Revenue generation in state set to shrug off note-ban impact

February 18, 2017

Bengaluru, Feb 18: Exactly 100 days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonetised high-denomination banknotes, the apprehension that the decision will severely impact Karnataka’s revenue collections seems to have subsided.

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Feedback being obtained by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, indicates that except for stamps and registration, the other three revenue-generating departments — commercial taxes, state excise and transport — will meet their budgetary target for 2016-17. In December, the government had anticipated a shortfall of Rs 3,000 crore by the end of the current fiscal year. But that is proving to be unfounded.

On Thursday, Siddaramaiah started holding pre-budget interactive meetings with trade associations, farmers and other stakeholders. Sources in the Finance Department said the Commercial Taxes Department, Karnataka’s largest revenue generator, would not only meet its budgetary target of Rs 51,338 crore but also register a 13%?growth. Similarly, the Excise Department will meet its target. The sources said demonetisation did not impact these departments as all the remittances were made by traders electronically. The sale of products and liquor did not see much of a decline and does not involve high-value transactions.

The Transport Department did take a hit, but the collections are improving now. As regards property registrations, the decline in revenue had begun by the end of October — much before demonetisation — as the government’s drive against encroachments on stormwater drains in Bengaluru hit the sale of apartments in a big way.

Siddaramaiah will present his 12th budget (a record in the state) on March 17 and it is largely expected to be a populist one. This will be the Congress government’s last full-fledged budget before the Assembly elections next year. Siddaramaiah is expected to announce some succour to farmers, who are reeling under severe drought, welfare schemes for Ahinda communities (Kannada acronym for OBCs,?Dalits and minorities) as in the previous years and hike the quantity of foodgrains under the Anna Bhagya scheme and milk to schoolchildren five days a week.

Wishlist given to CM on Friday

Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry

n Abolition of trade licence should be applicable to all business sectors.

n Allot up to 2 acres of industrial land to micro and small enterprises on lease-cum-sale basis.

n Develop Bengaluru as a mega city.

n Reduce Agriculture Produce Marketing Centre (APMC) cess from 1.5% to 0.5%.

n Promote e-wallets for digital transactions.

Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (Kassia)

Set up a separate directorate for micro and small enterprises.

Set up more industrial townships.

Provide loans at concessional rates of interest to women enterprises.

Provide houses to industrial workers.

Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce

Cap movie tickets in multiplexes at Rs 150.

Reserve 50%?of shows in multiplexes for Kannada films.

Don’t impose advertisement tax on banners and posters displayed inside cinema halls.

Develop a layout near Mysuru for people from film fraternity.

Karnataka Pradesh Hotel and Restaurants Association

Reduce VAT on food items served in hotels from

4.5% to 2%.

Set up exhibition centres in Mysuru and Hubballi on the lines of Bangalore International Exhibition Centre.

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News Network
October 29,2024

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Kasargod, Oct 29: At least 154 people have been injured in a fireworks accident at the Anjootambalam Veererkavu Temple in Kerala's Kasaragod district. Among the injured, eight individuals are reported to be in serious condition, with one person in extremely critical condition. The tragic incident occurred just after midnight on Monday during the traditional Theyyam festival, which drew over 1,500 attendees to the temple.

Eyewitnesses stated that the accident was triggered when sparks from firecrackers ignited additional fireworks stored in a nearby room. As panic ensued, a stampede followed, leading to further injuries. Local authorities confirmed that 97 individuals have been admitted to various hospitals in Kasargod, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Mangalore for treatment.

A young girl present during the incident recounted, "The accident took place after sparks from crackers fell into a room where other fireworks were stored. Soon, we were all running away, and I fell down and got injured. My sister escaped unhurt."

Safety Protocols Ignored: Police Detain Temple Officials

Authorities have attributed the cause of the fire to negligence on the part of the temple officials. The police have taken two members of the temple committee into custody for questioning. According to local officials, the temple had stored low-intensity fireworks worth around Rs 25,000 for the festival, which concludes on Tuesday night.

Kasargod district Superintendent of Police (SP) D. Shilpa emphasized that the temple authorities failed to comply with safety protocols, noting that they did not secure the mandatory licenses required for the bursting of firecrackers. District Collector K. Inbasekar confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway, with forensic samples collected from the accident site.

Local CPI(M) MLA M. Rajagopal expressed his condolences, calling the incident "very unfortunate" and reinforcing that safety measures must be strictly adhered to during such celebrations. Kasargod MP Rajmohan Unnithan echoed these sentiments, pointing out the serious lapses on the part of officials responsible for ensuring safety during the festival.

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News Network
October 22,2024

Bengaluru, Oct 22: Torrential rains wreaked havoc in Karnataka’s capital on Monday night, leading to significant flight disruptions at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). According to airport authorities, over 20 flights were delayed due to the downpour, as reported by ANI.

Among the diversions were an Air India flight from Delhi and three IndiGo flights from Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh, all rerouted to Chennai. A Thai Lion Air flight from Thailand also had to be diverted to Chennai amid the heavy rainfall.

After western Bengaluru bore the brunt of Sunday’s rains, it was the northern, southeastern, and eastern parts of the city that were pounded by intense thundershowers on Monday. Rainfall across the city varied from light to very heavy, leaving many areas waterlogged.

By 11 PM, Sahakaranagar and Yelahanka in northern Bengaluru had received 154.4 mm and 110 mm of rainfall, respectively, according to data from Weather Union, a platform for crowd-sourced weather information. Other areas that saw heavy downpours included Devanahalli and Koramangala (88.2 mm each), HSR Layout (81.6 mm), and BEL Road (70.4 mm).

While RR Nagar, the most affected neighborhood on Sunday, saw a significant drop with only 19.4 mm of rainfall on Monday evening, other areas faced relentless showers. HAL airport recorded 42.3 mm of rain until 8:30 PM, with a monthly total of 228.5 mm, far exceeding the normal average of 177.3 mm.

Kempegowda International Airport recorded 105 mm of rainfall, while GKVK saw 21.2 mm as rains intensified late into the night, leaving northern and eastern Bengaluru grappling with the aftermath.

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News Network
October 31,2024

Udupi: Falling prey to a sophisticated a “digital arrest” scam, Prameela (39) found herself defrauded of a staggering ₹11,87,463. The plot, orchestrated through deceptive tactics, left her financially devastated.

On October 25, Prameela received a call from an unknown number claiming a parcel, allegedly sent by one Wang Ming Zi, was flagged due to containing suspicious items: 5 kg of clothes, 8 ICICI credit cards, and 700 grams of MDMA. Adding to the urgency, the caller asserted that an FIR had already been filed against her.

The caller then transferred Prameela to a supposed representative of the 'Bombay Cyber Crime Branch,' who introduced himself as Manish Kumar, claiming to be a senior executive at DTDC Mumbai. Manish directed her to connect via Skype video call, asking her to download the app and search for the ID [email protected].

Once on the call, Prameela was requested to provide her Aadhaar card details, which she complied with. She soon received what appeared to be a formal arrest order listing her name, address, and Aadhaar information. Under pressure, Prameela disclosed her bank account details and balance to the caller. Exploiting this trust, the scammer then transferred ₹11,87,463 from her account.

Following the incident, Prameela lodged a complaint with the Shirva police, who have since registered a case under sections 316(2), 318(4), 351(2) of the BNS, and 66(C), 66(D) of the IT Act. The authorities are now investigating this alarming case of digital fraud.

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