Punjab is possibly the only state to follow the system of government paying taxes for all ministers and MLAs.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 5

In view of the severe financial constraints faced by the government, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday suggested that all elected representatives in the state, including ministers and MLAs, should pay their own income taxes.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Currently being paid by the government, these taxes are draining the exchequer of the much needed funds, the Chief Minister pointed out, mooting the proposal for self-payment of taxes by all elected representatives, including himself.Punjab was possibly the only state in the country to follow the system of the government paying taxes for all ministers and MLAs, Captain Amarinder pointed out, adding that the income tax being paid by the Punjab government on this account stood at Rs 11.08 crore.While the bulk of Rs 10.72 crore was for payment of income tax of MLAs, the remaining was for the ministers, disclosed an official spokesperson after a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Fiscal Management, where the proposal was mooted by the Chief Minister.The suggestion, if implemented, would lead to a saving of this entire amount, which the state could then use for various important development works and implementation of welfare schemes, many of which are facing serious hurdles due to paucity of funds.In a bid to boost savings for the state government, the Chief Minister also reiterated his appeal to party colleagues and rich farmers to give up free power subsidy. Captain Amarinder had first made this appeal during the Vidhan Sabha session in June last year, when he personally set an example by giving up his own subsidy. 

The Union Budget 2018-19 evoked a mixed response. Tribune reporter Ramkrishan Upadhyay speaks to a cross section of people

For senior citizens, the exemption limit on income from interest has been raised five times to Rs 50,000 per year

New Delhi, February 1

Announcing a series of benefits for senior citizens, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the exemption limit on income from interest for them has been raised five times to Rs 50,000 per year.At the same time, the Finance Minister raised limit of deduction for health insurance premium and medical expenditure to Rs 50,000 from Rs 30,000 under section 80D.“All senior citizens will now be able to claim benefit of deduction up to Rs 50,000 per annum in respect of any health insurance premium and/or any general medical expenditure incurred,” he said while presenting the Budget for 2018-19.Besides, the Budget has increased the limit of deduction for medical expenditure in respect of certain critical illness to Rs 1 lakh in respect of all senior citizens, under section 80DDB.“In addition to tax concessions, I propose to extend the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana up to March, 2020 under which an assured return of 8 per cent is given by Life Insurance Corporation of India,” he said.The existing limit on investment of Rs 7.5 lakh per senior citizen under this scheme is also being doubled to Rs 15 lakh, he added.Noting that a life with dignity is a right of every individual in general, more so for the senior citizens, he said, “to care of those who cared for us is one of the highest honours…these concessions will give extra tax benefit of Rs 4,000 crore to senior citizens.” — PTI 

Move aimed at facilitating ‘free-flowing’ talks between leaders to thrash out vexing issues

PM Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Ahmedabad. PTI file

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 28

In a bid to hold more meaningful India-China conversation and build greater trust amid increasingly contentious issues, plans are afoot to have Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in informal settings.Preparations for the new diplomatic initiative are under way with the idea that such a meeting in informal settings would facilitate free-flowing conversations between the two leaders, diplomatic sources told The Tribune.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The idea for such a meeting came up during the last BRICS Summit in Xiamen, China, and if things proceed according to the plan, India will be only the second country after the US with which President Xi will hold such a conversation.Xi, who has emerged as one of the most powerful leaders in contemporary China with his governing thoughts enshrined in the Constitution, has held informal meetings with US Presidents Barack Obama and Donald J Trump so far.The idea is to go into a setting without an agenda and have a free-flowing conversation, which is not pre-scripted, something like retreats are aimed at, a senior official privy to discussions said.After the last August 73-day standoff over Doklam, Modi’s participation at BRICS Summit was made possible only after Indian and Chinese troops “mutually disengaged” from the tri-junction with Bhutan.Though sections of media continue to report through satellite imagery of Chinese infrastructural build-up at the site, the Ministry of External Affairs has denied this so far. China’s veto shield to terror mastermind Masood Azhar at the Security Council and its opposition to India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) remain big sticking points in ties. Beijing though feels India needs to “focus on the larger picture instead of insisting on discussing the contentious subjects”

Clockwise from top: Sulagatti Narasamma, Sudhanshu Biswas, Lakshmikutty and Yeshi Dhoden are among the Padma Shri awardees. Photos: @PIBHomeAffairs/Twitter

Padma awards for tribals, farm labourer

New Delhi, January 25

Keeping its promise of honouring “unsung heroes”, the government on Thursday announced Padma Shri awards for personalities who served the poor, set up free schools and popularised tribal arts globally.Lakshmikutty, a tribal woman from Kerala, who prepares 500 herbal medicine from memory and help thousands of people especially in snake and insect bite cases, is among the awardees.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)She teaches at Kerala Folklore Academy and lives in a small hut made of palm leaves roof in tribal settlement in a forest. She is the only tribal woman from her area to attend school in the 1950s.Arvind Gupta, an IIT Kanpur alumnus who inspired generations of students to learn science from thrash, has also been honoured with Padma Shri.Gupta visited 3,000 schools in four decades, made 6,200 short films on toy-making in 18 languages and also hosted popular TV show Tarang in 1980s.Internationally-acclaimed Gond artist Bhajju Shyam has also been awarded the Padma Shri.Shyam is famous for depicting Europe through Gond paintings, a tribal style of painting of Madhya Pradesh. Born in a poor tribal family, he worked as a night guard and electrician to support family before becoming a professional artist.His ‘The London Jungle Book’ sold 30,000 copies and it was published in five foreign languages.West Bengal’s Sudhanshu Biswas, a 99-year-old freedom fighter who serves poor, runs school and orphanages and set up free school for poor, is also among the winners.Kerala’s medical messiah to terminally ill, M R Rajagopal, has also been honoured with Padma Shri.Rajagopal has specialised in pain relief care for neo natal cases.Since last year, the Modi government has been honouring “unsung heroes” with the Padma awards to recognise people who have dedicated their lives to working for the poor or have risen from deprived backgrounds to excel in their own fields.Maharashtra’s Murlikant Petkar, India’s first para-Olympic gold medallist, who lost his arm in 1965 Indo-Pak war, is another winner of the Padma Shri.Tamil Nadu’s Rajagopalan Vasudevan, who is known as plastic road-maker of India, developed a patented and innovative method to reuse plastic waste to construct roads, has also been given the Padma Shri.Subhasini Mistry, a poor lady from rural West Bengal, who toiled 20 years as housemaid and daily labourer to build a hospital for poor in the state, is another awardee.Nonagenarian farm labourer Sulagatti Narasamma, who provides midwifery services in backward region of Karnataka without any medical facility, too was awarded the Padma Shri.Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan, an acclaimed Tamil folk exponent, who has dedicated her life towards collection, documentation and preservation of Tamil folk and tribal music, has also been given Padma Shri.Another awardee is Yeshi Dhoden, monk physician of Tibetan herbal medicine working in remote areas of Himachal Pradesh.Lentina Ao Thakkar, a Gandhian who has served for decades at a Gandhi Ashram in Nagaland; Romulus Whaitaker, a wildlife conservationist working in Andaman Nicobar Islands and Tamil Nadu; have also been named for the Padma Shri awards.Rani and Abhya Bang, both doctors, who over 30 years transformed health care in Naxal-hit Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, will get the Padma Shri.Maharashtra’s Sampat Ramteke, a sickle-cell torchbearer, and Nepal’s Sanduk Ruit, an ophthalmologist who exports low cost cataract surgery lenses to 30 countries, have been honoured with Padma Shri.Lucknow’s Urdu poet Anwar Jalalpuri, who translated over 700 Shlokas of Bhagwad Gita from Sanskrit to Urdu, will also be given the Padma Shri.Karnataka’s Ibrahim Sutar, a singer and icon of Hindu-Muslim unity; Bihar’s Manas Bihari Verma, a former programme director of Tejas, India’s first indigenous multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft; are the other names selected for the Padma Shri.Sitavva Joddati, who champions women development and empowerment, especially ‘Devadasis’ and Dalits; Nouf Marwaai, the first yoga instructor of Saudi Arabia who played an instrumental role in legalising yoga in that country, will be given the Padma Shri.98-year-old V Nanammal, India’s oldest yoga teacher, who still practices and teaches 100 students daily in Tamil Nadu, has been honoured with the Padma Shri. — PTI 

Padma Shri list of ‘unsung heroes’

Keeping its promise of honouring “unsung heroes”, the government has announced Padma Shri for those who served poor, set up free schools and popularised tribal arts

MR Rajagopal‘Father of palliative care’, has defended right of patients to live, die with dignity

New Delhi, January 25

Keeping its promise of honouring “unsung heroes”, the government today announced Padma Shri awards for personalities who served the poor, set up free schools and popularised tribal arts globally.Lakshmikutty, a tribal woman from Kerala, who prepares 500 herbal medicines from memory and help thousands of people especially in snake and insect bite cases, is among the awardees.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Arvind Gupta, an IIT Kanpur alumnus who inspired generations of students to learn science from thrash, has also been honoured. He has made 6,200 short films on toy-making in 18 languages and also hosted popular TV show Tarang in 1980s. Gond artist Bhajju Shyam has also been awarded the Padma Shri. Shyam is famous for depicting Europe through Gond paintings, a tribal style of painting of Madhya Pradesh. His ‘The London Jungle Book’ sold 30,000 copies and it was published in five foreign languages.West Bengal’s Sudhanshu Biswas, a  freedom fighter who serves poor, runs school and orphanages and set up free school for poor, is also among the winners. Kerala’s medical messiah to terminally ill, MR Rajagopal, has also been honoured with Padma Shri. Rajagopal has specialised in pain relief care for neo natal cases. Maharashtra’s Murlikant Petkar, India’s first Paralympics gold medalist who lost his arm in 1965 Indo-Pak war, is another winner of Padma Shri.Subhasini Mistry, from rural West Bengal who toiled 20 years as housemaid and daily labourer to build a hospital for poor, is another awardee. Nonagenarian farm labourer Sulagatti Narasamma, who provides midwifery services in the backward region of Karnataka, too was awarded Padma Shri. Another awardee is Yeshi Dhoden, monk physician of Tibetan herbal medicine working in remote areas of Himachal. — PTI 

Of the 35 CRPF personnel awarded, 27 have been given the honour for operations in the Kashmir Valley. — Representationl photo

New Delhi, January 24

Anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir have got the state police and the CRPF the lion’s share of 65 out of 107 gallantry medals announced on Wednesday, ahead of Republic Day.As many as 38 J-K Police personnel have been named as awardees of the Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG), followed by 35 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force, out of which 27 have been given the honour for operations in the Kashmir Valley.The rest of the bravery medals won by the CRPF are for operations in the anti-Naxal theatre of Jharkhand.Out of the 107 total gallantry medals announced, seven have been given posthumously.Police forces of Chhattisgarh (10), Maharashtra (7), Telangana (6) and Delhi Police (3) are among others who have been named as awardees of the PMG this time.The PMG is the second highest police bravery medal followed by the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG).There were no awardees for the PPMG this time.In all, the Union home ministry today declared that a total of 795 police personnel have been named as awardees of various types of medals.This includes president’s police medal for distinguished service to 75 personnel and police medal for meritorious service to 613 cops.”This year five officers from the Indian Police Service (IPS) will receive the police medal for gallantry,” the home ministry said in a statement.”Tighter norms have been used to select awardees for the president’s police medal for distinguished service and police medal for meritorious service this year,” it said.In a departure from tradition, the maximum number of such medals were awarded to the lowest ranks of policemen — Constables and Havildars — at 382, followed by 183 to the Assistant Sub-Inspectors, Sub-Inspectors and Inspector ranks, 116 to Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) and Assistant Commandant ranks and only 10 of these went to the senior ranks of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and IG.”The home ministry has made it a point to ensure that the lower ranks of the police forces get due recognition. The least medals went to the higher ranks this year. It is bottom heavy this time,” a senior official said.Security forces, that includes the J-K Police and its Special Operations Group (SOG), the CRPF and the Army have been undertaking anti-militancy operations in the Kashmir Valley as part of concerted efforts against terrorist activities, especially after the killing of Burhan Wani in July, 2016.Over 200 militants have been killed in these operations during the last year alone in the Valley — the highest in the last seven years. — PT

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti at a passing-out parade ceremony in Baramulla. Tribune photo

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Sheeri (Baramulla), January 21

Amid the escalating tension along the borders, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today appealed to both India and Pakistan not to make Jammu and Kashmir a “theatre of war” but a “bridge of friendship” between the two warring neighbours.Mehbooba said the shelling on borders in J&K was happening at a time when the whole country was witnessing development and progress.“Our borders are witnessing ‘khoon ki Holi’ (bloodbath). When the whole country is witnessing development – new hospitals and schools are coming up —- we are witnessing the opposite of it. People are seeking bunkers on borders and they are shifting out of their villages. Our schools are shut and children are trapped inside their homes. I once again appeal to our Prime Minister and our neighbour Pakistan to not allow J&K become ‘jung ka akhada’ (theatre of war), instead make it a bridge of friendship,” Mehbooba said at the passing out parade for police constables at the Subsidiary Training Centre in Sheeri along the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road. “It is our misfortune that our state has become a basis of dispute between our country India and Pakistan,” Mehbooba lamented. Since Thursday nearly a dozen persons – including Army and BSF men – have been killed and several have got injured in the Pakistani shelling in the Jammu region. Chief Minister said people of J&K from both sides were getting killed in these border skirmishes. “For the last few days, our borders are witnessing firing in which several of our people, including civilians, children, have got martyred. The same situation will be on the other side (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir). It is the people of J&K who are getting killed on both sides,” she said. Mehbooba told the new recruits that the J&K Police had the toughest job among all forces in the country.“The police have many challenges at every step. Your challenge is not just to maintain law and order or uphold the rule of law, but you have to face your own people sometimes while maintaining law and order, small children and that time you will have to exercise restraint,” the Chief Minister said. Mehbooba said there was no let-up in the infiltration and youth were taking up arms. “It (youth joining militancy)) is a huge challenge. Our endeavour should be to bring back our youth to their homes by any means. You should especially keep this thing in mind that while fighting militancy civilian killings should not take place,” she said. She advised the new recruits to give special attention to drug addiction and crime against women cases. “Atrocities are being done on women… a minor girl was assaulted in Kuthua. We had to suspend the SHO there because, perhaps, there was some negligence. We have constituted a team to inquire into the incident. So, you have to give special attention to the crimes against our sisters and daughters and provide justice,” she said.

IMA Commandant Lt Gen SK Jha presents awards to medal winners in Dehradun on Thursday. Tribune photo

Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 7

Commandant of the Indian Military Academy Lt Gen SK Jha today said the Bangladesh army chief’s visit to the academy would improve the relations between both countries.Chief of the Bangladesh army General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq will review the passing-out parade to be held at the IMA on Saturday. He will be accompanied by his wife Shoma Huq.Lt Gen Jha asserted that Bangladesh was India’s close neighbour and the two countries share a 4,900-km boundary. “Both nations have great diplomatic ties and conducted joint military exercises in the recent past,” he said.He pointed out that the IMA had invited heads of the SAARC nations as reviewing officers for its passing-out parades in the past.“The army chiefs of Afghanistan and Nepal have reviewed the parade in the past and it is a matter of great honour that Bangladesh army chief will be at the IMA to review the parade this time,” Lt Gen Jha said.Referring to the training at the academy, he said stress was being laid on turning Gentlemen Cadets from scholastic warriors to techno warriors without compromising on physical aspect of the training.On proposed underpass along the Chakrata road, which divides two campuses of the IMA, the Commandant said the proposal was in the final stage. He asserted that an underpass would help in strengthening security arrangements at the IMA.