TIOL-DDT 379 · the untouched capture
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<html> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <link rel=Edit-Time-Data href="Taxindiaonline's%20DDT%20379_files/editdata.mso"> <title>Taxindiaonline's DDT 377</title> </head> <body > <p > <b><font color="#663399" size="3" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">TIOL-DDT 379</font><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br> 07 6 2006<br> Wednesday</font></b></p> <p align="center" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><font color="#006600">Endangered star tortoises seized by Chennai Air Customs</font></b></font></p> <p > <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img src="http://www.taxindiaonline.com/RC2/image/stories/star_turtle.jpg" width=245 height=156 hspace=12 border="1" align=left v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"> </font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The seizure of 197 star tortoises while they were being smuggled out to Thailand, by Chennai Customs has attracted international attention with the United Press International circulating it. The news was picked up by all major news agencies from Washington to Dubai. What makes these tortoises star news? </font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The star tortoises, named for the distinctive green and yellow star marking on their shells, are an extremely rare species and breed mostly in southern India mainly in the forests of Andhra Pradesh. Their demand as exotic pets and in some case as delicacy has been soaring in the international market. Each tortoise is said to have a market price of a thousand rupees. </font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">When the baggage of a passenger was examined, these tortoises neatly packed in the bag did not exactly crawl to the Customs. The trade of the tortoise is banned under the Wildlife Protection Act but the huge profits are luring the poachers to the trade.</font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The star tortoises were handed over to the forest department and will make their slow journey into the forests, but before that these stars have become international celebrities. </font></p> <p align="center" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><font color="#006600">India</font></b><font color="#006600"><b> – China to open the Silk route?</b></font></font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">There are plans to reopen the Nathu-la pass after more than 40 years, which could be a symbol of rapprochement between the Asian giants after the Himalayan Blunder of a war in 1962.</font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Initially, the pass, at an altitude of 14,200 feet, will handle limited trade between the tiny state of Sikkim and southern Tibet. It will be a modest start but can grow. A few corrugated iron warehouses have been built to handle customs and immigration formalities, and a small trade mart erected to exchange goods at Sherathang, a chilly hamlet eight kms below the pass.</font></p> <p align="center" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><font color="#006600">Rahul</font></b><font color="#006600"><b> Mahajan – the excise connection</b></font></font></p> <p ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mahajan’s Man Friday Harish Sharma is reported to be a former employee of the Central Excise department inDelhi. He went on deputation to the PMO and later took voluntary retirement and joined Mahajan full time. Sharma is an international basketball player </font></p> <p align="center" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><font color="#006600">The very saral form</font></b></font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A netizen wrote to us, </font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">“Go around searching in your house on 31st march every year for each penny you have, </font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">keep adding every paisa that your family gets for every occassion or birthday you have, <br> <br> keep account of cash that comes for every disposal of raddi item you have . <br> Be off from your work and keep such accounts in the time you have . <br> Only then will you be able to file a true declaration in the `Saral` form that thanks to income tax department we now have. <br> If you choose not to do the above then you will be the one amongst 4 crore liar taxpayers that we are going to have, <br> <br> To keep you company, a senior bureaucrat saying that there cannot be a simpler saral, you are going to have.</font></p> <p ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Even the congress party feels that the expansion of the net is laudable, but saral should remain saral</b></font></p> <p align="center" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><font color="#006600">Rahul</font></b><font color="#006600"><b> Bajaj does not own a scooter</b></font></font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">While he popularized the “hamara bajaj” concept, he himself does not own a vehicle not even the bajaj scooter. Mr. Bajaj who is a candidate for election to the Rajya Sabha, in his declaration before the Returning officer, has declared that he has properties worth 424 Crores which does not include a vehicle. The veteran industrialist is highly educated with a degree in Law from Mumbai’s Government Law College and an MBA from Harvard. </font></p> <p align="center" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><font color="#006600">KP</font></b><font color="#006600"><b> Singh transferred</b></font></font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The high profile DG, Service Tax , Mr. KP Singh has been transferred to the very significant Tax Arrears Recovery unit. During his stint as DG , he was famous for issuing controversial and often illegal directions to the field and even to the Board. The confusion caused by him in that infamous direction to disallow abatement for Service Tax on GTA , is still raging with consultants making good money. An advocate wrote in our columns that he has opened a special counter for that litigation. The tax consultants of this country must be deeply grateful to Mr. Singh for the number of cases he gave them. But if you look at the CTC – the cost to the country – Mr. Singh was a very costly officer which this country can hardly afford. </font></p> <p align="justify" ><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mr Singh being the senior most officer, was treated with awe and undue respect in the field, for it was made known that he is a future chairman. He and former British PM John Major landed up in the same city once and there was more protocol for the DG than the former PM.</font></p> <p ><font color="#FF6666" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Until Tomorrow with more DDT </font></p> <p ><font color="#FF6666" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Have a nice Day. </font></p> <p ><font color="#FF6666" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mail your comments to</font> <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="mailto:vijaywrite@taxindiaonline.com">vijaywrite@taxindiaonline.com</a></font></p> </body> </html>