Tax filings reflect portal bug getting fixed: Govt

Tax filings reflect portal bug getting fixed: Govt

1.2 Crore Returns For FY21 Filed With 76.2L Taxpayers Using New Online Facility: CBDT

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:09.09.2021

After weeks of tussle with Infosys, the vendor for the new tax portal, the government on Wednesday said that several technical issues on the faulty platform are being “progressively addressed” and this was reflected in the “positive” return filing trends.

So far, nearly 1.2 crore returns for the last financial year have been filed, with over 76.2 lakh tax payers using the new portal’s online utility for the purpose, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said.

Describing it as an encouraging trend, CBDT said nearly 95 lakh income tax returns have been e-verified, with over seven lakh having been processed. E-verification of returns is a pre-condition for processing of returns.

The statement marks a change in the department’s tone towards Infosys, which had blamed India’s premier IT company for the glitches on the platform. It comes days after RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya attacked Infosys for funding “anti-India forces” and messing with the portal. RSS, however, distanced itself from the report.

Amid complaints from the vocal tax professionals, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman resorted to “summoning” Infosys CEO Salil Parekh twice and has now set a deadline of September 15 for making the portal glitch-free.

Even now, several taxpayers are complaining about their inability to log in or file their returns.

“The ministry of finance has been regularly monitoring the resolution of issues with Infosys, which is the Managed Services Provider for the project… It is reiterated that the (income tax) department is continuously engaged with Infosys to ensure a smooth filing experience to taxpayers,” CBDT said. It added that return filing has increased to 3.2 lakh daily in September.

In addition, taxpayers have been able to view over 8.7 lakh notices issued by the department under the faceless assessment, appeal or penalty proceedings and over 2.6 lakh responses have been filed so far. “An average of 8,285 notices for e-proceedings are being issued and 5,889 responses are being filed in September 2021 on a daily basis,” the tax department said.

The numbers are also meant to signal to taxpayers that things are improving and they should go ahead with filing their returns as the deadline is fast approaching.

SSG nurse gets Florence Nightingale award

SSG nurse gets Florence Nightingale award

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Vadodara:09.09.2021

She has worked without a single-day off during Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, she was among the first in nursing staff at Central Gujarat’s biggest hospital — SSG Hospital — in Vadodara to handle a Covid-19 positive mother and her newborn when almost everyone feared the deadly virus.

Two years ago, when most wards were heavily waterlogged, she along with resident doctors and support staff ensured that the gynaecology and obstetrics department continued to function.

On September 15, her dedication to the profession will be recognized as President Ramnath Kovind will confer the prestigious National Florence Nightingale Award 2020 virtual on Bhanumati Gheewala fondly called sister Bhanuben.

The Indian Nursing Council, a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, confers the award to recognize the contribution of healthcare workers.

The 56-year-old head nurse performs her duty six days a week at the government hospital and on the seventh day she provides her voluntary services at Ramkrishna Mission to support their child welfare activities.

Bhanuben who joined as a nurse in 1988 underwent training in gynaecology speciality at Chandigarh in 2000 and finished Nurse Practitioner Midwives course in 2010.

She also kept upgrading herself. “For years, we had been following conventional methods. It was after a workshop on alternative birth positions in July 2019 that we started practicing birth positions featuring reclining, squatting or side-lying which have physiological and psychological advantages over the conventional posture,” said Bhanuben.

“It is indeed a matter of pride for entire SSG Hospital that our nursing staff Bhanuben has been selected for this prestigious award,” said professor Ranjan Aiyer, medical superintendent at SSG Hospital.

Bhanumati Gheewala worked relentlessly during pandemic

Biological, adoptive parents fight for girl’s custody

ADOPTIVE PARENTS HAD BEEN CHILDLESS, HAD BIOLOGICAL CHILD LATER

Biological, adoptive parents fight for girl’s custody

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:09.09.2021

A 16-year-old girl’s adoptive parents and biological parents have moved the Gujarat high court in a legal battle for her custody.

The case is from Jamnagar district, where a couple had given their daughter for adoption to their uncle and aunt, because the older couple did not have a child then. Later, the adoptive parents had a girl born to them and the biological parents began asserting their rights over their daughter.

During the hearing before the bench of Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice V D Nanavati, it was submitted that the biological parents took custody of the child when she was at school in August 2011. Since then, she has been living with her biological parents, who also claimed before the court that the child is not willing to leave her biological parents.

As the dispute between the biological and adoptive parents grew worse, the biological parents moved a local court and demanded that the adoption deed be cancelled. On the other hand, the adoptive parents insisted on enforcement of the adoption deed. The adoptive parents have been arguing that there is no law under when the adoption deed can be cancelled, and thus they will remain the parents of the child and responsible for her all her life. The dispute twice reached the high court but remained unsolved.

The judges told the lawyers that the girl is 16 years of age and in two years she will attain majority, so both parties should allow her to decide with which set of parents she wants to live with. The judges also said that such litigations are very painful, “In the fight between the biological and adoptive parents, we don’t want the girl to suffer, and that is for sure.” When the high court insisted that both parties try to reach an amicable solution to the problem, the lawyers from both sides expressed inability and the court was informed that there was a case of assault, for which one of the litigating parties was convicted and sentenced to jail. He is out on bail and is contesting hard for the custody. Upon hearing this, the judges said, “You continue to fight. Let them draw swords but spare the girl.” As the lawyers continued to insist on the hearing, the judges reiterated their request for an amicable solution and said, “Even the judgment is not going to solve the problem.” The court finally decided to hear the case at length on Monday.

While the girl is now 16, the dispute has been in court for 10 years. During this time, one of the litigants had assaulted the other and was convicted and jailed for it

India-UAE route 8th in top 10 country pair list

India-UAE route 8th in top 10 country pair list

Manju.V@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:09.09.2021

After a three-month absence, India-UAE is back in the top 10 list of country pairs, with airlines slated to fly around 12 lakh seats this month, making it the eighth busiest international route in September, show numbers released by OAG, a UK-based aviation data firm. What separates this eighth ranker from most of the country pairs in the top 10 listing, though, is the air fare — with the cheapest return fare on non-stop flights from cities such as Delhi, Mumbai to Dubai this weekend starting at Rs 65,000.

TOI compared 48-hour advance purchase fares on flights operating between the top 10 country pairs and found passengers flying India-UAE, Mexico-US and Spain-Italy this month would be paying the most for air tickets, especially those spending on 48-hour advance purchase tickets for travel this weekend.

On Wednesday, the cheapest return ticket on non-stop flights from Mumbai to Dubai for travel this weekend (September 10, return September 13) started at Rs 62,000, offered by Emirates, and for travel from Delhi it was Rs 70,000, on Fly-Dubai. Weekend flights to Dubai are in high demand as a 24-hour advance purchase flight cost a tad less — Rs 60,000 return fare on a non-stop flight from Mumbai to Dubai for travel on Thursday, that is. For cheaper options there were transit flights, like the Mumbai-Lucknow-Dubai Air India return flight, the fare for which began at Rs 50,000 for travel this weekend.

Pre-pandemic, Mumbai-Dubai return fare began at Rs 26,000 for a round trip. Then again, the number of seats on offer were high. For instance: In September 2019, airlines flew 32% more seats between India and UAE as compared to September 2021, shows OAG data.

The demand for flights to the UAE is particularly high this month with IPL 2021 to be held there from September 19. Dubai is also the most popular medium-haul international holiday destination out of India. With the UAE opening up for fully vaccinated passengers from India on August 30 after a four-month-long ban, air fares have jumped. UAE-India was the second busiest country pair globally from January to April, till the second Covid-19 wave disrupted the trend.

SRM TRICHIRAPALLI CAMPUS INAGURATION

 

TN to buy 2,213 new diesel buses

TN to buy 2,213 new diesel buses

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.09.2021

Tamil Nadu plans to purchase 2,213 new diesel buses and 500 electric buses within the next two months to replace the older vehicles in the fleet, transport minister Raja Kannappan announced in the assembly on Wednesday.

Replying to the debate on demand for grants for the transport department, Raja Kannappan said, "The new buses will be purchased with interest free loan from German bank KfW (German Development Bank) which will cover 80% of the cost and remaining 20% will be funded by the state."

The government entered into an agreement with KfW to procure 12,000 BS-VI buses and 2000 electric buses in a span of five years from 2021. There are 17,333 buses plying in the state.

Scholarship for graduates

Scholarship for graduates

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.09.2021

The government will change the norms to provide educational scholarships to the students of ‘first generation’ rather than ‘first graduate’ to help more members of a family get benefits, according to backward classes, most backward classes and denotified communities welfare minister S S Sivasankar.