TIOL-DDT 228 · the untouched capture
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<html> <head> <title>Untitled Document</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><font color="#663399" size="3">TIOL-DDT 228</font><br> 25 10 2005<br> Tuesday</b></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#006633" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Vigilance Week postponed</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Vigilance Week is observed by the Central Government departments from 31st October to 6th November. This year Vigilance week would have passed on peacefully without much fun as 31st October and 1st November are holidays in most parts of the country. 4th, 5th and 6th are also holidays leaving just two days for the week. But vigilance awareness cannot be submerged in holidays. So the CVC has decided to postpone the Vigilance awareness week this year to 7th-11th November 2005. The week was observed from 31st October as that happened to be the birthday of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.<br> <br> The then CVC Mr. Vittal in his letter No.3(v)/99/11 Dated the 23rd June 2000, said,<br> <br> The Central Vigilance Commission, which has a special responsibility under para 3(v) of Government of India Resolution no 371/20/99/AVD-III dated 4.4.1999, declares that the week beginning from 31st October every year should be observed as the Vigilance Awareness Week. The significance of 31st October is that it is the birthday of the Bismarck of India, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. He represents the best values in the Indian tradition so far as governance is concerned. He integrated the country and also was a shinning example of probity in public life.<br> <br> Can we postpone the Sardar’s birthday too?</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#006633" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>(Service) Tax on Newspapers is tax on knowledge</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Strongly criticizing the government for its proposal to tax sale of newspaper space in the recent draft Service Tax circular, INS President Jacob Mathew termed it as "alarming" and "retrograde" and said that any tax on newspapers, in effect, is a tax on knowledge. Mr Mathew had some more strong words:-<br> <br> • It has no legislative sanction and could have a disastrous effect on the newspaper industry<br> <br> • A 10.2 per cent tax on value of advertising space, as proposed in the Finance Ministry's draft circular of October 10, will "stunt" the growth of the newspaper industry, and therefore should be dropped to allow Indian newspapers to grow freely in a democracy<br> <br> • The government's logic (earlier) was that the advertising space sold was not a service.<br> <br> • It will adversely affect advertising revenues and the reach of the newspapers as well as burden the readers<br> <br> • It also undermines the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression guaranteed by Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution<br> <br> • The proposal should be dropped to allow Indian newspapers to grow freely and face the global challenge.<br> <br> • The Constitution honours the Press as one of the four pillars of democracy, and newspapers are exempt from Central excise and sales tax as they are not considered mere commodities<br> <br> • The proposal sought to fundamentally change the basis of tax<br> <br> • In the past, the Supreme Court has invariably struck down burdensome controls and levies on newspapers and held them unconstitutional<br> <br> <b>Any answer – TRU?</b></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#006633" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>BETTER GOVERNANCE – Destination Ahmadabad</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">• How to curb the downward trend in the integrity?<br> • Role of CVO, CVC and CBI in integrity matters<br> • Laws, Rules and Regulations – Instrument of facilitation or a lawyer’s paradise <br> • Quasi-judicial authorities-how much judicious they are - Pro- revenue bias, non-application of mind<br> • Distrust between superior and subordinate staff within the department<br> • What can be the ways and means available with the Administration to facilitate contentment among honest officers?<br> • Whether Administration generally takes care of problems / concerns of an honest officer?<br> • When by chance an honest officer becomes victim of circumstances, does administration come to his/her rescue?<br> • Is current transfer Policy conducive / favourable to honest officers?<br> • Role of CBI & CVC vis-à-vis honest officer<br> • Can lateral entry of personnel either one way or two way help in improving quality?</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Heads of CVC, CBI, CBEC are all in Ahmedabad to discuss these and several other issues in a two day seminar on <b>better governance</b> organised by the Chief Commissioner, Ahmedabad on 24th and 25th of October 2005. The dignitaries attending the programme include Messrs Bakul H. Dholakia, Director, IIM, Ahmedabad, P.Shankar, CVC, U. S. Mishra, Director, CBI, M. Jayaraman, Chairman, CBEC , Piruz Khambatta, Chairman, Pioma Industries, K Narayan, President- Textile Sector, Reliance Industries Ltd and of course the host S. C. Mathur, Chief Commissioner, Ahmedabad Zone apart from a large number of Commissioners and other officers. Remember similar programmes were organised in Hyderabad and Mumbai in association with Lok Satta. All the weighty resolutions are perhaps gathering dust in some office. Let us hope the Ahmedabad exercise will be more fruitful.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#006633" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <b>Want to work in the same station as your spouse? No chance if your child is more than ten years old.</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> A Commissioner has gone to CAT seeking a transfer to a station on the ground that his wife is working there. He had also questioned about the deviations from the transfer policy. It seems the Government has agreed that there were deviations and the fact has been intimated to CVC (Does that make the wrong right?) and that this officer is not eligible as he does not have children below ten years of age! Parents are advised to have at least three years gap between the first and the second child. Now perhaps career planning should include spacing children at a gap of ten years so that a working couple can spend more time together in the same station.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#006633" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Muli Bamboo freely exportable</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> DGFT has amended the export policy to allow free export of Muli Bamboo till 31.3.2008. This is already allowed but only till 31.3.2007.<br> <br> <a href="http://www.taxindiaonline.com/RC2/subCatDesc.php3?subCatDisp_Id=45&filename=notification/dgft/2005/dgft05not032.htm">DGFT NOTIFICATION NO. 32 (RE-2005) / 2004-2009, Dated : October 21, 2005</a></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#006633" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>DGFT amends SION</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The DGFT has amended the statement of Standard Input Output Norms as contained in the Handbook of Procedures, (Vol.2) 2004-2009, for several commodities.<br> <br> <a href="http://www.taxindiaonline.com/RC2/pdfnoti/pdfdgft/pdf2005/dgft05pn064.pdf">DGFT PUBLIC NOTICE NO 64 (RE:2005)/2004-2009 Dated: October 24, 2005</a></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#006633" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Reliance wants permission to export LPG, kerosene</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This country is really one of paradoxes. The news for the last couple of months was that there is an acuter shortage of LPG. Now it seems Reliance has asked the Government for permission to export LPG and kerosene. It appears Reliance has a huge surplus of LPG at its refinery!</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#006633" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>FM with Infosys Narayan Murthy</b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Recently Infosys founder Narayan Murthy had resigned as Chairman of the Bangalore International Airport Project because he was hurt by some remarks of the former PM, Mr Deve Gowda. Now Murthy has a supporter in the FM. Mr Chidambaram remarked,<br> <br> • I am unhappy over the controversy<br> <br> • Such controversies hurt India's image<br> <br> • Efforts are being made to persuade Murthy to take back his resignation<br> <br> • Economic activity would be disturbed when bright entrepreneurs and captains of the industry were criticised or run down.<br> <br> • Economic activity alone could make India strong and if economic activity was interrupted or economic sector players were derided or criticised, it should be a matter of concern for all.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><font color="#663399">Regardless of who wins the election they have to raise taxes to pay for the damage.</font></b><br> <br> <font color="#FF6666"><b>Until tomorrow with more DDT</b></font></font></p> <p align="justify"><font color="#FF6666"><b><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Have a nice day. </font></b></font></p> <p align="justify"><font color="#FF6666"><b><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mail your comments to</font></b></font><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <a href="vijaywrite@taxindiaonline.com">vijaywrite@taxindiaonline.com </a></font></p> </body> </html>