News Analysis India

Tag: Ajanta Neog

  • Assam budget: Govt to provide financial help to families of coronavirus victims

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: The Assam government will provide one-time financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to families of people who have died of COVID-19, State Finance Minister Ajanta Neog said on Friday.

    Presenting the budget for 2021-22 in the assembly, Neog claimed this is a first-of-its-kind scheme by any government in the country.

    The state government had already announced the ‘Chief Minister Shishu Seva Scheme’ for children who lost their parents due to coronavirus and the ‘Chief Minister COVID-19 Widow Support Scheme’ for widows.

    Under the scheme for children, an amount of Rs 3,500 will be provided per child each month.

    For those below 10 years who may not have an extended family or guardian, the Assam government will take steps to house them in child care institutions and provide adequate funding towards their upkeep and education.

    In the other scheme, each widow is eligible for a one-time grant of Rs 2.5 lakh.

    The modalities for application and availing the benefit under the new schemes will be issued by the Health Department in due course, and the programmes will cost the exchequer around Rs 40 crore, the minister said.

    Altogether, 4,888 deaths of adults, including 1,345 females, due to COVID-19 have been reported in the state till July 13, Neog said.

    A total of 56 minors (less than 18 years of age) have also died due to the virus during the same period.

    She said 95,770 COVID-19 patients were provided free treatment along with food worth Rs 300 per day till June this year.

    “Total number of ICU beds has now been increased to 1,540, with approximately 1,099 ICU beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients.

    The number of oxygen supported beds has also been hiked to 3,855,” Neog added.

  • Assam to use sex-sorted semen to mostly breed cows for benefit of dairy farmers

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: Days after bringing a bill to protect cows, the Assam government now decided to buy sperm from outside the state for artificial insemination of the animal.

    The government believes the step will help increase the numbers of better breeds of cows and control the male population.

    “The state proposes to introduce the use of sex-sorted semen for the benefit of dairy farmers. There will be an increase in the number of high genetic female calves born in cattle and buffalo farms with the use of sex-sorted semen. It will control the birth of scrub bulls as 80-90% of all births would be of female calves,” the state’s Finance Minister Ajanta Neog said in the Assembly reading out the state budget on Friday.

    She said female births would help in meeting the ever-increasing demand for milk.

    This year, the government proposed to cover 50,000 cattle and buffaloes with the use of 1.25 lakh doses of high genetic merit sex-sorted frozen semen.

    “With a 30% conception rate, at least 12,000 female calves are expected to be born as a result of implementation during the first year. The scheme may continue by inseminating 50,000 animals annually for the next four years. Farmers’ livelihood and milk production will get a massive boost leading to a positive impact on the economy,” the minister further said.

    ALSO READ |  CM Himanta tables Assam Cattle Preservation Bill in Assembly to control slaughter, trade

    The minority-based All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) was quick to criticise the government for the decision on artificial insemination for female calves. The party said the money could have been spent in the fight against the pandemic.

    “We don’t understand why the government is giving priority to cows. Thousands died due to Covid. People are suffering. What was the need for it?” asked AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam.

    He continued in the same vein: “What is the benefit of the public if a male or a female calf is born?”

    Islam said according to the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, which was tabled in the Assembly recently, only bulls, aged above 14 years, can be slaughtered but with due permission from the authority concerned.

    “If the slaughter of cattle is banned in the state, Muslims and Christians, who eat beef, will not die. There are alternatives like chicken, mutton, fish, and vegetables. The non-beef-eating communities are living on these,” the MLA added.

    The smuggling of cattle thrives in Assam. A few days ago, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had asked the police to make sure there is no case involving cows.

    Meanwhile, to minimize the learning loss and bridge the digital divide, the government has decided to provide mobile phones to the students of classes IX and X.

    The government said this would act as a positive reinforcement for continuity of education and a deterrent against the dropout rate in schools. The scheme will benefit nearly eight lakh students. 

  • Bill tabled in Assam assembly to effect changes in GST Act

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog on Monday tabled the Assam Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2021 following certain changes made in the GST Act which received Presidential Assent in March this year.

    The GST Council has requested that the requisite changes and modifications be made in the state, so that uniformity of decision and applicability is maintained, Neog said while tabling the Bill to amend the Act.

    The proposed legislation seeks to amend Section 7 of the Principal Act with retrospective effect from July one, 2017 by inserting a new clause, so as to ensure levy of tax on activities or transactions involving supply of goods or sevices by any person, other than an individual, to its members or constituents or vice versa, for cash, deferred payment or other valuable consideration.

    It is also proposed to insert an explanation to clarify that the person or its members or constituents shall be deemed to be two separate persons and the supply of activities or transactions shall be deemed to take place from one person to another.

    Another amendment is to insert a new clause to provide that input tax credit on invoice or debit note may be availed only when the details of such invoice or debit note have been furnished by the supplier in the statement of outward supplies and such details have been communicated to the recipient of such invoice or debit note.

    The amended legislation will remove the mandatory requirement of getting annual accounts audited and the reconciliation statement submitted by a specified professional.

    It has substituted this with filing of annual return on self-certification basis and it will further empower the Commissioner to exempt a class of tax-payers from the requirement of filing the annual return.

    The Act will be amended to make seizure and confiscation of goods and conveyances in transit a separate proceeding from the recovery of tax.

    An explanation will be included to clarify that “self-assessed tax” shall include the tax payable in respect of details of outward supplies furnished under Section 37 but not included in the return furnished under Section 39.

    A new provision will be included to provide that no appeal shall be filed against an order, unless 25 per cent of the penalty has been paid by the appellant.

    The Act will be further amended to empower the jurisdictional commissioner to call for information from any person related to any matters in connection with the Act.

    Neog in her statement said that based on various representations and suggestions received, it was felt by the GST Council that certain amendments in the GST laws need to be carried out.

    Based on the recommendations of the GST Council, various decisions that require amendments had been examined by the Law Committee and consequential amendments were recommended.

    The GST Council approved the changes and the same were incorporated in the Finance (No 2) Bill 2021 and got the Presidential assent in March this year.

    Subsequently, the GST Council requested to have the requisite changes and modifications in the state Act to maintain uniformity.