News Analysis India

Tag: Anurag Thakur

  • Union Minister Anurag Thakur promoted as Captain in Territorial Army

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday became the first serving MP to be appointed as Captain in the Territorial Army.

    The four-time BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur was commissioned into the Territorial Army as a Lieutenant by the then Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Dalbir S Suhag TA in July 2016, according to a statement.

    Thakur was promoted as Captain in the 124 Sikh regiment, it said.

    “I am extremely honoured to have been promoted to the rank of Captain. I would like to reaffirm my commitment for serving the people and the call of duty towards mother India,” the minister said.

    He said his grandfather and great grandfather had served in the Army.

    “I come from DevBhoomi Himachal which has a long tradition of serving in the armed forces. I am glad I could carry on the mantle of my ancestors. It’s a privilege to wear the uniform,” he said.

    Thakur said it is an honour for him to serve the society as a parliamentarian and he will always be ready to serve his country on the call of duty from his regiment in the Territorial Army.

    Thakur joined the Army after clearing the SSB exam and a personal interview conducted in Chandigarh.

    He underwent over two weeks of pre-qualification training held in Bhopal.

    The Territorial Army that is the second line of defence in the hierarchy, comprises volunteers who are imparted military training for about a month in a year.

    The Territorial Army can be pressed into national service in case of any emergency.

  • Government introduces Bill in Lok Sabha to abolish five tribunals

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A bill to abolish some tribunals where public at large is not litigant was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur on Wednesday.

    The government proposes to wind up five tribunals, including Airport Appellate Tribunal, Authority for Advance Rulings and Intellectual Property Appellate Board.

    Besides, Appellate Tribunal under the Cinematograph Act and Plant Varieties Protection Appellate Tribunal will be abolished.

    The proposed Bill seeks to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952, the Customs Act, 1962, the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994, the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001 and certain other Acts.

    “With a view to streamline tribunals, the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Bill, 2021 is proposed to be enacted to abolish certain tribunals and authorities and to provide a mechanism for filing appeal directly to the commercial court or the High Court, as the case may be,” the statement of objects and reason said.

    Observing that these tribunals only add to another additional layer of litigation, it said having separate tribunal requires administrative action in terms of filling up of posts and such other matters, and any delay in such action further delays disposal of cases.

    “Reducing the number of tribunals shall not only be beneficial for the public at large, reduce the burden on public exchequer, but also address the issue of shortage of supporting staff of tribunals and infrastructure,” it said.

    The Bill proposes the transfer of all cases pending before such tribunals or authorities to the Commercial Court or the High Court on the appointed date.

    The bill also has laid down severance terms for the Chairman and Members of such tribunals and they will be entitled to claim compensation not exceeding three months’ pay and allowances for the premature termination of term of their office or of any contract of service.

    The Government of India began the process of rationalisation of tribunals in 2015.

    By the Finance Act, 2017, seven tribunals were abolished or merged based on functional similarity and their total number was reduced to 19 from 26.

    The rationale followed in the first phase was to close down tribunals which were not necessary and merge tribunals with similar functions.

    In the second phase, analysis of data of the last three years has shown that tribunals in several sectors have not necessarily led to faster justice delivery and they are also at a considerable expense to the exchequer, it said.

    “Therefore, further streamlining of tribunals is considered necessary as it would save considerable expense to the exchequer and at the same time, lead to speedy delivery of justice. Accordingly, it is proposed to abolish some more tribunals and transfer the jurisdiction exercised by them to the High Court,” it said.

  • Union Minister Anurag Thakur’s remark kicks row in Rajya Sabha

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday kicked a row in Rajya Sabha when he sought to extrapolate usage of the term ‘andolanjivi’ by a Congress MP for Mahatma Gandhi, to ask if the Father of the Nation was a “shariantkari” (conspirator).

    KC Venugopal of the Congress while participating in the discussion on Budget for 2021-22 referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment of ‘andolanjivi’ for farmers protest.

    Noting that the nation got freedom from the British through ‘andolans’ (protests), he said by that logic Mahatma Gandhi should have been the biggest ‘andolanjivi’.

    Intervening in the debate soon after Venugopal finished speaking, Thakur said criticism is fine but “I had not expected that a Congress MP and office-bearer will call Mahatma Gandhi a shariantkari (conspirator). Nothing can be more unfortunate than that.”

    Congress members immediately protested no one called Gandhi conspirator.

    They rushed into the well of the House demanding an apology from Thakur.

    Bhubanesar Kalita, who was in the chair, said he will examine the records and will expunge any word that is unparliamentary.

    But the Congress members were not satisfied and continued to protest.

    Amid protests, Thakur, who is minister of state for finance, continued to make his statement saying the Budget for the fiscal year beginning April 1 is one for new India which has made higher provisions for departments such as social justice and empowerment and women and child development.

    He went on to state that the Budget was for Aatmanirbhar Bharat which has been cheered by all as reflected in the stock market rising for days post its presentation.

    Kalita asked Congress members to go back to their seats but they continued to protest.

    He asked Thakur to conclude as the allocated time for the sitting of the House was getting over.

    Thakur, who had begun speaking just a few minutes before the scheduled time was to end at 15.00 Hrs, ended and proceedings were adjourned for the day.

  • Centre may increase MGNREGA spend if need arises: Anurag Thakur

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The government would not hesitate to increase the spend under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) Programme if the need arises in the future, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur has said.

    The minister emphasised that the Narendra Modi government has taken steps in the past in the interest of the poor and vulnerable rural population.

    Taking on the criticism by the Congress on the lowering of the MGNREGA expenditure in the Budget for 2021-22, the minister said this government has been increasing expenditure unlike them who would cut at the Revised Estimate stage.

    Giving an example, he said that against the Budget Estimate of Rs 60,000 crore in 2019-20, the spending was raised to Rs 71,001.81 crore under the MGNREGA head as there was an increase in demand.

    In the current fiscal, it has been raised massively from Rs 61,500 crore to Rs 1,11,500 crore to create additional jobs in the rural areas for those who had lost employment due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he told PTI in an interview.

    For 2021-22, the spending has been increased to Rs 73,000 crore as against the Budget Estimate of Rs 61,500 crore for the financial year ending March.

    “During the lockdown, most of the workers had gone home. So, it was more important to provide jobs in rural areas. With unlocking taking place, workers are returning back to their work. So the requirements may not be that huge. However, we may increase if there is demand,” he said.

    On the higher fiscal deficit number of 9.5 per cent for the current fiscal, Thakur said for this fiscal it may look more but the government has indicated a glide path to bring it down to 4.5 per cent by 2025-26.

    “Various economists and experts had suggested increasing government spending to fight COVID-19, to help the poor survive.

    On the other hand, businesses were helped so that the jobs are protected.

    As a result, the fiscal deficit may look slightly high,” he said.

    He said many parameters indicate that the economy is on the path of strong rebound and the Budget has also projected a nominal GDP growth rate of 14.4 per cent for the next financial year.

    “We saved lives, we saved the economy also. A massive contraction of 23.9 per cent in the first quarter which narrowed down to 7.5 per cent in the second quarter.

    The GST collection has been over Rs 1 lakh crore since October,” he added.

  • Bengal should answer why no businessman wants to invest in the state: Union Minister Anurag Thakur

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Monday took a dig at the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and said the state government should answer why businessmen are hesitant to invest in the state.

    It is time for West Bengal to take a decision so that the state realises its own potential, the union minister of state for finance said at an event organised by direct tax professionals here.

    “Bengal should answer a few questions. Why it is that businessmen are hesitant to invest in the state? Will corporates be allowed to do hassle-free business here?” Thakur said.

    He sought to know whether Bengal has built an eco-system for entrepreneurs and unicorn companies.

    “Or they will be harassed by the ‘goondas’ rogue elements, from certain organisations?” “How long will the party (TMC) continue to milk professionals? Will Bengal be known for political disruptions or disruptive innovation? Bengal needs to take a decision,” he quipped.

    He said the for the development of the state, both it the Centre will have to “sing the same tune” on what help is required from the Centre to realise its potential.

    “Bengal can leave many states behind and be among the top two. Bengal’s intellectuals and industrialists will have to decide on that”, Thakur added.

    The union minister said that a lot of money will be spent on infrastructure in the east and northeast.

    “If India has to grow, growth has to come from the east and northeast,” he added.

  • If Union minister is outsider, who is insider in Bengal: Anurag Thakur

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur on Monday slammed the TMC over its outsider-insider debate, saying that if a Union minister is termed as an outsider in West Bengal, then people from which place are considered as insiders.

    Maintaining that West Bengal is an important part of the country, Thakur wondered whether it is a crime for a Union minister to visit the state.

    “If a minister of the Indian government coming to West Bengal is termed as an outsider, then I want to ask that people from which place are considered as insiders,” he told reporters at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here.

    Thakur, who has come to visit ailing BCCI president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly at a city hospital, said that West Bengal has given stalwarts in various fields to the country, while people from all parts of India have settled in the state and participated in its advancement.

    He questioned the thought process that leads to such labelling of fellow country and asked whether it should be allowed to flourish or checked.

    The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has alleged that the BJP is bringing in “outsiders” to fight the state assembly elections due in April-May.