NEWS

Punjab has posted 124% year-on-year growth in the goods and services tax (GST) revenue in the first quarter of the financial year 2021-22 despite the more devastating second Covid-19 wave.

The state government has reported the GST collection, including state goods and services tax (SGST) and integrated goods and services tax (IGST), of ₹3,441.60 crore in the April-June quarter of 2021-22 as compared to ₹1,540 crore during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, according to data compiled by the taxation department. The year-on-year growth has come amid the second wave of coronavirus which was far more dangerous than the first one witnessed last year in terms of the number of infections and fatalities.

All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) chairman Jagmohan Raina on Wednesday urged the Centre to implement the Special marriage act, the act which governs inter-caste marriages, and anti-conversion laws in Jammu & Kashmir.

“Once these laws are put in practice, such incidents like inter-caste marriages would come to an end automatically,” he said.

The Sikh leaders said the implementation of the law "would stop the forcible conversion of people belonging to any religion."

Besides chairman Raina, several top leaders of the community, such as Ajit Singh Mastana, Paramjit Singh Bali, Indumeet Singh and Zeo Hakumat Singh were present at the press conference.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad will address his party’s office-bearers virtually on the party’s foundation day on July 5 — in the first such interaction since his release on bail in April.

While Lalu’s political opinions, including those taking a jibe at the NDA governments at the Centre and Bihar, were being shared through his Twitter handle since his incarceration in fodder scam cases, this will be the best time he will directly interact with his party functionaries, from the national executive to block level functionaries.

A senior RJD leader said, “Even though Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has been leading from the front, Lalu-ji addressing the rank and file of the party would galvanise the cadre.” Another leader said Leader of Opposition Tejashwi will moderate the session opened by Lalu Prasad.

The Calcutta high court has agreed to take on record the reply affidavits filed by Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, law minister Moloy Ghatak and the state government in response to the CBI’s plea to transfer the Narada case outside the state.

The CBI plea was made on grounds that the CM and Ghatak had led a dharna at its Kolkata office and that “mobocracy” vitiated court proceedings on May 17, the day two TMC ministers, an MLA and an ex-mayor, were arrested in the case.

On Wednesday, an HC bench allowed the applications filed by the state, the CM and the law minister, subject to payment of Rs 5,000 by each. The bench also granted the CBI 10 days to file its reply. The next hearing is scheduled for July 15.