by rakesh | May 2, 2007 | India News
The attention of the Government is drawn to the incident being broadcast by Star News involving a case of corruption in getting a job as loader through a cargo complex employee.
According to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), prima facie there appears to be no security breach as the cargo complex falls within the city side of the airport, an area controlled by the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).
Security of IGI Airport International Cargo Complex is the responsibility of DIAL. For the Cargo Complex, DIAL issues pass for entry only into the cargo complex building, and these passes do not allow for entry into the operational airside area of the airport.
There is total segregation of the Cargo Complex from the airside operational area of the airport by means a steel chain link 12 ft high along the boundary. There is only ONE exit and ONE entry gate in this boundary, which is guarded by CISF. Access from International Cargo complex to airside areas is effectively controlled by CISF and all persons entering the airside areas even with authorised documents are subjected to screening and frisking before each entry.
In this case, the person who obtained employment and a DIAL pass as loader does not seem to have gone beyond the chain link into the operational and vulnerable area of the airport and was shown to be within the cargo complex till where his entry was restricted.
The current incident is more a case of malpractice involved to get a job as a loader through a Cargo Complex employee, rather than a case of a security breach, and appropriate authorities will look into it.
In case there has been any security breach, it will be investigated thoroughly by CISF and BCA S.
The issue needs to be seen in the above perspective so that unnecessary alarm is not generated as has happened in the instant case.
by rakesh | Mar 9, 2007 | Rajasthan
Shri Murli Deora Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas informed the Lok Sabha while replying to a question today that the proposal for setting up a refinery at Barmer in Rajasthan is under the consideration of Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC). ONGC has carried out the different studies in this regard including technical feasibility study by Engineers India Limited(EIL), market study by M/s Nexant, financial appraisal by M/s SBI Caps and ROU survey by M/s SECON. Shri Deora added that considering that Rajasthan crude is heavy and viscous which needs to be heated for transportation, short duration of peak production necessitating import of crude, limited market potential in Rajasthan necessitating export of products and other factors, ONGC has approached the Government of Rajasthan for incentives/concessions to make the refinery project financially viable. Further discussions are in progress.
He emphasized that Government has been receiving requests form various State Governments from time to time for setting up/expanding refineries in the respective states. As far as Rajasthan is concerned, Government has received request from the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, the latest dated 15th January, 2007, to take steps to set up a refinery in Rajasthan. Shri Deora stressed that consequent on de-licensing of refinery since June, 1998, a refinery may be set up anywhere in India by a Private or Public Sector Enterprise depending on the promoter’s assessment of its viability. Shri Deora further clarified that it is not the Government, but the Private/Public Sector Enterprise, which has to decide on setting up a refinery based on commercial considerations.
Petroleum Minister also informed the House that in Rajasthan, ONGC, Oil India Limited (OIL) and Private/Joint Venture Companies are operating in 15 exploration blocks awarded under New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP), pre-NELP and on nomination basis. Out of this, 5 blocks have been recently allotted under sixth round of NELP and production sharing contracts were signed on 2nd March, 2007. The total area under exploration is about 38,400 sq.km. So far, 4.85 Billion Cubic Metres (BCM) of gas reserves and 67.7 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of crude oil reserves have been added. The present production of ONGC and OIL from Rajasthan is 7.5 lakh cubic metres of natural gas per day. Crude oil production from Rajasthan is likely to commence in 2008-09.
by rakesh | Mar 7, 2007 | Business
For all the assessees paying excise and service tax to the tune of Rs. 50 lakh and above per annum, it will be mandatory to make the payment through e-mode from 1st April, 2007. This was disclosed by the Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram while launching the Electronic Accounting System in Excise and Service Tax (EASIEST) here today. Corporates are already familiar with the e-payment mode of the income tax.
Stating that e-payment is the most convenient method for payment of excise & service tax, Shri Chidambaram said that in course of time everyone will be required to use the e-payment mode. The ultimate goal is the data collection synergy in direct and indirect taxes. The Finance Minister urged the manufacturers and industry businesses to pay excise duty correctly and punctually as the evasion of duty do not pay in the long run. He said we have deterrent measures to stop duty evasion and also soft measures to help the honest payers.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs in association with Principal Chief Controller of Accounts, Reserve Bank of India and 28 Scheduled Banks has introduced a simplified electronic accounting system for central excise and service tax payments called EASIEST. The scheme is conceptualized to address the weaknesses in the existing tax accounting system, which is a manual system. The manual system required the taxpayer to file four copies of Challan. EASIEST would require only a single challan for payment of Central Excise and Service Tax. It would capture all the essential information required from the assessee in relation to his tax payments.
EASIEST uses the electronic environment for expeditious transmission of tax information, so as to ensure greater accuracy and reliability of tax payment data. As part of the ongoing e-governance initiative of the Government of India, it is also proposed to reconcile the data so captured from the single challan with the tax returns filed by central excise and service tax assesses. It would be uploaded and hosted on a central database for excise and service tax as part of the Automation Project in Excise and Service Tax (ACES). Senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, RBI, State Bank of India and Commercial banks were also present on the occasion.
by rakesh | Mar 7, 2007 | Entertainment
During the last two years, 195 Show Cause Notices have been issued to the TV channels for violations of Programme/Advertising Code prescribed under Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. A substantive number of these notices were issued for telecasting obscenity.
The Central Government has constituted an Inter-ministerial Committee under Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, to look into the violations of the Programme Code and Advertising Code. The Committee either suo-motu or on receipt of complaint, examines cases of violation of the Code and recommends action to be taken by the Government. Show cause notices are issued in the first instance to TV channels for telecasting objectionable programmes/advertisements in violation of the codes. Further action is taken as per rules.
by rakesh | Mar 7, 2007 | India News
In the year 2003, Government of India decided to take over 17 Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs) and upgrade them as National Institutes of Technology (NITs). Thereafter, on the request from the respective State Governments, three more Engineering Colleges namely Bihar College of Engineering – Patna, Government Engineering College – Raipur and Tripura Engineering College – Agartala were upgraded as National Institutes of Technology (NITs) in the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively.
Presently 20 NITs, one each in following States are functioning in the country: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
In principle approval has been accorded to convert Manipur Institute of Technology, Imphal to NIT. There is no other proposal under consideration of the Government.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Smt. D. Purandeswari in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
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