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Karnataka battles raging wildfire in Bandipur

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Nasheman News :  Karnataka intensified efforts to contain a raging wildfire in the Bandipur forest area in the Chamarajanagar district bordering Tamil Nadu, an official said on Monday.

“As the wildfire spread to about 2,000 hectares in the 874 square kilometres (sq km) Bandipur forest, around 500 guards, officials, eco-volunteers and people from the area rushed to douse the flames,” an official told IANS here.

Movement of people and vehicles, including cars, buses and trucks have been banned on the National Highway-67 and inter-state roads until further notice across Bandipur, which has a sprawling tiger habitat and is biodiversity rich as part of the eco-sensitive southern Western Ghats.

Unlike in the past or in many years, this is the first time the wildfire in Bandipur flared up earlier due to the sudden climatic change and rapid growth of dry grass and Lantana.

“There has been no reports of casualty or injury to animals, including spotted deer, bison, antelopes, elephants, tiger and leopard so far, as they would have ran into the core forest area to escape from the scorching heat and the raging fire that started on Saturday.

“Although small animals like snakes and calves would have perished caught in the blaze,” said the official.


Pakistan Foreign Minister delays Japan tour over ‘sensitive’ regional situation

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NashemanNews : Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has postponed his trip to Japan due to the “sensitive situation in the region” following the February 14 attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama that killed 40 CRPF troopers, his office announced on Monday.

According to a Foreign Office statement, Qureshi in a telephone call with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono on Saturday explained that it was “imperative” that he remains in Pakistan due to the “extremely grave” situation which emerged in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack, reports Dawn news.

The Pulwama attack has been claimed by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit.

The Minister told Kono that he wrote to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to help stabilise the security situation.

He also requested his Japanese counterpart to brief Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about the situation due to which the tour had to be postponed, the statement said.

Meanwhile, both foreign ministers have agreed to set a new date for Qureshi’s tour, it added.

Karnataka wants Aero India to be held in Bengaluru only

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Nasheman News : Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday urged Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to hold the biennial Aero India air show in Bengaluru only as Asia’s premier aerospace event, an official statement said.

“Kumaraswamy requested Sitharaman to hold the Aero India air show in Bengaluru only in the coming years too as the 2019 and previous 11 editions were held here over the last 22 years,” said thestatement after they met at the Chief Minister’s home office here.

Thanking Sitharaman for holding the 12th edition of the 5-day international expo here, the Chief Minister said the people of the state and city were happy to visit the air show and witness the static and flying display of over 50 aircraft, including fighters at the IAF’s Yelahanka base.

Kumaraswamy’s appeal to the Defense Minister came at a review meeting of the air show that concluded in the evening on a high note, with over a lakh of people crowding the venue to witness the metal birds fly and perform aerobatics.

The Chief Minister made the appeal personally as the Defence Minister did not announce dates of Aero India 2021 at the inaugural event on Wednesday though it is has been the practice hitherto and is customary at all international air shows.

Speculation was rife in July-August last year about a change of venue when following media reports that the Defence Ministry was planning to shift the prestigious event to Uttar Pradesh ahead of the general elections.

The massive fire in the air base parking lot on Saturday that gutted about 300 cars and the death of a IAF pilot after two Sury Kiran jets collided in the air and crashed on Tuesday while rehearsing for the flying display were also discussed at the meeting, where IAF and defence ministry officials, state officials and city police were present.

During the meeting the reason for fire at parking place and mitigating measures taken after the incident were discussed, with state Home Minister M.B. Patil who was also present. 

“The meeting decided to take precautions while organizing such events in future and measures to mitigate the hardship of the gutted car owners,” added the statement.

Aero India 2019 concludes on a high, 50 pacts signed

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Nasheman News : It’s curtains for the biennial Aero India 2019 air show after a spectacular flying display by fighters, helicopters and jet trainers delighted about a lakh visitors at the IAF Yelahanka base here on Sunday.

Asia’s premier air show was, however, subdued this time, marred as it was by two tragedies. On Saturday, a massive fire in the parking lot gutted about 300 cars.

Ahead of the event on Tuesday, an IAF pilot died after two aerobatic Surya Kiran Hawk jets collided midair and crashed near the air base while rehearsing for the flying display.

Though the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) did not participate in the flying display on the first three days of the show in the wake of the tragedy, on Saturday seven of its Hawk aircraft roared in the blue sky and treated the visitors to daredevilry and dazzling formations. They participated on Sunday too much to the delight of the crowds.

“Surya Kirans received thunderous applause from the public. We are proud of their return,” said Bengaluru IAF Training Command Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief R.K. Bhadauria.

Besides French fighter Rafale, F-16 of the US-based Lockheed Martin, homegrown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and IAF’s Sukhoi-30, Jaguar and transport aircraft were among the 61 aircraft that participated in the static and flying display at the show.

“An estimated 4 lakh people visited the air show, with 3 lakh footfall on the first four days since Wednesday,” Defence Production Joint Secretary Amit Sahai said at the valedictory function on the fifth and concluding day.

However, the footfall was down 25 per cent compared with the previous edition of Aero India in February 2017, when 5.4 lakh guests visited the air show.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala, state Chief Secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar, state-run aerospace major HAL Chairman and Managing Director R. Madhavan also attended the valedictory function.

“This Aero India was special being a runway to new opportunities, as the tagline said. This edition grew over the years and had a special theme each day this year,” Bhadauria said at the finale.

As many as 600 Indian and 200 foreign companies participated in the expo and showcased technologies and products. Global aerospace majors flew in their aircraft for static and flying display on the tarmac facing the runway, a statement from the Ministry of Defence said.

“In all, 54 countries took part in the trade expo, 44 foreign delegations were present for the inaugural event on February 20. About 500 B2B meetings were held and 50 agreements signed between the public and the private firms at the expo,” Sahai said.


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Parrikar to be discharged in a day: Goa Health Minister

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Nasheman News :Hospitalised Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is under observation and should be discharged “in a day, or a day and a half max”, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said here on Sunday, urging people “not to speculate” about his health.

As confirmed by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Saturday, a team of Delhi-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) doctors, led by professor of gastroenterology Pramod Garg arrived at the Goa Medical College near Panaji and examined Parrikar, who was earlier hospitalised at the Delhi hospital.

However, Rane while speaking to reporters late on Sunday said that while some of the medication which was prescribed to Parrikar have been changed by the AIIMS specialist, no endoscopy procedure was performed and that the former Defence Minister’s parameters are stable. He also said that an infection, which Parrikar was suffering from, “is under control”.

Rane also said that it is better that Parrikar remains hospitalised, because “all doctors, everything is there”.

Rane later tweeted a public appeal urging people not to heed to rumours vis-a-vis the Chief Minister’s health.

“There was no endoscopy performed, nor is there any sign of bleeding. He will be kept under observation for another 24 hours and discharged thereafter. Appealing all to follow my tweets for latest updates on the CM’s health and not pay heed to rumours.”

Rane’s tweet contradicts a formal statement by the CMO on Saturday, which said that Parrikar would be undergoing an “upper GI endoscopy” procedure at the top state government hospital.

Amid reports of his deteriorating health, Parrikar, who is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer, was hospitalised on Saturday evening.

While the CMO on Saturday said he is stable and being admitted for a gastrointestinal endoscopy, Rane speaking to reporters in the night denied the same, triggering further speculation about Parrikar’s health.

Sources at the Goa Medical College, where the Chief Minister is admitted, said Parrikar is being treated for internal bleeding. “The internal bleeding was caused by a cut near the intestine,” the source said.

Parrikar was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in February last year and has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, Delhi and New York since.

Meanwhile, the Congress in Goa has asked people to pray for the Chief Minister’s health and not to mock his ill-health.


PM-KISAN Scheme won’t help Modi win elections: Gehlot

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Nasheman News :  Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of cashing in on farmers’ plight for votes and said that launching the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme at end of his tenure will not help him win the elections.

Modi on Sunday launched the PM-KISAN scheme by transferring the first instalment of Rs 2,000 each to over one crore farmers. Under the scheme, Rs 6,000 will be given per year to small and marginal farmers having combined land holding or ownership of up to 2 hectares.

“The attempt to win the elections by announcing the Rs 6,000 per annum scheme for the farmers will not help Modi, as the they have become intelligent,” Gehlot said at a press conference here. 

He also asked why the scheme was not launched earlier. 

“Prime Minister Modi said in Tonk on Saturday that the Congress raises the loan waiver issue only when the elections are near. But why did the Central government not introduce the Rs 6,000 per annum scheme five years back.”

Gehlot also expressed his doubts whether such a meagre amount will benefit the farmer in this era of high inflation. “Modi should know that we are giving higher pension to the farmers.”

The Rajasthan government on Saturday announced to provide Rs 1,000 monthly pension to small and marginalised farmers above 75 years of age. It will also give Rs 750 monthly pension to small and marginalised women farmers above 55 years of age and male farmers above 58 years of age without any regular source of income.

Gehlot also twisted the poll slogan “Modi hai to mumkin hai,” coined by Modi, to “Modi hai to namumkin hai.”

Addressing a rally at Tonk on Saturday, Modi said, “Public trusts the present government because of the work carried out in the last four years. People know ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’ (People know that if Modi is there, everything is possible).”

Gehlot said, “It is not right to say ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai.’ Instead, one should say ‘Modi hai to namumkin hai’ (if Modi is there, nothing is possible) as the Prime Minister could not fulfil a single promise made during the election campaign before the 2014 polls.” 

Akbar case: Journalist Priya Ramani gets bail

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Nasheman News :A Delhi court on Monday granted bail to journalist Priya Ramani in a defamation case filed by former Union Minister M.J. Akbar.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal granted bail to Ramani asking her to furnish a personal bond and surety of Rs 10,000 each.

The court has listed the matter for further hearing on April 10.

Ramani appeared before the court in pursuance of summons issued against her in the defamation case filed by the former Minister of State for External Affairs after Ramani named him in a case of misconduct.

She was the first in a long list of women journalists to accuse the former Minister and journalist-turned-politician of sexual harassment.

The allegations against Akbar, 68, dated back to his former career in journalism. 

Ramani revealed in October 2018 that an article she wrote in 2017 about an unnamed editor’s predatory behaviour was in fact about M.J. Akbar. 

She said he was as “talented a predator” as he was a writer. Several other women since have come forward with stories about him.

Akbar has denied the allegations made against him and said they were “false and imaginary”.

The statements of seven witnesses, including that of Akbar, who is now with the Bharatiya Janata Party, have been recorded in the defamation case.

Arms seized from bus in Bengal, one arrested

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Nasheman News : A man was arrested in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district with a large haul of arms and ammunition including 20 semi-finished pistols on Sunday, police said.

Humayun Sheikh was arrested from a North Bengal State Transport Corporation bus on its way from Kolkata to Malda on Sunday afternoon.

“Sheikh, a resident of Malda district, was arrested with 20 semi-finished 9mm pistols, four 7 mm pistols, 10 bullets and eight magazines. According to primary interrogation, he was delivering the consignment from Howrah to Malda’s Kaliachawk,” Murshidabad’s Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar said.

He said the accused was supplying the semi-finished guns to Malda where they were to be fully assembled.

“Our men were following Sheikh from Howrah after getting information about him from two arms smugglers, who were arrested on January 31,” the officer added.

GST council cuts tax on under-construction houses to 5%, industry responds with caution

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Nasheman News : In a big relief to the realty sector and homebuyers, the GST council on Sunday lowered tax on under-construction properties to 5 per cent from 12 per cent, and affordable housing projects to 1 per cent from 8 per cent. The council also made changes in the definition of the affordable housing.

The new rates will be applicable from April 1. 

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: “It is a milestone decision to promote affordable housing for all. The expanded definition of affordable housing is to encourage aspiring people buy bigger flats. The council did not accept the super carpet area concept as many developers have made it variable and flexible. 

“We will have to see how new rates can be passed on to incentivise people to buy under-construction flats. We believe competition will take care of price benefits to be passed on to consumers.” 

“However, developers won’t be able to claim input tax credit (ITC),” Jaitley said. The group of minister (GoM) on housing had suggested 3 per cent affordable housing projects. 

The council also decided that properties costing up to Rs 45 lakh will be considered affordable as well as properties with a carpet area of 90 square metres in metro cities and 60 square metres in non-metro cities, he said. 

On issues like transfer of development rights, sale or transfer of floor space index (FSI) and joint development rights, Jaitley said it was suggested that these be exempted from the goods and services tax (GST) for the sector’s growth. 

The council, he said wanted guidelines for the transition to be prepared for the law & fitment committee to take it up on March 10. 

“Transition is a challenge. The notification will have to be carefully drafted. The law & fitment committee will draft notifications and the GST council will approve the same through video-conferencing,” he said. 

Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey said the decision will help the common man afford a house, while also enabling the industry to emerge from the “recent tough time”. 

Though praising the decision, the housing sector and property experts, also called for caution. 

Niranjan Hiranandani, National President, NAREDCO, said, “Industry lauds the GST rate cut on real estate to 5 per cent on non-affordable and 1 per cent on affordable housing without input tax credit as a welcome and positive move. It will bring a big relief to the homebuyers and help narrow the demand mismatch gap.” 

The announcement would give an impetus to affordable housing and enthuse homebuyers to close the sale deals. “The GST on cement has not been reduced as was expected. At 28 per cent, it remains among the highest taxed inputs for construction — and there will be no input tax credit, developers will face a challenging time,” he said.

He said the changes should have been applicable ‘with immediate effect’. As it would be effective from April 1, “we will see rise in sales figures only in the next financial year,” he added.

Rajat Mohan, Partner, AMRG & Associates, said lowering of tax rates at the cost of the tax credit in the realty sector could be a good populist measure. But businesses may witness a quick bloodbath, and after that the sector will reboot itself to a higher equilibrium price to justify the margins, he added. 

“This may prove to a costly affair for businesses as they will see incremental costs due to breakage of credit chain,” Mohan said. 

M.S. Mani, Partner, Deloitte India, said, the real estate sector needed rate reductions to prop up sales. “The reductions announced today for normal housing and specially for affordable housing could lead to an uptick in demand. With these reductions, the GST on normal under-construction apartments would be a little lower than prior to introduction of GST and affordable housing would be significantly lower than before,” he said.

“The combination of the increase in the threshold to be termed as affordable housing together with the lower rate of 1 per cent could lead to significant upswing in demand. The lower rates would lead to a revival of demand for under-construction apartments, which had tapered down as buyers were preferring ready apartments that did not attract any GST,” the Deloitte India partner said.

“Having certain categories that are not eligible for input tax credits is an aberration of the basic principles of a good GST, in addition to issues of traceability of transactions and making the transactions opaque,” Mani said.

Jaitley also said the lottery issues have been referred back to the GoM. A GoM had suggested a single rate of 18 per cent or 28 per cent on lotteries, which are of two types — state-organised and state-authorised. 

P.V. Sindhu flies in HAL’s Tejas in Bengaluru

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 India’s ace badminton player P.V. Sindhu on Saturday flew in homegrown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas at the Aero India air show being held in Bengaluru.

“The flight was a wonderful experience. The captain performed various maneouvers, including a loop,” Sindhu told the media after the sortie which lasted for about 40 minutes.

The combat jet’s trainer version was piloted by Group Captain Siddharth Singh, while Sindhu was the co-pilot in the tandem-seater cockpit.

Sindhu is the first woman to fly in a Tejas aircraft.

“The aircraft was on a medium altitude sortie and flew up to a maximum height of about five km,” an Indian Air Force (IAF) official told IANS.

Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat also flew in the aircraft on Thursday.

The LCA on February 20 got the final operational clearance (FOC) from military aviation regulator Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (Cemilac) for induction into the IAF as a weaponised fighter jet in its operational fleet.

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