We wanted to test ourselves after heavy Hamilton loss: Rohit

By

-

February 3, 2019

Stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma on Sunday said that his side wanted to test themselves in tough conditions after the Hamilton loss and lauded his team for showing character in the fifth ODI which India won to clinch the series 4-1 against New Zealand.

India suffered a heavy defeat in the fourth ODI after they were dismissed for just 92 runs but the visiting side bounced back in the fifth match Sunday to score 252 before winning by 35 runs.

“The Hamilton loss, the way we lost was big. We need to get together as a team. I knew there was some moisture on the pitch. If the series was alive, we would have chased but we wanted to test ourselves today,” Rohit said after India beat the home side by 35 runs.

Ambati Rayudu (90) and Vijay Shankar (45) shared a 98-run partnership to resurrect the Indian innings, before Hardik Pandya (45 off 22) and Kedar Jadhav (35) powered them to a competitive total.

Rohit heaped praise on Rayudu and Shankar, saying their partnership was the turning point of the match.

“After we lost four wickets, all we needed was somebody to show application. Rayudu and Vijay Shankar did that. The partnership between them turned the game for us and the way Hardik and Kedar played in the end was magnificent. We showed a lot of character,” said Rohit who contribute just 2 runs.

He also lauded the efforts of the bowlers for producing crucial breakthroughs.

Rohit said the ODI series helped them to have a look at how the bowling combination work out without Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the series following the Australia tour.

India will now take on New Zealand in the three-match T20I series, starting on Wednesday.

Shah woos tribals, says NDA govt increased allocation of funds for their welfare

By

Web Team

-

February 3, 2019

BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday projected his party as the champion of tribals, saying the Narendra Modi government has raised budgetary allocation for their welfare to Rs 50,000 crore from Rs 30,700 crore made during by the Congress-led UPA dispensation.

Addressing the valedictory session of the national convention of the BJP’s ST Morcha here, Shah lashed out at the previous UPA government accusing it of having neglected the tribal people.

Noting that a separate ministry for tribal affairs was started by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, the BJP chief said the party-led government has floated the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) with huge funds for the development and welfare of tribals living in mineral-rich areas.

The funds under the DMF are being utilised by various states where mining activities are affecting the people and environment, he said.

Shah’s visit to this seaside pilgrim town is seen as an exercise to woo tribals, who constitute around one fourth of Odisha’s population, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections.

This was the BJP chief’s second visit in five days as he had held a rally in Salepur in Cuttack district on January 29.

The BJP’s love and respect for tribals is evident from the fact that the party has the maximum number of tribal MPs in Lok Sabha. Of the 32 tribal members in the lower house of Parliament, 28 belong to the BJP, he said.

The BJP president also slammed the BJD government in Odisha accusing it of having neglected the tribals in the state and failing to utilise the DMF funds for the welfare and development of people in areas hit by mining activities.

“The BJD government is like a fused transformer. It needs to be changed for the state’s progress,” he said.

6 killed as 11 coaches of Seemanchal Express derail in Bihar

By

Web Team

-

February 3, 2019

At least six passengers died and 29 others were injured early on Sunday when a rail fracture caused 11 bogies of the Delhi-bound Seemanchal Express to jump the tracks in Bihar’s Vaishali district, railway and police officials said.

The 12487 Jogbani-Anand Vihar Seemanchal Express originated from Jogbani in Kishanganj district and the accident took place around 4 am. Prima facie, a rail fracture led to the derailment, they said.

Chief Public Relations Officer, East Central Zone, Rajesh Kumar, said the accident took place at Sahadai Buzurg, close to Mahanar Road in the Sonpur division.

One general coach, one AC coach B3, three sleeper coaches – S8, S9, S10, and six more coaches have derailed, he said.

The Railways had earlier said that seven people were killed in the accident. However, it issued a clarification later, putting the death toll at six.

“It was on account of a communication gap at hospitals in Vaishali district that a mix-up occurred. One dead person at a hospital was counted among those who lost their lives in the train mishap. Later, upon verification, it was found that he was not a passenger of the train,” Kumar said.

The deceased have been identified as Ilcha Devi (66), Indira Devi (60), Shamsuddin Alam (26), Ansar Alam (19), Shaida Khatoon (40), Sudarshan Das (60), the Government Railway Police (GRP) said.

Of the 29 people wounded in the accident, two have suffered grievous injuries, while 27 have received “simple injuries”, the GRP said.

The office of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia each to the kin of those killed, Rs 1 lakh each to the grievously injured people and Rs 50,000 each to those who received simple injuries and Commissioner Railway Safety (Eastern Zone), Latif Khan will conduct an inquiry into the accident.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who expressed deep condolences over the deaths, said, “The district magistrate and the superintendent of police have rushed to the spot and are overseeing the relief work in coordination with the Railways.”

Govt committed to Citizenship Bill to help children of ‘Maa Bharti’ living in Pak, Af: PM Modi

By

Web Team

-

February 3, 2019

Making a strong pitch for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday his government would stand with the children of “Maa Bharti” who have faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

Addressing a rally in Vijaypur in Jammu region, Modi said “there are many children of Maa Bharti who have faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh…We will stand with those who were part of India at one time, but got separated from us” due to the Partition in 1947.

Targeting the Congress for its opposition to the piece of legislation, he said that party, when it was in power, did not pay “attention to the pain of our brothers and sisters”.

“But we have brought the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill with a commitment… If they are discriminated on the basis of faith, the country will stand up with them,” the Prime Minister said.

He also referred to the Kartarpur Corridor issue to target the Congress.

“The previous governments had the tendency to ignore the necessities and sentiments of the country. You are well aware of that. Take the Kartarpur corridor issue for instance. Had they paid attention, then the land of Guru Nanak Dev would have been a part of India,” Modi said, referring to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan where Sikhism founder Guru Nanak had settled.

Modi addressed public meetings in Leh and Vijaypur in Jammu, after inaugurating several development projects in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the BJP-led government at the Centre was dedicated to the causes of Kashmiri Pandits, who had to abandon their homes in Kashmir Valley in the wake of the spread of terrorism.

“They had to leave their homeland, the pain that they had to undergo, I have never said this but their pain is within me too,” Modi said.

Have to defeat ‘chowkidar’ Modi to save country: Yechury

By

Web Team

-

February 3, 2019

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “chowkidar” (watchman), under whose watch loot and communalism were rampant in the country, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday sought the formation of an alternative democratic government at the Centre.

“We have to defeat the Chowkidar Modi in the next elections. We don’t need such a chowkidar, in whose presence loot is going on in the country. They have spread the poison of communalism across the country.

“The Centre, which has looted the country for past five years, is now doling out sops ahead of elections,” Yechury said while addressing a rally at Brigade Parade Ground here.

The CPI(M) leader also said that the country needs a change in policy for its overall development.

“We are not calling for his (Modi’s) defeat just because we don’t like him, we are calling for a change so that there can be alternative policies. We have to fight for an alternative secular and democratic government at the Centre,” he said.

Terming the Budget a “jumla”, he said the people of this country “won’t be fooled by his false promises”.

The veteran leader also attacked the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state, stating that the “saffron party and the Mamata Banerjee-led party were two sides of the same coin”.

“It is important to defeat the TMC in the state in order to defeat BJP at the Centre,” he added.

Mamata defends Kolkata top cop, accuses BJP of ‘political vendetta’

By

Web Team

-

February 3, 2019

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday defended Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, who recently came under scrutiny after skipping a meeting with the Election Commission of India (ECI) and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of indulging in the “worst kind of political vendetta”.

The ECI had on Thursday conducted a meeting with senior officials to review poll preparedness in the state. However, Kumar missed the meeting.

The 1989-batch IPS officer, who has been serving as Kolkata’s police commissioner since January 2016, has also reportedly not responded summons from the CBI in connection with their probes into the Rose Valley and Saradha ponzi scams.

However, Mamata hailed Kumar as one among the “best in the world”.

In a separate tweet, the TMC supremo alleged that the BJP was misusing power in an attempt to hijack police forces.

Her remarks come days after the BJP reportedly called on the ECI to declare West Bengal a ‘vulnerable’ state, citing toppled law and order in the state in the recent past.

BJP launches exercise to seek people’s suggestions for its manifesto

By

Web Team

-

February 3, 2019

BJP President Amit Shah and senior party leader Rajnath Singh Sunday launched “Bharat Ke Mann ki Baat, Modi Ke Saath”, a month-long exercise to seek suggestions from 10 crore people across the country to help the party prepare its ‘sankalp patra’ (manifesto).

Shah said the exercise is aimed at democratising the process of preparing manifesto and that this “unique experiment” will strengthen democracy.

“What kind of country people want and what is their suggestion to achieve this; this exercise will reach out to them to seek their views,” Shah told reporters at an event here, adding that it will help the party realise the dream of a New India.

The party chose a waiter at the hotel, where the programme was held, to offer the first suggestion.

Over 300 vehicles will move across the country and over 7,700 boxes will be carried across 4000 assemblies to seek people’s views, he said, adding social media and telephonic communication will also be used for this.

Singh, who is also the head of the party’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ committee, said never before such a massive exercise to prepare a party’s manifesto has been launched in a country.

The home minister also spoke at length about pro-farmer measures taken by the government and said the prime minister has emerged as the biggest well-wisher of farmers.

Don’t miss being in front of camera: Karisma Kapoor

By

Web Team

-

February 3, 2019

Karisma Kapoor said that she does not miss being on the movie sets and is enjoying her time off camera.

The 44-year-old actor, who last appeared in 2012 film “Dangerous Ishqq”, said she never had a career plan as she believed in doing what interested her as an artiste.

“I am not missing being in front of the camera. Everybody says I should do something. But I have never planned anything in my life. So, you never know I may do a movie soon,” Karisma told agencies.

The actor, who was the first grandchild of film icon Raj Kapoor to enter the movies, said her family legacy was never the reason for her success.

She worked as hard as any other person to make a mark in the film industry, she said.

“It is not easy for star kids. I had to work really hard to reach where I am. It was tough but I don’t regret anything. I did have to work doubly hard but it was a great journey and a beautiful learning experience.”

Following her success, her sister Kareena Kapoor Khan, cousins Ranbir Kapoor, Armaan and Aadar Jain joined films.

Karisma was talking on the sidelines of Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2019, where she walked the ramp for designer Punit Balana Sunday.

Punit unveiled his new collection ‘Maya’ on the final day of the fashion week, which begun on January 30.

The collection was an ode to the French novel “Madame Bovary” and the designer included his signature block prints to the garments to give them a traditional touch.

“I really love the outfit and the block print. Punit is extremely talented and different. I really like that he has put in so much effort to give a chance to the craftsmen from Jaipur. The best part is the colours and the fabric everything is eco friendly. It is very fascinating,” Karisma said.

The actor said even though celebrities are expected to have their fashion game always on point, she never dresses up to impress anyone.

“I always dress for myself. I don’t dress for pictures or follow trends blindly. I wear what I feel good in and style it the way I find it comfortable. I enjoy fashion so I don’t feel the pressure in dressing up.

“Today actors are lucky to have immense talent around them to dress them up. Earlier, there were only a few designers. Now we have so many young designers and stylists. We are lucky to work with them,” she said.

I-T assessments to be completely faceless in few years: CBDT chairman

By

Web Team

-

February 3, 2019

Income tax assessments will be “completely faceless”, without the taxpayer having to face the taxman, in about two years and assessees will be provided pre-filled return forms as part of the government’s initiative to simplify procedures, a senior government official said on Sunday.

Central Board of Direct Taxes Chairman Sushil Chandra told agencies in a post-Budget interview that about 2.06 lakh income tax assessment cases were handled online by the department last year, as part of the ‘nameless and faceless’ delivery of service to taxpayers.

He added that the recent government sanction to create the advanced Centralised Processing Centre 2.0 in the I-T Department is a precursor to these futuristic proposals.

“CPC 2.0 has got a lot of new advantages. A pre-filled return form will be given to the taxpayer on the basis of information we get about them from the tax deducted at source (TDS) procedure.

“That will also facilitate processing of returns in 24 hours and we have got an agreement (with the technology vendor operating the CPC 2.0) that if it (I-T return) is processed in one day, more amount will be given. We expect this system to be rolled out in 2 years. Faster processing of returns will increase better tax compliance,” Chandra said.

The existing CPC in Bengaluru is the nodal wing of the tax department to handle I-T returns filed by taxpayers of all categories and subsequent issuance of processing certificate and refunds to a tax filer.

Asked about the finance minister’s declaration in the Interim Budget speech that the I-T Department will move towards faceless assessment and verification of returns, the CBDT chief said the department is already working on the initiative.

Even now, very few I-T return cases, only about 0.46 per cent of the total, are brought under scrutiny. He said 99.54 per cent ITRs are accepted as they are.

“Over the last year, about 2.06 lakh assessments were completed in a faceless manner. This will be further enhanced. We are largely faceless now when it comes to dealing with taxpayers regarding their assessments and scrutiny but we are working to become completely faceless over the next few years,” Chandra said.

The CBDT frames policy for the I-Tax Department and functions under the Union Finance Ministry.

Chandra said the taxman, in coming days, will undertake a two-part approach when dealing with an average taxpayer’s ITR.

At first, the department will conduct only verification and the assessing officer will not go for assessment as a whole.

“If we have got information about the taxpayer, we will pass it on to them over the email and the back office will examine the issue and close the matter if the issue does not require further enquiry, Chandra said.

Even if the subject requires scrutiny, it will be completely faceless as the taxpayer will submit their version in detail online and the back-office team will examine and a declaration will be issued.

The department has said that under the ‘faceless and nameless’ tax scheme, only those cases will require personal attendance of an assessee to explain their position where the evidence of tax evasion is grave.

Cong nationwide protest on Feb 4 over shooting of Gandhi effigy

By

Web Team

-

February 3, 2019

The Congress has announced a countrywide protest on February 4 over the re-enactment of the Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination by some members of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) who shot at his effigy at a January 30 event in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh.

The protest will take place at party headquarters in all states.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Sunday said, “In a shocking incident on 30 January, when the nation commemorated the 71st anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination, members of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha in Uttar Pradesh used a pistol to shoot at an effigy of Gandhiji, distributed sweets and garlanded the statue of Nathuram Godse, Gandhiji’s assassin who was a member of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha. The group also burnt the effigy of Mahatma Gandhi and shouted pro Godse slogans like “Mahatma Godse Zindabad” etc.”

The Congress has labelled the right-wing group’s actions as “provocative and reprehensible” and said that such incidents “take place with the candid and clandestine support given by the ruling party”.

It further said that such actions “reveal the deep hatred still carried by the right-wing groups against the father of the nation and his ideas of secularism, ahimsa and brotherhood”.

“To register our strong protest against this highly condemnable act, the Congress Party has decided to hold a nationwide protest on Monday, 4th February from 10.00 am in all the state headquarters. The protest should preferably be held with placards etc in the places associated with the life of Mahatma Gandhi or near statues of Mahatma with an aim to highlight his messages,” said Venugopal in a statement.

On January 30, ABHM secretary Puja Shakun Pandey recreated Gandhi’s assassination by shooting an effigy and hailed the killer Nathuram Godse. Police have arrested two individuals in connection with the incident and are currently trying to locate Puja and her husband, ABHM spokesperson Ashok Pandey.