party will also be checked. According to sources, the tax department has also sourced the video grabs and photographs of the garland that was presented to Mayawati on March 16 at a Bahujan Samaj Party rally in Lucknow to celebrate the partys anniversary.PTI
---------------------------------------------------
Integrity of gallantry awards in jeopardy: HC
Hyderabad: Stating that the Union home ministry should thoroughly scan the recommendations made by state governments for awarding gallantry medals to police officials,the AP High Court on Friday asked the central government to reexamine and decide if it was right to award gallantry medals to three IPS officials,A Sivasankar,Sriram Tiwari and Nalin Prabhat.The three officers were awarded for their alleged bravery displayed in an encounter with the Maoists a few years ago. The division bench comprising Justice Goda Raghuram and Justice G V Sitapathy, while disposing of a petition filed by K N Rao, a HC advocate who sought action against the three alleging that they never participated in the said encounter, found fault with the state government for concluding the enquiry against these officials midway. The bench, however, did not pass any order on this issue as the petitioner did not challenge the dropping of the action against these officials in November 2007. The bench held that the Centre did not verify the claims of these officials nor did it examine the recommendations of the state for awarding the prestigious medals. The Centres stand that it merely went by the recommendation of the state was not accepted by the bench. The Centres behaviour in this regard has put the prestige and integrity of the medals in jeopardy. The obligation to ensure that the prestige of the medals is protected rests with the Centre and cannot be delegated to the state, the bench said.Such delegation is nothing but the abdication of responsibility and outsourcing of responsibilities, it said.
------------------------------------------------------
Three education bills get the green signal
After the recess, Parliament will be inundated with legislations from HRD ministry with Union Cabinet clearing three bills on Friday. To add to it, there is a pending amendment to the Right to Education Act. While the Foreign Education Providers Bill was cleared last week,Cabinet okayed Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, Educational Tribunal Bill, and National Accreditation Regulatory Authority Bill,2010.All four bills are likely to be referred to Parliaments standing committee after introduction.Unfair practices bill makes charging of capitation fee by any institution a cognisable offence, allowing the police to arrest erring administrators without a warrant,and the guilty would face imprisonment of three years or a fine of Rs 50 lakh. Capitation fee charged by any institute will be a cognisable offence. People will be prosecuted without fear and favour, HRD minister Kapil Sibal said. Charging of any fee other than those disclosed in prospectus of institute will be considered a cognisable offence. The bill classifies malpractices into two categories. While capitation fee will be cognisable offence,others will be treated as non-cognisable and just attract fine.Civil offences will be adjudicated in the proposed educational tribunals,while the cognisable offences will be dealt by courts.
------------------------------------------------------
Death penalty for hijackers
In an attempt to tighten anti-hijacking laws in the country, Union Cabinet on Friday approved death sentence for hijackers in keeping with the recommendations made by the civil aviation ministry. The Union Cabinet today approved a proposal of the civil aviation ministry to amend the Anti-Hijacking Act of 1982, I&B minister Ambika Soni said after the Cabinet meeting. The UPA had earlier constituted a group of ministers (GoM) to look into the proposals which called for complete no-negotiation policy with hijackers. After the UPA came back to power last year, a new GoM, headed by home minister P Chidambaram, was constituted to further look into the proposals. The GoM also included law minister M Veerappa Moily, HRD minister Kapil Sibal and civil aviation minister Praful Patel. Sections 3 and 4 of the Act, which deal with the definition of hijack and punishment for hijacking, are proposed to be amended to include death penalty. Currently, the law provides for life imprisonment and a fine as punishment. The GoM earlier examined the proposals to amend the existing law to include these aspects as well as the conspiracy to hijack an aircraft. The amended law will allow the Indian Air Force, when ordered by a competent authority, to intercept a hijacked aircraft and force it to land. A hostile plane can also be shot on evidence that it could be used as a missile to hit a vital installation. The amendment also calls for immobilising a hijacked aircraft on Indian soil if it has not taken off already. A new clause will also be inserted for punishment to those who launch a conspiracy to hijack an aircraft.
Proposed Changes
Aircraft can be shot down if hijack is established and that hijackers intend to use it like a missile as in 9/11 attacks Aircraft can be immobilized and disallowed from taking off if hijack occurs on Indian soil No negotiation with hijackers on demands IAF fighters to be scrambled if hijacked plane remains in Indian airspace
--------------------------------------------
(source-toi)
No comments:
Post a Comment