Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh GST collections stood at Rs 28,181.86 crore by January end recording a hike of 6.91 per cent in the same period last year, an official release said on Thursday.
At a review meeting on revenue generating departments held here on Thursday, officials told Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy that the State is gradually overcoming Covid-19 blues while GST and other revenues are closer to targets.
They explained that the GST gross collections in the state till December 2022 stood at 26.2 per cent as against the national average of 24.8 per cent surpassing Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat in which the collections stood at 17.3 per cent, 24.9 per cent and 20.2 per cent respectively.
The total tax collections (GST, Excise, professional tax and taxes on petrol and diesel) stood at Rs 43,206.03 crore by January 2023 as against the target of Rs. 46,231crore, the officials explained and said the State achieved 94 per cent of the targets fixed for tax collection.
Officials from the Mining Department explained that they are confident of achieving the target of Rs 5,000 crore as they are striving to revive non-functioning mines.
While the Department earned Rs 2,220 crore by February 6, 2022, it achieved the target by earning Rs 3,649 crore revenue as on February 6 in the present fiscal.
Officials of the Transport Department told the CM that they have achieved revenue of Rs 3,657.89 crore as against the target of Rs 3,852.93 crore by January in the present fiscal.
San Francisco: Led by the technology sector, US-based employers announced 102,943 cuts in January, a massive 136 per cent increase from the 43,651 cuts announced in December, a new report has said.
It is 440 per cent higher than the 19,064 cuts announced in the same month in 2022, according to a report by global outplacement and business and executive coaching firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.
The technology sector announced the most cuts with 41,829, 41 per cent of all cuts, announced in January. From Amazon to Meta, from Alphabet to Google, almost every big tech company laid off employees in thousands.
It is 158 per cent higher than the 16,193 cuts announced in December 2022 and 57,996 per cent higher than the 72 tracked in January 2022.
Since November 2022, which saw the highest monthly total for the sector since Challenger began tracking in 1993 with 52,771, technology companies have announced 110,793 job cuts. January’s total is the second-highest for the sector on record, the findings showed.
“We’re now on the other side of the hiring frenzy of the pandemic years,” said Andrew Challenger, labor expert and Senior Vice President of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.
“Companies are preparing for an economic slowdown, cutting workers and slowing hiring,” he added.
The media industry announced 754 cuts in January, the highest monthly total since 1,001 cuts were announced in June 2021.
Of those, 360 were in digital, print, and broadcast news organisations.
In January, US employers announced plans to hire 32,764 workers, primarily in entertainment/leisure. This is down 58 per cent from the 77,630 announced in January 2022 and down 37 per cent from the 51,693 new jobs employers announced in December of last year, said the report.
San Francisco: Led by the technology sector, US-based employers announced 102,943 cuts in January, a massive 136 percent increase from the 43,651 cuts announced in December, a new report has said.
It is 440 percent higher than the 19,064 cuts announced in the same month in 2022, according to a report by global outplacement and business and executive coaching firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.
The technology sector announced the most cuts with 41,829, 41 percent of all cuts, announced in January. From Amazon to Meta, from Alphabet to Google, almost every big tech company laid off employees thousands.
It is 158 percent higher than the 16,193 cuts announced in December 2022 and 57,996 percent higher than the 72 tracked in January 2022.
Since November 2022, which saw the highest monthly total for the sector since Challenger began tracking in 1993 with 52,771, technology companies have announced 110,793 job cuts. January’s total is the second-highest for the sector on record, the findings showed.
“We’re now on the other side of the hiring frenzy of the pandemic years,” said Andrew Challenger, a labor expert and Senior Vice President of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.
“Companies are preparing for an economic slowdown, cutting workers and slowing hiring,” he added.
The media industry announced 754 cuts in January, the highest monthly total since 1,001 cuts were announced in June 2021.
Of those, 360 were in digital, print, and broadcast news organizations.
In January, US employers announced plans to hire 32,764 workers, primarily in entertainment/leisure. This is down 58 percent from the 77,630 announced in January 2022 and down 37 percent from the 51,693 new jobs employers announced in December of last year, said the report.
Hyderabad: Hyderabad Traffic Police as part of their campaign against drunk driving in the city have booked 4236 cases against violators in January.
In 3680 cases, cops filed charge sheets against the violators, and a total of 365 of them were awarded jail terms ranging from one to 15 days. Fines were imposed on the rest of the violators.
During the campaign against drunk driving in Hyderabad, 72 violators even lost their driving licenses.
Meanwhile, minors who were caught driving vehicles were ordered to render community and social services.
Drunk driving in Hyderabad
Drunk driving is a serious violation in Hyderabad, as well as across India, and the Hyderabad traffic police are taking a tough stance on irresponsible behavior.
It not only poses a serious threat to the driver but also to other road users. The campaign by the city traffic police serves as a reminder for all to say no to drunk driving.
In order to curb the violation, traffic police are not only imposing fines but also canceling licenses. In some cases, cops are ensuring that violators are awarded jail terms.
A criminal offense
Under the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, drunk driving is a criminal offense and violators can face severe legal penalties.
There are provisions of imprisonments, fines, and suspension of driving licenses.
In the case of repeat offenders who get caught more than once for drunk driving in Hyderabad and in other parts of the country, penalties can be more severe.
Islamabad: Since July 2019, January 2023 has been the deadliest month in Pakistan as 134 people lost their lives, a 139 percent spike, and 254 others were injured in at least 44 terror attacks across the country, according to statistics.
The figures released by the Islamabad-based think-tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) revealed the pattern of terrorist attacks continued in the new year, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remaining one of the worst-hit regions, reports Dawn news.
Although the number of terror incidents slightly declined in January, the fatalities increased by 139 percent, mainly due to the January suicide blast at a mosque in Peshawar which resulted in the death of 101 people.
In January, two suicide bombings were recorded — one in Peshawar and the other one in the Khyber tribal district.
At the same time, the security forces foiled a number of attacks by arresting at least 52 suspected militants, mainly from Punjab, and killing 40 suspects, mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa not only the militant attacks increased from 17 to 27, but the resultant deaths also increased from 17 to 116 compared to December 2022, Dawn news quoted the think-tank as saying.
At least 232 people were also injured in the province, most of them police officials wounded in the Peshawar blast.
However, militant attacks declined in Balochistan during January, where only nine militant attacks were reported compared to 17 attacks in December 2022.
The resultant deaths also dropped from 14 to 7 and the number of wounded declined from 48 to 20. Bolan, Panjgur, Kalat, Khuzdar, Mastung, and Quetta were the affected districts during the month.
Meanwhile, in Punjab, four militant attacks were reported in which three security forces personnel were killed while two low-profile attacks were reported in Sindh in which one person died, Dawn news reported.
The most high-profile attack was carried out in Mianwali’s Makarwal police station by “around two dozen TTP militants” on January 31.
The attack was repulsed, but it showed the numerical strength and ability of banned outfits to mobilize armed militants across the KP and Punjab border.
One attack each was reported in Rawalpindi, DG Khan, and Khanewal, the report claimed.
Colombo: Sri Lanka received more than 100,000 tourists in January 2023, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said.
Fernando told the media on Wednesday that 82,327 tourists arrived in January last year and the number has risen to 102,545 in January this year.
He added that tourist arrivals are increasing due to the improved situation and the promotional activities carried out in the South Asian island country, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the Minister, 719,978 tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2022.
The country’s earnings from tourism are estimated at more than $1.1 billion last year, compared to $507 million in 2021, according to the central bank.
Colombo: Sri Lanka’s inflation decreased to 54.2 percent in January from 57.2 percent in December 2022, the country’s Department of Census and Statistics reported.
Inflation of food dropped to 60.1 percent in January from 64.4 percent in December, the department said on Tuesday.
Inflation in the non-food category decreased to 51 percent in January from 53.4 percent in the previous month, it added.
In November, the inflation was 65 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported.
Last week the country’s central bank kept interest rates unchanged, stating that the current tight monetary policy was necessary to tame inflation and restore economic stability.
It said that inflation will be reduced to single digits by the end of the year.
Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha addressed the Republic Day gathering in Jammu in 2023.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said that every drop of blood and tears that were shed in Jammu and Kashmir due to the killings of innocents at the behest of the “neighbouring” country will be avenged. Highlighting the interventions aimed at getting Jammu and Kashmir back on the rails of peace and progress, Sinha said there are sustained efforts of the security grid to eradicate militancy. “I want to tell those involved in the barbaric killings of innocents at the behest of the neighbouring country that we will avenge every drop of blood and tears”, Sinha said. “Today, I bow to the brave soldiers of Jammu and Kashmir police, army and central security forces, who displayed unmatched heroism and the spirit of sacrifice in defending the motherland.” In 2022, the security grid killed 180 militants as the year witnessed a 55 per cent fall in civilian killings and a 58 per cent reduction in the killing of security forces. He said the security grid has been strengthened.
Jammu and Kashmir Police have constituted a 20-member Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) that will be headed by an SSP rank officer and will have six DySPs, six inspectors, six head constables and a follower.
POONCH
Army imparting training to Village Defence Committee (VDC) members on weapon handling, cleaning, musketry, firing and weapon maintenance drills at Mendhar (Poonch). Pic: PRO defence Jammu
In the first post-reorganisation of VDC, a young housewife in Surankote was killed by her husband when the latter was playing with the rifle of a VDC member, a relative. Police arrested the man, seized the weapon and are investigating if it was an accident or a deliberate one. The deceased was identified as Rubina Kouser, 30. Her husband, now in detention for the killing, was identified as Nassar Ahmad son of Nazir Hussain of Upper Murrah in Surankote. The rifle belonged to a VDC member. Meanwhile, the High Court has declined to stay the government order of August 14, 2022, that accorded sanction to the creation of the Village Defence Guards Scheme (VDGS) 2022. The court of Justice Rahul Bharti was hearing a plea filed by 619 Village Defence Guards (VDGs) and Special Police Officers (SPOs) seeking direction to the Government not to change the status of VDC SPOs. The 2022 order superseded September 30, 1995, which created the extra-constitutional VDC network.
2022 witnessed 1.8 crore tourist arrivals in Jammu and Kashmir including pilgrims to the Vaishno Devi shrine.
CHENNAI
Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha attends Vitasta Festival at Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai on January 28, 2023. Image DIPR
Ministry of Culture is organising a festival Vitasta – the ever-flowing legacy of Kashmir in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Jammu and Kashmir. The first edition of the festival will be held from January 27 to 30, at Kalakshetra, and on January 29, at Dakshina Chitra. It will have a choreographed dance presentation of the Kashmiri folk dance forms, a folk symphony with Kashmiri folk musical instruments, a unique presentation of two folk theatre forms – Bhand Pather of Kashmir and Therukoothu of Tamil Nadu, a recital by Santoor player music composer and conductor, Abhay Rustum Sopori, Kashmiri Sufi Band by Aabha Hanjura, Kashmiri cuisine fair, crafts fair with the handicrafts, needlework and weaves of Kashmir, workshops on pashmina wool weaving and papier mâché, seminars related to the Vitasta river and Kashmir including the impact of Buddhism and Shaivism, art camp for artists, an art competition for schoolchildren, a play, photography exhibition, Sharada Stotram by the students of Kalakshetra, a production on national integration based on a literary work by Subramania Bharathi by the students of Kalakshetra, and villu pattu on Vitasta.
32000 students from across India study in Jammu and Kashmir, according to Home Minister Amit Shah.
LADAKH
LAB, KDA hold protest in Jammu on Sunday, January 16, 2022
China is reported to have blocked access to the Indian Army at 26 patrolling points along the Line of Actual Control (LoAC) in eastern Ladakh, resulting in the denial to use huge swatches of grazing land to the local herdsmen. A Leh Police reports suggest that there are a total of 65 PPs (patrolling points) starting from Karakoram Pass to Chumur which were routinely being patrolled by the army. These points were openings towards high-altitude meadows as well. The access has been denied by the Chinese Army under the land grabbing inch by inch, which is called salami slicing, the report authored by OPS officer PD Nitya has said. The officer submitted its report to the just concluded annual conference of DGPs and IGPs held in Delhi. “Out of 65 PPs, our presence is lost in 26 PPs (i.e. PP no. 5-17, 24-32, 37), due to restrictive or no patrolling by the security forces,” the paper added. Though the government has not formally reacted to the findings, informal sources have denied the status quo. The anonymous said the herders have been restricted by the army itself.
Meanwhile, in an unlinked development, reports suggest that the MHA will resume talks with the protesting political leadership of the region seeking assurance for full statehood, and protection of the region’s identity under the Sixth Schedule and jobs. Region’s leaders have boycotted a High Power Committee that MHA constituted and protested in Ladakh and then in Jammu. Now, the regional leaders have written a joint letter to Amit Shah suggesting that to begin with, dialogue should be initiated with two representatives each of LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) with the provision of wider participation as it makes headway.
Jammu and Kashmir Bank netted Rs 311.59 crore profit in Q3, ending December 2022, taking the 9-month profit to Rs 721.05 crore in fiscal 2022.
SRINAGAR
Co-founders of a logistics company, FastBeetle, Abid Rashid (L) and Sheikh Samiullah (R). They got an institutional investment of 100 thousand dollars after their less than 2-year start-up was evaluated as worth a million-dollar company.
Srinagar-based e-commerce start-up, Fast Beetle succeeded in raising Rs 90 lakh by diluting its shareholding by 7.5 per cent to two shark investors, Piyush Bhansal and Aman Gupta. The development took place at the business reality show, Shark Tank India. Investors were impressed by the story of start-up promoters Sheikh Samiullah and Abid Rashid, who in 2019 started a logistics company that delivers parcels to buyers. This is the second time that the company succeeded in raising money from the highly competitive open market. In 2021, they had raised almost one crier from a group of venture capital investors. Now the two co-founders retain 76 per cent of their company’s equity.
Jammu and Kashmir’s government has launched an Rs 879.75-crore Food Processing Programme for the Development of Clusters for Specific Products to maximise farmer income and minimise post-harvest losses.
DELHI
Kashmir’s last Santoor maker Ghulam Mohammad Zaz was among three eminent persons from erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir who were awarded Padma Shri this year. Others are litterateur Mohan Singh (Jammu) and Ladakh’s religious personality Kushok Thisksey Nawang Chamba Stanzin. Zaz is the eighth-generation Santoor maker and lives in Srinagar’s Zaina Kadal. “The legacy will end with me,” he regrets. Santoor is a trapezoid-shaped instrument with 87 strings and 28 bridges. Traditional Kashmiri Santoor, however, has 100 strings. For use in Indian Classical Music, the number of strings is reduced. Zaz is survived by his wife and three daughters. Normally the instrument made with almond wood is considered better.
URI
JK LG Manoj Sinha with the family of Mudasir A Sheikh, an SPO, who was killed in an encounter in Kreeri on May 25. Sinha visited the family in Uri on May 28, 2022.
Mudasir Ahmad, 32, a Jammu and Kashmir Policeman who was slain in a counterinsurgency operation was awarded Shaurya Chakra posthumously. He was killed in an encounter in Najibhat Kreeri (Baramulla) on May 25, 2022. Three foreign militants were also killed in the encounter that was mounted by police, the army and CRPF. On October 5, 2022, Home Minister Amit Shah visited Sheikh’s family and paid respects at his grave barefoot. He has worked undercover earlier, reports in the media suggest. Mudasir is survived by his father Maqsood Sheikh, a retired sub-inspector, mother Shameema Begum, two sisters, and three brothers. Sheikh was hired as SPO after his father’s retirement and on basis of his extraordinary services with SOG, he was formally adjusted into police. He was a daredevil police official.
SRINAGAR
After formally and informally identifying the encroachment on the state land basket, the authorities have started demolitions in certain cases, In a high-voltage operation, the Budgam district administration demolished the outer wall of National Conference (NC) leader Ali Muhammad Sagar’s security detail near his Humhama house. The government had raised a plank suggesting the piece of land had been encroached upon by the politician. Officials said they demolished the outer wall, the main gate and the entry of the guardroom. Official records said the Saleema, wife of Sagar is the owner of land measuring 3 kanal 18 marlas. However, the family had allegedly encroached upon 2 kanals of state land on which a building had been raised.
DODA
Mubeen Fatima was a mother when she enrolled for MSc Botany and soon she fell apart from her husband. She is now a JKAS officer.
Marriage, after all, is a social contract with a lot of emotional, moral, ethical and economic equity. Sometimes it does not succeed. Instead of staying in a bad relationship, it is better to move out formally and rediscover life. That is what Mubeen Fatima did. Daughter of Abdul Sattar of Upper Thathar, Bantalab, the mother of a young daughter, put in her efforts and made it to Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS), with a rank of 154. She graduated in 2018 and was a mother in the same year. As she joined for her masters in Botanay, she was divorced by her husband – conveyed the same digitally. She was declared MSc Botany in 2020 and soon she started preparing for JKAS. On the first attempt, she made it.
ZEWAN
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha with Kashmiri Pandits after he laid foundation stone of Transit Accommodation for PM Package Employees at Zewan on Friday January 20, 2022
The Zewan locality on the borders of the Srinagar and Pulwama districts will have a series of towers that will house a Kashmiri Pandit township. LG Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone last week for 936 flats. These are for the employees who will be posted in Kashmir. In comparison, it is a better-secured locality. LG said by December 2023, 1200 flats will be ready for the Pandit employees who were appointed under a special package of the Prime Minister.
JAMMU
Kanak Mandi Jammu.
Finally, the government has decided to collect Property Tax in Jammu and Kashmir and it will start with commercial establishments. Officials said collection of this tax is linked to the devolution of various grants to Jammu and Kashmir. Slabs for the imposition of the tax are reportedly being worked out. For the time being, it will not be collected from residential establishments.
SRINAGAR
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on one of his initial visits to SKIMS after the institute started functioning. Sheikh was the Chief Minister.
A young SKIMS doctor survived an electric shock while performing on a cardiac patient in the operation theatre. Reports suggest that when he started the procedure, he got an electric shock, following which he collapsed on the ground and was admitted. He has suffered injuries on his hand and fingers. After the shocking incident, SKIMS management started an audit at key spots in the hospital.
Srinagar, Jan 30: In view of heavy snowfall, the University of Kashmir (KU) and Cluster University Srinagar (CUS) Monday postponed all examinations that were scheduled to be held on January-30.
According to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Controller of Examinations at KU, Dr Majid Zaman said fresh dates for the deferred Examinations will be notified separately later.
In the meantime, Controller of Examinations at Cluster University Srinagar also said, “All the examinations of Cluster University Srinagar scheduled on January have been postponed due to inclement weather.”
The official said that fresh dates for postponed papers shall be notified separately—(KNO)
J&K: Important Traffic Advisory For 30th January 2023 in View of Bharat Jodo Yatra
Traffic Advisory for Srinagar on 30th January 2023 in view of Bharat Jodo Yatra. SSP Trafic Sgr
Traffic Advisory for Srinagar on 30th January 2023 in view of Bharat Jodo Yatra. SSP Trafic Sgr
Finale Of Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra Tomorrow, These Opposition Parties To Attend
12 opposition parties will attend the concluding function of Bharat Jodo Yatra on Monday, sources said today. 21 parties were invited for the function, but some are not attending due to security concerns, they said.
Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, and TDP are among the parties to skip the function
MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, CPI(M), CPI, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Kerala Congress, Farooq Abdullah-led Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Mehbooba Mufti’s Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Shibu Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) will attend the function in Srinagar.
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