Tag: cent

Amit Shah holds massive roadshow in Karnataka, says we ended 4 per cent Muslim quota

[ad_1]
Gubbi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday held a massive roadshow here, waving at a large enthusiastic crowd along the route, as he sought people’s support, ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka.
Shah, standing on a specially designed vehicle accompanied by Tumakur Member of Parliament G S Basavaraj and other leaders, was greeted by people gathered on the sides of the roads and on nearby buildings.
A large number of party workers walked along with Shah’s vehicle holding BJP flags and shouting slogans praising BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amid drum sounds.

At the end of the road shadow here in Tumakuru district, the Home Minister urged people to vote for the BJP candidate, and to ensure that a “double engine government” under the leadership of Modi comes to power.
Former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai have done a lot of work for Karnataka, he said, adding that the BJP government has ended four per cent Muslim reservation and has increased the quota of Vokkaligas, Lingayats, and SC/STs.
“If Congress comes to power, they will take back all these reservations (hiked) and once again bring in Muslim reservations. Do you want four per cent Muslim reservation? (to come back)”, he asked.
Highlighting measures taken by the BJP government for the benefit of Areca nut farmers, Shah said: “If you ensure a double engine government comes to power in Karnataka, Modi ji will once again become Prime Minister in 2024”.

[ad_2]
#Amit #Shah #holds #massive #roadshow #Karnataka #ended #cent #Muslim #quota
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 1, 2023
Social audio platform Clubhouse lays off over 50 per cent staff

[ad_1]
New Delhi: Popular social audio platform Clubhouse, which gained popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, has laid off more than half of its staff.
Founded by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, Clubhouse said it is scaling back by over 50 per cent and “saying goodbye to many talented, dedicated teammates in the process.”
“We’re deeply sorry to be doing this, and we would not be making this change if we didn’t feel it was absolutely necessary,” said the founders.

Those impacted will receive severance and continued healthcare coverage for the next few months.
“We will pay salaries for the rest of April, plus 4 months of additional severance for all departing employees. This means everyone affected will receive their full salary until Aug 31, 2023,” said Davison and Seth.
“We will allow everyone who is impacted to keep their company-issued laptops, to help them research and apply for new roles,” added the founders as they plan to build Clubhouse 2.0 with a smaller, leaner team.
The app was once valued at $4 billion by investors, including Andreessen Horowitz and Tiger Global.
The company last year laid off a portion of staff as part of restructuring.

“We need to reset the company, eliminate roles and take it down to a smaller, product-focused team. We believe that a smaller team will give us focus and speed, and help us launch the next evolution of the product,” the founders said.
[ad_2]
#Social #audio #platform #Clubhouse #lays #cent #staff
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 28, 2023
Visa interviews for Indian students to be increased by 30 per cent this summer: US envoy

[ad_1]
Aurangabad: The US aims to increase visa interview appointments for Indian students by 30 per cent this summer, US Consul General in Mumbai Mike Hankey said here on Tuesday.
He said US consulates processed nearly 1.25 lakh visa applications of students in India.
During his visit to Aurangabad, Hankey held meetings with members of industries. He also visited Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University and interacted with students.

“Last year, we sent more than 1.25 lakh Indian students to the US, setting a new record for Indian students going to the US in a year and establishing India as the leading country of sending students. This year we are trying to increase that number (of students) further,” he told PTI.
“Our goal is to expand the number of interview appointments we offer for students by 30 per cent this summer. We hope to welcome more Indian students to the USA,” Hankey added.
During his interaction with students, the American envoy appealed to them to visit websites and find an appropriate curriculum for them.
The US Consulate Mumbai tweeted that Hankey met with conservationist and industrialist Mukund Bhogale to learn about the historical legacy of the Marathwada region, efforts towards the preservation of its heritage, and areas of cooperation with the city’s business community.
He also interacted with an industrial delegation over supplying aluminium to support the global aerospace and defence supply chain.

Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Visa #interviews #Indian #students #increased #cent #summer #envoy
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 18, 2023
36000 Pilgrims Performed Umrah, 50 Per Cent Increase Over Last Year

[ad_1]
SRINAGAR: At least 36000 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir performed Umrah since September 2022 till this Ramadan, indicating 50 per cent increase of pilgrims compared to last year in the Union Territory, JK Association of Hajj and Umrah Companies (JKAHUC) said on Saturday.
General Secretary of the association, Muhammad Younis Bhat said that the tour operations have suffered a loss of Rs 5-6 lakh each this Ramadan as they were expecting a huge flow of pilgrims for Umrah in this holy month.
“However, the rush of pilgrims remained less, especially due to the March session for students announced by the government. The tour operators had already booked the blocks of airlines in advance, but as the rush was not up to the expectations, the bookings had to be cancelled and thus lead to the losses of Rs 5-6 lakh each to the tour operators,” he said.
He added that at least 36,000 people from across JK performed Umrah since September 2022 till this Ramadan while 34000 among them are from Kashmir division, adding that the number of pilgrims has increased nearly 50 per cent compared to last year.
The General Secretary further stated that earlier there was only one airline, Air India, available for the pilgrims, but the association played a key role in ensuring an increase in the number of airlines and now three airlines including Air India, Indigo and Spicejet are available for the pilgrims.
During the winters, the tour operators were facing losses, but this year, there has been rescheduling of the flight operations as the flights are connected unlike previous years, he said, adding that the Indigo earned highest amongst the three.
However, he appealed to the airlines to drop the pilgrims at Terminal 3 where the people from J&K get facilities.
Besides, the association also demanded immigration point at Srinagar international airport, saying that the process should be completed for pilgrims at Srinagar airport.

Reacting to the chaos over package for Umrah, he said that the main reason behind such an issue is the lack of coordination between the people and the tour operators, adding that the people have been demanding the cheapest package, thus the tour operators couldn’t manage things with just a meagre amount.
He further said that three packages are available, which include for 15 days, 21-22 days and one month, adding that most of the pilgrims opt for 21-22 days package.
About the upcoming Haj, the General Secretary of JKAHUC, said that the pilgrims must check the past history of the tour operators before fixing the package. He also said that there would be no increase in the amount payable for Hajj this year and the lowest package for a pilgrim will be Rs 6,50,000 like last year.
Asked about the video of Hajis that went viral after they faced issues in Saudi, he said that there was no fault of the tour operators here, but it was because of the hotel that they faced hardships.
Moreover, he said that the pilgrims going for Umrah should prepare themselves for a few day stay at Madina as the erstwhile trend of staying for 40 prayers will come to an end as the rates have increased manifold.
The General Secretary further appealed people not to go after the low package and ensure proper check of facilities being provided to him/her while discussing the package.
“The pilgrims should be ready to accept the orders being issued by Saudi Arabia. The norms in Saudi are to be followed and people should be aware about it. They should be aware about economic class and deluxe class packages,” he said and appealed to the tour operators to make things clear to the Hajis and ensure proper signature of the pilgrims while divulging the details.
Pilgrims are advised to attend orientation programmes to get aware about the facts, he said, adding that the people from Kashmir staying in Saudi Arabia should not add fuel to any situation, especially when there is any misunderstanding or any issue is taking place with the pilgrims.
He further said that the association has ensured accountability. “The cheating issues have taken place in the past, but we have been ensuring accountability. If there is any such complaint, the matter is being investigated thoroughly. There is no such case in the past three-four years, because the association has been playing key role and the people should meet us in case of any such complaint,” he said. (KNO)

[ad_2]
#Pilgrims #Performed #Umrah #Cent #Increase #Year
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

April 2, 2023
Mumbai: BMC announces 15 per cent water cut for a month from March 31

[ad_1]
Mumbai: A 15 per cent water cut will be implemented across Mumbai for 30 days from March 31 to fix a hole in a crucial supply tunnel, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Tuesday.
Water has been leaking from the tunnel after it was recently punctured in Thane while digging a borewell, BMC said in a release.
According to the civic body, its Bhandup water complex, which takes care of 65 per cent of the total water supplied to Mumbai, receives about 75 per cent of its supply through this 15-km-long tunnel that has a diameter of 5,500 mm.
“This tunnel got punctured in Thane due to the digging of a borewell and water is leaking on a large scale. It is necessary to isolate the tunnel completely for repairs and use an alternate transmission system for bringing water to Bhandup, during the repairs period,” said the BMC release.
The corporation said that the water supply to Mumbai and its suburbs will get affected during the switching over of transmission systems and repairs. Therefore, it has decided to impose a water cut of up to 15 per cent, said the civic body.
The BMC also appealed to citizens to use water judiciously and co-operate with it.
Subscribe us on

[ad_2]
#Mumbai #BMC #announces #cent #water #cut #month #March
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 28, 2023
Power curtailment reduced by 30 per cent: KPDCL

[ad_1]
Srinagar, Mar 14: The government on Monday said that the curtailment has been reduced by three hours and that the new power schedule will be announced by the end of March.
Talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Chief Engineer, Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Javed Yousuf Dar, said that there has been reduction in the power curtailment since the beginning of this month.
He also said that in the metered areas, the power curtailment in less than three hours.
“We are planning to come up with the new power schedule by the end of March,” he said.
Earlier, the KPDCL in wake of the winter season had announced curtailment schedule in Kashmir. The authorities had decided to go for eight hour curtailment for non-metered areas and 4.5-hour power cuts in the metered areas.
Meanwhile, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Managing Director, KPDCL, regarding the progress of Smart Meter installations in Srinagar.
Initially the chair was apprised by the concerned officials of the KPDCL and TKC’s regarding the progress of the smart meter installation progress. Following points were discussed during the meet.
The slow progress of TKC’s regarding installation of smart meters was seriously viewed by the chair and directions were issued on spot to increase the workforce to meet the deadline.

Various officials of KPDCL were directed to work in synchronization with the concerned officials of District Administration to minimize the protests against installations of the meters.
TKC’s were given strict directions regarding the Non-Communicating Meters and were directed to resolve the issue as soon as possible without any fail.
Damaged meters need to be replaced with new ones and the concerned Turnkey Contractors were given directions to install new ones within least possible time.
The chair also issued directions to TKC’s to give wide publicity regarding the advantages of Smart meters.
Instructions were passed on to disconnect all the defaulters, the statement said.
Hoardings will go up across the city centres so as to give wide publicity regarding advantages of Electric Smart meters.
The meeting was attended by Chief Engineer (Distribution), KPDCL, Superintending Engineer Circle Ist, KPDCL, Executive Engineers of O&M Div Ist and 4th, AEE’s and Territorial SDO’s and officials of Turnkey Contractors(Anvil Cables and Techno Ltd)—(KNO)
[ad_2]
#Power #curtailment #reduced #cent #KPDCL
( With inputs from : roshankashmir.net )

March 14, 2023
JK Spending Rs 118500 Cr In 2023-24, 39 per cent for Salary, Pension

[ad_1]
SRINAGAR: Presenting her fourth consecutive budget estimates for federally ruled Jammu and Kashmir, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Union territory will spend Rs 118500 crore in fiscal 2023-24. The estimates were presented in the Lok Sabha on March 13, 2014.
Nirmala Sitharaman
The budget has put the funds for developmental activity slightly lesser than the estimates of the current fiscal. The capital expenditure stands at Rs 41491 crore. For fiscal 2022-23 – end on March 31, 2023, the overall developmental budget was put at Rs 41335 crore. However, the documents laid on the table put the revised estimates of the capital expenditure at Rs 31785 crore only indicating a failure in spending Rs 10,550 crore.
The budget estimates suggest that Rs 33530 crore will go as salaries, Rs 11563 as pension to the superannuating staff and Rs 8641 were g to “other” heads that are part of the primary revenue expenditure. That means 38.86 per cent of the total budget will go to the staff that man the government. Against booking an expenditure of Rs 44718 crore in 2022-23, the government would spend Rs 46055 crore on salary and pension of its staff in 2023-24.
JK Budget 2023-24: Read FM Nirmala Sitharaman Speech
The other key committed expenditures include Rs 9635 crore as interest payment – almost eight per cent of the overall expenditure. For the current fiscal the interest payments are at Rs 9076 crore.
For debt repayments – part of the capital expenditure, the budget has set aside a resource of Rs 8099 crore. For 2022-23, the target was to repay Rs 3521 crore but the administration eventually paid back Rs 5030 crore.
Interestingly, the budget has reduced the resource allocation for power purchases during 2023-24. It stands at Rs 3040 crore. In her last budget estimates, the resource allocated for power purchase for water-abundant and energy deficit Jammu and Kashmir at Rs 5000 crore. However, the revised estimates suggest only Rs 3074 crore was spent.
The capital expenditure of a territory – state or UT – includes all resources that go into the repayment of debts, advances and loans and the developmental activities. Off late, Jammu and Kashmir’s developmental budget comprises of two major components – the central sponsored schemes and the Prime Minister’s Development Programme (PMDP) plus certain special projects that the administration intends to implement. For 2023-24, the overall funds allocated for developmental activities are Rs 33184 crore, which includes Rs 17961 crores under PMDP and Rs 15223 crore under CSS. The Jammu and Kashmir will offer a mandatory contribution of Rs 3654 crore as its share to access CSS funds.

In fiscal 2022-23, Nirmala Sitharaman budget had allocated Rs 37505 crore for developmental activities of which Rs 19074 crore was under PMDP and other allied projects and Rs 18431 crore of central sponsored schemes. However, the revised estimates laid on the table in Lok Sabha suggest an expenditure of only Rs 26537 crore has been booked, which is Rs 10968 crore less. Was it for the lack of resources or Jammu and Kashmir’s sudden lack of capacity to spend remains unknown.
In the 2023-24 budget, 28 per cent (Rs 33184 crore) would go to pure developmental activities. It was supposed to be 33.2 per cent (Rs 37505 crore) as per the 2022-23 budget. However, the revised estimates suggest only Rs 26537 crore were booked for pure developmental activities, making it 24.84 per cent of the overall expenditure for the current fiscal.
On the income side, Rs 64319 crore (32 per cent) will come from the centre as grants (UTs are not entitled to have a share in the central tax collections so the matching funds are converted into grants), Rs 13174 crore is the tentative GST collection, Rs 1800 crore is the Sales Tax, Rs 2450 crore is the anticipated excise duty and another Rs 2925 crore will come from other taxable sources. The non-tax incomes have been estimated to be Rs 13593 crore of which Rs 6000 crore is expected to be the power tariff. The budget suggested Jammu and Kashmir will have additional resource mobilisation of Rs 7800 crore in the next fiscal. It includes many items including asset monetisation.
In fiscal 2022-23, the budget estimates had anticipated receiving 34116 crore from its own resource – tax plus non-tax. However, it ended up receiving only Rs 28012 crore. Though the all tax collections were achieved, the shortfall was in power tariff collections (got Rs 4609 instead of Rs 5000 crore) and additional resource mobilisation – it has project raising Rs 8802 crore but actually manage only Rs 2484 crore, according to revised estimates put in the budget papers. In the current fiscal, the Jammu and Kashmir government saved on power purchase – spent only Rs 3074 crore against a target of Rs 5000 crore and paid more interest (on debts) which was estimated to be Rs 7427 crore but ended up at Rs 9076 crore.
In the current fiscal ending March 31, 2022, the budget details said the overall expenditure booked by Jammu and Kashmir was at Rs 102445 crore of which 35208 crore went to capital expenditure, asset creation and interest payments.
Offering an idea about the overall income for funding the budget, the official budget documents suggest that 32 per cent will come as entitled central grants: 10 per cent is borrowing (debts), seven per cent is the PMDP fund; 16 per cent will be the central sponsored scheme funds; 17 per cent is Jammu and Kashmir’s own tax revenue; 11 per cent is Jammu and Kashmir’s own non-tax revenue and the balance seven per cent will be the additional resource mobilisation.
By the end of 2021-22, the total liabilities stand at Rs 101462 crore, which is almost 52 per cent of Jamu and Kashmir’s SGDP of Rs 195118 (on 2011-12 base at current prices). The budget plans to raise loans (capital receipts) of Rs 12439 crore, which includes Rs 1505 crore of negotiated loans, Rs 10128 crore of market borrowings.

[ad_2]
#Spending #cent #Salary #Pension
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 14, 2023
40 per cent of J&K population to pay no tax; remaining to pay Rs 600 to Rs 1000 maximum annually, says LG Manoj Sinha

[ad_1]
Srinagar, Feb 27: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that 40 per cent of the J&K population will have to pay no property tax and the remaining 60 per cent have to pay nominal amount between Rs 600 to Rs 1000 maximum amount per annum. He said that tax amount fixed is one-tenth of the tax being paid by Shimla, Ambala and Dehradun.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at SKICC here, the LG as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said in J&K, 2, 0, 3,680 households are less than 1500 Sq feet.
“Fourty per cent people won’t have to pay the tax. Eighty percent of the 2,0,3680 households will have to pay nominal amount of Rs 600 only while rest will have to pay a nominal amount of Rs 1000 as property tax per annum. This amount is one-tenth of the tax amount being paid by Shimla, Ambala and Dehradun,” the LG Sinha said.
About the commercial including shops, the LG said that 1,01000 shops are in J&K of which 42 per cent shops are less than 100 sq feet. “These shops will have to pay less than Rs 700 per anum. 76 per cent of the total shops of 1,1000 shops will have to pay very minimum amount as the property tax,” he said, adding that the amount collected will directly go into the accounts of Municipal Corporations and utilized for the development of the areas where tax will be collected.
“I urge the common people of J&K to come forward and help build a better J&K,” the LG said.
Pertinently, the J&K government announced imposition of property tax in the UT from April 1. The move evoked sharp criticism from the cross section of the society and the political parties, who demanded immediate rollback of the order.
[ad_2]
#cent #population #pay #tax #remaining #pay #maximum #annually #Manoj #Sinha

( With inputs from : roshankashmir.net )

February 27, 2023
93 per cent of Pakistanis stand for ban on cigarette sale: Survey

[ad_1]
Islamabad: The findings of a study have shown that 93 percent of Pakistanis agreed that the sale of cigarettes should be banned.
A Gallup and Gilani Pakistan survey reported that a nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across the country was asked the following question, “Do you think the sale of cigarettes should be banned?”
In response to this question, 93 percent replied yes while 7 per cent responded no, Xinhua news agency reported.
The rural-urban breakdown for the responses stated that 3 percent more people from urban areas stand for banning the sale of cigarettes, the report added.
An analysis of the provincial breakdown shows that the highest percentage of people who opt for a ban on cigarette sale belongs to the country’s eastern Punjab and southern Sindh provinces as 94 percent of people from both parts said yes.
Meanwhile 93 per cent from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presented the same reply.
The southwestern Balochistan province recorded the lowest per cent among the provinces as 87 per cent said that the sale of cigarettes should be banned, according to the survey.

Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#cent #Pakistanis #stand #ban #cigarette #sale #Survey
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 24, 2023