Month: January 2019

SAD ‘Boycotted’ NDA Meet Over Interference in Gurdwara, Package for Farmers

“We are upset by what is happening in Hazur Sahib in Nanded. The RSS should not interfere in the religious issues of Sikhs. We have also been demanding a package for farmers,” SAD’s Naresh Gujral said.

New Delhi: The Shiromani Akali Dal, one of the BJP’s oldest ally, on Thursday “boycotted” an NDA meeting, saying it is “extremely upset” over RSS’ alleged interference in the internal affairs of Sikhs.

SAD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral said the party did not attend the meeting of NDA leaders for chalking out a strategy for the budget session of parliament, even though it wanted to.

He alleged that the party is irked over the issue of “interference” of the RSS in the internal matters of Sikhs, including management of gurdwaras.

“We are extremely upset and hurt by what is happening in Hazur Sahib in Nanded. The RSS should not interfere in the religious issues of Sikhs. We have also been demanding a package for the farmers,” Gujral said.

“We have strong objections to the RSS’ interference in internal affairs of Sikhs,” he also said.

The Akali Dal leader, who earlier in the day attended an all-party meeting convened by the government, stayed away from the meeting of NDA allies later in the evening.

“Being a party which has farmers as its base, we have been demanding that there should be a liberal financial package for farmers,” he said.

Also read: Reality Check: The Promised Drama of 2019 Is Not Modi vs All

“As a minority party, some ‘motor mouths’ of the BJP from time to time are making statements which create fear among the minorities. We object to such statements,” he also said.

When asked about the SAD not attending the meeting of floor leaders of the NDA, parliamentary affairs minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the BJP’s ally had informed in advance that it would not attend the meeting due to some prior engagement.

“The oldest constituent of the NDA, is forced to skip the NDA meeting today because of continued interference of the BJP in gurdwara affairs. Commitment to Sikhs takes the centerstage for Akali Dal rather than power or politics,” Akali leader and Delhi spokesperson Manjinder Singh Sirsa posted on Twitter.

Sirsa had Wednesday told the BJP that it was ready to take the “extreme step” of walking out of the alliance if the interference in Sikhs’ internal was not stopped. He said the SAD will not tolerate any interference by the RSS in the management of gurdwaras.

“If the government does not stop interference in gurudwaras, we will be forced to take an extreme step,” Sirsa had said.

Incidentally, earlier during the day a number of Union minister attended a lunch hosted by Union minister and Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Badal at her residence.

Afghan Presidential Elections Should Be Held as Scheduled: India

The ministry of external affairs urged that there should be no effort to scuttle the forthcoming elections despite ‘success’ of US-Taliban talks.

New Delhi: Amidst whispered uncertainty that the scheduled polls in July may become a casualty of the ‘success’ of US-Taliban talks, India on Thursday insisted that the Afghan presidential elections should take place as scheduled.

The six days of talks in Doha last week has been projected as a breakthrough by both the US and the Taliban, with chief US negotiator Zalmay Khalizad stating that they had agreed in principle to a framework of a deal.

Also read: India, Others Briefed by US Envoy on ‘Progress’ in Taliban Peace Talks

“We are closely following the developments in peace and reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan undertaken by different stakeholders,” said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

He noted that India supported efforts for an “inclusive political settlement”, meaning that all denominations should be accommodated in any new government.

Significantly, the MEA spokesperson urged that there should be no effort to scuttle the forthcoming elections. “In this context, it is important that the presidential election in Afghanistan takes place as scheduled,” he said.

Also read: Afghan Elections Overshadowed by Chaos, Corruption and Taliban Threats

The presidential elections were earlier scheduled to be held in April, but were postponed to July. There had been speculation that the reason behind the postponement was due to US pressure, as it wanted the undivided attention of all parties for the peace talks.

However, Afghan government officials denied that there was any pressure, claiming that it was to learn lessons from the flawed parliamentary elections whose results have still to be released.

Following the announcement of “significant progress” in US-Taliban talks, Brookings Institution senior fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown also noted that there were “immediate questions” about how the “peace negotiations will interact with Afghanistan’s presidential elections in July 2019”.

“Will the Taliban be allowed to run its own candidates although the registration deadline has passed? Such a change would profit the Taliban little, as the group has no chance to win. Will the elections be postponed until an Afghan peace deal is struck, with an interim government created in the meantime, including strong Taliban representation? That idea was floated in Afghanistan in the fall, but President Ghani, who would thereby lose power, remains fiercely opposed to it,” wrote Felbab-Brown on January 29.

The rumours about the postponement of the election were triggered by the suggestion that the US had discussed an interim government with the Taliban. According to an Afghan political analyst, the idea of an interim government was first floated by Pakistan around three years ago.

Also read: Designed to Fail: The American Misadventure in Afghanistan

Incidentally, after Khalilzad had briefed Ghani on Sunday night, the Afghan presidential office had issued a statement on Monday morning. It specifically mentioned that Khalilzad had denied discussing the topic of an interim government with the Taliban government in Doha.

In New Delhi, there is a realistic view that if India is batting for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process, then it will eventually find itself a part of a meeting where the Taliban is also present in the room.

This was also, perhaps, hinted by Kumar, who said on Thursday that India “will participate in all format of talks that could bring about peace and security the region”.

India had earlier sent two retired ambassadors as representatives to the Moscow format talks which were attended by a Taliban delegation.

Ex-CBI Chief Alok Verma’s Resignation Not Accepted, May Face Action for Defying Order

As Verma did not take up the new assignment, he is likely to face departmental action which may include suspension of pensionary benefits, home ministry officials said.

New Delhi: Ousted CBI director Alok Verma is likely to face departmental action for defying a government order asking him to join as chief of Fire Services on Thursday, the day of his superannuation, officials said.

According to officials, non-compliance of the directive amounts to violation of service rules for All India Services officers.

The ministry of home affairs had directed Verma to take charge as director general of the Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards on Thursday.

As Verma did not take up the new assignment as directed, he is likely to face departmental action which may include suspension of pensionary benefits, MHA officials said.

Also read: With 2:1 Majority, CBI Chief Alok Verma Sacked By High-Level Panel Led By Modi

Attempts to reach Verma for a comment did not fructify.

In a letter sent to Verma Wednesday, the MHA said, “You are directed to join the post of DG, Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards immediately”.

This communication was seen as a rejection of his plea in a letter to Secretary, Department of Personnel, earlier this month in which he said he should be deemed to have retired from service on July 31, 2017, the day he completed 60 years.

Verma had contended that he had crossed the superannuation age for DG Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards and he wanted to be treated as having superannuated from the day he was moved out of the CBI.

He said that he “was only serving the government as CBI director until January 31, 2019 as it was a fixed tenure role”. The tenure of CBI director is fixed for two years.

Verma, a former Delhi police Commissioner, was first moved out of the CBI by the government in a midnight order on October 23 last year on the recommendation of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) but was reinstated by the Supreme Court on January 9.

Also read: Full Text: The Supreme Court’s Judgment Reinstating CBI Director Alok Verma

After the Supreme Court order, a high-powered panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a 2:1 decision removed Verma and asked him to join the residual term of the CBI director as DG Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards.

The prime minister and Justice A.K. Sikri, the nominee of Chief Justice of India, favoured removal of Verma while the third member of the committee – leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge – opposed the move.

Do Prisoners Get More Time Outdoors Than Our Kids?

The good news is that what’s good for the children is just as good for their parents.

This article is part of a bimonthly series that will address early child development.

I was imprisoned in the US a dozen times for protesting social injustice and nuclear weapons. And in every prison except one (where I was in solitary confinement), outdoor exercise was a daily feature. Mandatory, in fact.

I learned later that the United Nations has standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners and that one of them is an hour of outdoor exercise. Every single day.

It is jarring then to know, that kids these days may not be getting even one hour of outdoor exercise everyday. Are we in danger of treating our prisoners better than we treat our children?

A study in the UK revealed that prisoners get more time outdoors than 75% of British children. 20% of British kids didn’t play outside at all on an average day.

Indian children – especially urban middle and upper class children – aren’t much better off. A study published in 2017 concluded that 56% of parents in India say their children have fewer opportunities for outdoor play than they did themselves. Disabled children, due to stigma, mobility issues and family shame, suffer even more than typical kids.

Playing outdoors guarantees vigorous, aerobic activity (which is adult-jargon for running, jumping and generally being a kid). Outside, it is next to impossible for children to be still – and the younger they are, the more they need to move.

That’s why being outdoors is so good for children. Outside, they needn’t worry about breaking things, running into furniture or scuffing up the walls and noise is less of a problem with the whole sky to absorb it. Something about the wide open spaces unleashes a different kind of energy. Even sedentary children can be inspired when outside for long enough.

Also read: Why It’s Important for Children to Do Household Chores

But pollution, safety concerns and schedules packed with tuitions and extra-curricular pursuits like screen time, music and chess classes keep children inside and under wraps for most of their waking hours. And their development is suffering.

All children – including disabled children – need to be outdoors. For children to develop well and to achieve their full potential, unstructured play and outdoors is a critical ingredient.

Start with the basics. Sunshine is where we get most of our Vitamin D. It’s vital for strong bones, natural immunity, cheerfulness and good cardio-vascular health – and that’s just for starters. Yet Indian children are often deprived of this amazing and absolutely free magic because of cultural biases and mistaken beliefs. Children are often not allowed to play in the sun for fear of heat stroke and tanning; the result is a widespread Vitamin D deficiency in one of the sunniest countries in the world.

According to the Harvard Medical School, children develop better executive function skills when they engage in regular, unstructured outdoor play. Making up their own games (once a staple of childhood), sorting out problems with other children, inventing rules and finding the materials they need from the natural world all contribute to the lifelong skills they will need as adults.

Also read: Why Children Should Learn in Their Mother Tongue

They also learn to take risks, another important part of growing up. Many parents worry excessively about their children’s safety and protect them so effectively that they end up being timid about other things too. Risks are a part of life and children need to practice navigating them. Gauging how high they can climb, jump and stretch physically is excellent preparation for learning their limits in other spheres as well. Knowing when to stop and when to push oneself in a race or a climb teaches valuable life lessons in discipline, practice and determination.  

Parents may be right to worry about increasing pollution levels and stranger-danger and for many families living in crowded cities, space to play where children are not at risk of being run over by bikes, scooters and cars is extremely limited. But the most common reason for middle and upper-class children not going outside remains simply the endless lure of their devices. And their parents, truth to tell, have the same problem.

The good news is that what’s good for the children is just as good for their parents. When children are active, parents need to also be active and this helps parents to also avoid health risks that come with being sedentary as one gets older. Sedentary adults are more likely to be overweight and are also prone to hypertension, heart attacks and mental health issues – to say nothing of setting a bad example for their children.

Parents may neglect their own health but when it’s about their kids, they are more likely to act. Getting children outdoors and active often involves getting active oneself. Hiking as a family, taking up cycling in the park, going rafting or camping instead of staying in a hotel, choosing an afternoon walk over an afternoon snooze – these are all affordable options for many families. Your kids will be smarter, healthier and happier and they’ll love that extra time with every child’s favourite toy: their parents.

And best of all? You win the “Get Out of Jail Free” card. The four walls of your home – no matter how comfortable – can become a prison if you stay inside too long. Get outdoors with your children. Run. Cycle. Climb a tree. Toss a Frisbee. Get tired. Then come home.

Jo McGowan Chopra is American by birth and a writer by profession. A mother of three, she has lived in India for the past 34 years with her Indian husband. She is co-founder and director of the Latika Roy Foundation, a voluntary organisation for children with disability in Dehradun. She blogs at www.latikaroy.org/jo.

Pak Summons Indian Envoy, Protests Summoning of Its Diplomat Over Qureshi-Mirwaiz Call

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua made it clear to Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria that Pakistan would continue to extend support to the people of Kashmir.

In a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan summoned India’s high commissioner here on Thursday to lodge a protest over the summoning of its envoy in New Delhi following foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s telephonic conversation with a separatist Kashmiri leader and maintained that it would continue to extend support to the people of Kashmir.

India’s foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale Wednesday summoned Pakistan’s envoy Sohail Mahmood in New Delhi and categorically told him that Qureshi’s telephonic conversation with separatist Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was a “brazen attempt” to subvert India’s unity and violate its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The ministry of external affairs, in a late evening statement, said the Pakistan High Commissioner was “cautioned” that persistence of such behaviour by Pakistan will have “implications”.

In Islamabad, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal on Thursday said that foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua summoned Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria to lodge a protest over the summoning of Pakistan’s envoy.

Also read: India Summons Pakistani Envoy Over Foreign Minister’s Call to Hurriyat Leader

Foreign Secretary Janjua made it clear to Bisaria that Pakistan would continue to extend support to the people of Kashmir, he said.

She stressed that the status of Jammu and Kashmir is internationally accepted as “disputed territory and Pakistan will continue to support Kashmiris in their just struggle for right to self-determination”, Faisal said.

Faisal also said that summoning of Pakistani envoy late last night is just a “political gimmickry and electioneering”.

The Foreign Office in a statement issued Wednesday midnight said that Pakistan “categorically rejects the objections” by India.

The leadership in Pakistan has always been communicating with the Kashmiri leadership, the statement said. “This is not anything new,” it said.

Also read: Imran Khan Points Fingers at India, but Can Pakistan Reassure Its Minorities?

“We would like to reiterate that Kashmir is an outstanding dispute between India and Pakistan, and acknowledged as such through UN Security Council resolutions as well as numerous Pakistan-India documents including the Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration,” it said.

The Indo-Pak ties strained after the terror attacks by Pakistan-based terrorists in 2016 and India’s surgical strikes inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The ties further nose-dived in 2017 with no bilateral talks talking place between them.

SC Dismisses PIL Against Appointment of Rakesh Asthana as DG Civil Aviation Security

Lawyer M.L. Sharma, in his plea, said the appointment of the former CBI special director was in contradiction to the law and he be suspended in view of the pending investigation against him.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday dismissed a PIL challenging the appointment of former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana as director general of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

“Multiple causes of action have been combined, one having no connection with the other,” said a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi while refusing to entertain the plea filed by lawyer M.L. Sharma.

“You can’t bring everything under the sky in a PIL under Article 32. Can these prayers together be adjudicated upon in a PIL. You have mixed multiple issues,” said the bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, while dismissing the plea.

Referring to the prayers, the bench said the first one sought quashing of appointment of Asthana and second demanded suspension of Asthana.

It further said that the plea also sought quashing of the decision of the high-powered Selection Committee which had removed CBI Director Alok Verma.

It also sought framing of “suitable guideline” for terminating the services of the CBI director besides other reliefs, the court said.

Also read: Along With Asthana, Govt Ousts CBI Officer Who Moved SC With Explosive Allegations

“Multiple causes of action have been combined, one having no connection with the other. While some of the reliefs sought may lie, if at all within the jurisdiction of the Service Tribunal, the other reliefs sought are not appropriate for being dealt with in the manner in which they have been projected.

“We, therefore, decline to entertain this petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution. The same is accordingly dismissed,” the bench said.

Sharma, in his plea, had said the appointment of Asthana was in contradiction to the law and he be suspended in view of the pending investigation against him.

The Delhi High Court had on January 11 refused to quash the FIR lodged against Asthana on bribery allegations and set a 10-week deadline to complete the investigation.

The government on January 18, however, appointed Asthana as director of the BCAS, India’s regulatory authority for civil aviation security.

The petition said Asthana was under investigation for taking bribes within his duty and his appointment is contradictory to the Classification, Control and Appeal (CCA) Rules 1965.

It said: “Instead of suspension within the CCA rule-1965, Asthana has been promoted and appointed as chief of BCAS by during the pendency of the investigation under Delhi High court in a FIR for bribe and corruption in his official duty.

Also read: Delhi HC Refuses to Cancel Bribery FIR Against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana

“This has created a serious injury to the judicial and public office systems violating Articles 21 and 14 and destruction of faith in the three constitutional office of the country.”

Asthana was booked on allegations of criminal conspiracy, corruption and criminal misconduct under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Gujarat cadre IPS officer was at loggerheads with his boss former CBI Director Alok Verma for several months and both of them had levelled charges of corruption against each other.

In a controversial order on October 23, 2018, the government had divested the powers of Verma and Asthana sending them on forced leave.

Activists Fear Lokpal Appointments May be ‘Arbitrary’

The Centre has now also refused to share information about the appointment process.

New Delhi: After having dragged its feet on the issue of Lokpal appointments for over four years, the Centre has now also refused to share information about the appointment process. This has irked RTI activists who have been seeking transparency in the matter. They have expressed apprehension, that in the absence of any opposition leader on the selection panel, decision-making would be arbitrary.

In response to a first appeal filed by RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) recently upheld the decision of the central public information officer to deny information.

Also read: Why the SC Was Disappointed With the Centre’s Affidavit in Lokpal Selection Case

In its order of January 23, it said the plea had sought “authorship of documents sought” vested in “3-5 high-level dignitaries,” which included the prime minister, speaker of Lok Sabha and chief justice of India.

Thus, it said, for sharing the documents sought, the officer would have had to “seek specific consent of each of high-level dignitary before providing secret information to the applicant/appellant.”

Bhardwaj responded angrily and tweeted that there was a “bizarre denial of information.”

Earlier in December 2018, the DoPT response to Bhardwaj’s appeal had revealed how for 45 months no meetings were convened to appoint the Lokpal.

The nodal department stated that the first two meetings of the selection committee were held on February 3 and February 21, 2014 respectively under the chairmanship of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. They were both attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Justice H.L. Dattu of the Supreme Court. The second meeting was also attended by eminent jurist P.P. Rao.

Thereafter, it was only in 2018 that six meetings of the selection committee were held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Bhardwaj had pointed out, that while the selection committee of the Lokpal met for the first time more than 45 months after the BJP came to power, no meeting of the search committee had been held till date. “This,” she said, “betrays the commitment of the government in setting up the Lokpal.”

Also read: In RTI Replies, Evidence of How Modi Dragged His Feet on Lokpal Appointment

Meanwhile, DoPT today announced that an advertisement would soon be issued to invite applications for the post of chairman and members of Lokpal. On Tuesday, this issue was deliberated at a meeting of an eight-member search committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai.

The panel is scheduled to meet again within a fortnight.

While on the face of it, the government is trying to project that it is now working on the idea of setting up a Lokpal, it is only happening because of a nudge from the Supreme Court.

On January 17, the apex court had set a February-end deadline for the search committee to send a panel of names to the selection committee chaired by the prime minister.

Visa Racket Busted in US: Several Foreigners, Including Indians, Face Deportation

Authorities busted a “pay to stay” visa racket and arrested eight persons on charges of fraudulently facilitating at least 600 immigrants to illegally remain in the country.

Several foreigners, including from India, face deportation from the US after authorities busted a “pay to stay” visa racket and arrested eight persons on charges of fraudulently facilitating at least 600 immigrants to illegally remain in the country.

In late-night and pre-dawn raids, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested eight foreigners – all of whom are either Indian nationals or Indian Americans – for aiding foreign nationals to remain in the United States illegally by actively recruiting them to enrol into a fake university in Farmington Hills in Metro Detroit.

Without the knowledge of the conspirators, the university was operated by special agents of the Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) as part of an undercover operation, from a small building in Detroit area. Information made available on the website of this university in particular those related to admissions leaves a lot of questions.

Also read: US Proposes Changes to H1B Visas To Favour Most Skilled, Highest Paid Foreign Workers

Simultaneously, the ICE also has started detaining foreign students of this fake university and started the process of their deportation. “Vast majority” of those arrested and detained are Indian nationals, an ICE official told PTI. “Special agents from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations arrested eight on criminal charges as part of an investigation into potential abuses of the US student visa system,” the official said.

In their late 20s or early 30s, those arrested by the ICE include Barath Kakireddy, Suresh Kandala, Phanideep Karnati, Prem Rampeesa, Santosh Sama, Avinash Thakkallapally, Aswanth Nune, and Naveen Prathipati. Six of them were arrested in Detroit area while the other two in Virginia and Florida.

According to an indictment unsealed in a local court Wednesday, these eight individuals helped at least 600 foreign nationals stay in the US illegally. “As part of this investigation, numerous foreign nationals face administrative immigration violations. Those individuals will be placed in removal proceedings, and ICE will seek to maintain them in its custody pending the outcome of those proceedings,” the ICE official told PTI.

The Indian Embassy here and its consulates are in touch with student organisations and offered help. It is also in touch with US authorities. According to the indictment, from February 2017 to January 2019, a group of foreign citizens, conspired with each other and others to fraudulently facilitate hundreds of foreign nationals in illegally remaining and working in the US by actively recruiting them to enrol into the university.

The university was part of a federal law enforcement undercover operation designed to identify recruiters and entities engaged in immigration. The university had no staff, no teachers, and conducted no real classes. As part of the scheme, the indictment said, the defendants and recruiters assisted foreign citizen “students” in fraudulently obtaining immigration documents from the school and facilitated the creation of false student records, including transcripts, for the purpose of deceiving immigration authorities.

The illegal documents obtained as a result of the conspirators’ actions were based on false claims, false statements, and fraud since the purported foreign students had no intention of attending school, nor attended a single class, and were not bona fide students, federal prosecutors said.

Noting that all participants in the scheme knew that the school had no instructors or actual classes, the ICE said the defendants intended to help shield and hide their customers “students” from US immigration authorities for money and collectively profited in excess of a quarter of a million dollars as a result of their scheme.

“We are all aware that international students can be a valuable asset to our country, but as this case shows, the well-intended international student visa programme can also be exploited and abused,” stated US Attorney Matthew Schneider.

Also read: Haitians No Longer Eligible for US Visa for Low-Skilled Work: Trump Administration

“Homeland Security Investigations special agents uncovered a nationwide network that grossly exploited US immigration laws,” said Special Agent Charge Francis. “Each of the foreign citizen who enrolled and made tuition payments to the university knew that they would not attend accrual classes, earn credits or make progress towards an actual degree in a particular field of study – a pay to stay scheme,” the indictment said.

“Rather their intent was to fraudulently maintain their student visa status and to obtain work authorisation under the CPT (Curricular Practical Training) programme,” it said. This is the second such case when Department of Homeland Security has used a fake university to unearth a fake student visa racket.

In 2016, the ICE had arrested some 21 people for similar charges for a fake University of Northern New Jersey. Meanwhile, social media chatter on various platform – in particular those from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana – indicated that the ICE raids were carried out in various cities across the US – Columbus Ohio; Houston in Texas, Atlanta in Georgia, St Louis in Missouri and New York and New Jersey.

In a statement posted on its website Reddy & Neumann group of immigration attorney said that it has received multiple reports that the ICE raided multiple worksites containing CPT students authorised by the University of Farmington, located in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

ED Conducts Raids in ‘Memorials Scam’ Case of UP During Mayawati’s Tenure

The body is conducting searches in connection with alleged irregularities of over Rs 111 crore in construction of memorials in Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi: After the mining case that had links to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Thursday conducted searches in connection with alleged irregularities of over Rs 111 crore in construction of memorials in the state during BSP supremo Mayawati’s tenure.

Officials said the central probe agency has filed a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to investigate these instances after taking cognisance of a state vigilance department complaint of 2014.

The raids are being conducted at seven places and those include premises of some officials and other private people, they said.

The vigilance complaint was filed under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act and it pertained to alleged financial irregularities in the construction of memorials, including statues of BSP founder Kanshi Ram and the party’s poll symbol ‘elephant’, during the regime of former Chief Minister Mayawati, between 2007 and 2012.

It was alleged that the said act “resulted in the loss of over Rs 111,44,35,066 to the government exchequer and unlawful gain to public servants and private individuals”.

Also read: The Hypocrisy Behind Jaitley’s ‘Professionalism, Adventurism’ Remark

The state government headed by Mayawati had built the memorials, statues and parks at a cost of over Rs 2,600 crore in Lucknow, Noida and few other places in the state.

The UP Lokayukta had earlier indicted Mayawati’s two cabinet colleagues — Nasmeedunin Siddiqui and Babu Singh Kushwaha, besides 12 BSP MLAs and several others for alleged ‘wrong-doings’ in the purchase of sandstone for the memorials.

On the Lokayukta’s report, the vigilance department FIR was been lodged against them in 2014.

The other persons against whom the case was registered include more than 100 engineers and officers of the UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam, Public Works Department and New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA).

Earlier this month, the agency had raided several locations in a money laundering case, booked to probe illegal mining in the state and this case has links to former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Yadav and Mayawati have recently forged an alliance to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

What You Should and Shouldn’t Expect From the Interim Budget 2019

What is the Modi government likely do, given the upcoming elections and the Centre’s limited fiscal space? The Wire breaks it down.

New Delhi: After almost a full month of confusion, the Narendra Modi government admitted this week that it would be presenting an “interim budget” on Friday, February 1.

Interim budgets are usually expected to be matter-of-fact proposals that extend the Centre’s ability to spend until a new government assumes power after the Lok Sabha elections and creates its own fiscal plan.

A vote-on-account will bee needed because the full Union budget announced last year only gives the government the power to continue spending until March 31, 2019, which is when the fiscal year ends.

That said, the government of the day is free to make a whole range of promises of what it will do if it comes to power after the elections – and even allocate funding. For example, in the 2014-15 interim budget for the UPA-II administration, P. Chidambaram announced the ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme for India’s armed forces and allocated Rs 500 crore for the proposal.

Also read: Budget Math: How Accurate Have the Centre’s Past Revenue Estimates Been?

These pledges, however, are not legally binding on whatever party wins the general elections and is sworn in as the new government. A full Union budget is usually presented in June.

What is the Modi government likely do, given the upcoming elections and the Centre’s limited fiscal space? The Wire breaks it down.

What numbers to watch out for

Acting finance minister Piyush Goyal’s speech on Friday will, foremost, have to be framed from a fiscal and macroeconomic perspective.

The NDA-II administration’s efforts at maintaining a path of fiscal consolidation have been decent, but not great. The Centre has so far promised to hit its fiscal deficit target of 3.3% of GDP and most market analysts believe that it will achieve that goal – if concerns over the government’s ‘creative’ accounting techniques are set aside for the moment.

Credit: Reuters

In a note put out on Thursday, analysts at Kotak and Axis Bank however say we could also see a slippage of 20 basis points to 3.5%.

Missing the 3.3% target would have adverse consequences and complications.

Why are we talking about a potential slippage? This is mostly because economists believe that the Modi government will come in short when it comes to its revenue receipts: what the Centre earns over the course of a financial year through indirect and direct taxes along with other investments.

The budget estimates had expected the government to rake in Rs 17.26 lakh crore. The State Bank of India noted in a report that it could come in short by Rs 0.6 lakh crore, while Kotak stated that the shortfall could be around Rs 1.4 lakh crore.

Also read: After Confusion, Finance Ministry Clarifies Budget Will be Called ‘Interim’

Lower tax collections are largely a result of the still-teething goods and services (GST) system, which still isn’t performing that well.

Nevertheless, despite limited fiscal space, going by media reports, the Modi government intends on making a two-pronged effort before the 2019 elections to different sets of voters: the country’s middle class and its rural and farming constituencies.

The ‘Inbetweeners’

Technically speaking, nothing stops the Centre from making sweeping changes on the direct tax and income tax fronts. In one sense, it has to notify tax rates because, without that, the government cannot collect taxes from April 1 to the next full Union budget after the next government is sworn in.

But conventionally, outgoing governments don’t tinker too much with income tax rates, deductions and corporate tax rates in their interim budget. This time around though, it appears the Centre wants to provide some relief to the country’s middle-class.

The three potential changes around which there is the most buzz are:

1) Income tax exemption: It appears as if there is a hike in the basic exemption limit on the cards. Specifically, the limit may be raised from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3-5 lakh.

The last time the limit for basic exemption from income tax was raised was in the NDA-II’s first budget in 2014, when finance minister Arun Jaitley raised it from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh.

2) Deduction limits: Section 80C allows all Indians to reduce up to Rs 1.5 lakh from their total taxable income. The last time this section was revised was also in the 2014-15 budget.

Most market experts and analysts expect that the Section 80C limit to be hiked to Rs 2 lakh or Rs 2.5 lakh.

“We can expect the government to consider revising this limit. With the due passage of time, this limit no longer holds good. An increase in Section 80C limit will help provide more room for tax saving,” Abhishek Rastogi, partner at Khaitan & Co. Kuldip Kumar of PwC told Livemint.

3) Rationalising rates: Finally, markets are awash with rumours that there could be a change in income tax rates as well.

In India, if you earn up to Rs 2.5 lakh a year, you are exempted from personal income tax. If you earn between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, you pay 5% tax. Between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh is levied with a 20% tax and anything about Rs 10 lakh is taxed at 30%.

The steep jump from 5% (for Rs 2.5-5 lakh) to 20% (for Rs 5-10 lakh) may be rationalised, while the highest personal income tax rate may also be reduced from 30% to 25%.

Green Revolution 2.0

A large number of farmers and tribals take part in a protest rally in Mumbai. Credit: PTI

To help ease rural distress and quell farmer anger, media reports have noted that the Modi government is considering a wide range of packages and proposals. In all, two estimates say that the overall farm relief package could cost up to Rs 1 lakh crore.

What’s on the cards?

1) An income support scheme along the lines of what is being implemented in Telangana and Odisha

2) Interest-free loans and loans without collateral

3) Waiving interest on crop loans for farmers who pay on time

4) Waiving premiums for insurance policies for food crops

Also read: Expect No Surprises on Air Pollution This Budget

Full circle

Apart from this, there are a host of other things to look out for: announcements on the health sector front, custom duty cuts, new divestment proposals and, finally, whether there will be the much-anticipated corporate income tax rate cut.

The interim budget may also finally see the formalisation of the Modi government’s decision to exempt lump-sum withdrawal of the National Pension Scheme from 40% to 60% at the time of exit.

As with any outgoing budget, the government will have to keep its feet on the gas and brake pedals at the same time, all while looking at the general elections up ahead.

In a note on Thursday, Fitch Ratings noted:

Pressure for new expenditure to attract votes, particularly among rural and small-business owner voters, has increased as polls have shown the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is becoming less assured of victory in the general elections. The BJP has reportedly lost votes in some recent state elections due to rural distress and public concerns over job creation. Targeted cash programmes appear the most likely form of support, as they would avoid downside risks of alternatives, such as the farm loan waivers that undermined the loan repayment culture in the past.

Populist spending, it also pointed out, could aggravate fiscal pressures, which are already building due to revenue shortfalls.

“Higher pre-election spending could risk a second consecutive year of fiscal slippage relative to the government’s targets and would further delay plans to reduce the high general government fiscal deficit and debt burden,” the rating agency said.