National
GST collection on upswing, close to Rs 90,000 cr: Adhia
New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) Revenue collection under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) increased by Rs 1,217 crore in February to Rs 89,264 crore as per the month-end figures, Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said on Monday.
Last week, the Finance Ministry released initial figures of the GST collection for February which showed a decline in revenue by Rs 1,144 crore compared to January. The data then showed that February collection was Rs 85,174 crore.
Adhia said the figures are usually released between the 24th and 26th of every month, but the end-month figures end up a few thousand crore rupees higher than the initial figures.
“GST collection for February (collected in March) stand at Rs 89,264 crore showing an upswing in revenue collection trends. Now we are approaching the Rs 90,000 crore mark,” he said.
As per the figures released by the government, the GST collection for January stood at Rs 88,047 crore. In December, it was Rs 88,929 crore.
Noting that February was a 28-day month, Adhia attributed the upswing in collections to increased compliance and the end of the financial year when people like to clear their dues.
“GST collections will pick up further as compliance requirements are enforced like the rollout of the e-way bill from this month.”
He added that even though “it was a year of uncertainty in terms of revenue, the government broadly managed to achieve both direct and indirect tax targets” for the fiscal.
“We are also confident about meeting the fiscal deficit target,” Adhia said.
Calling the rollout of e-way bill “very successful and with no glitches”, the Finance Secretary said at this rate, the government will soon launch the same for intra-state movement of goods as well.
“We plan to launch the intra-state e-way bill for the first group of states from April 15 after which another group of states will be added each week,” he said.
GSTN chairman A.B. Pandey said while 2.59 lakh e-way bills were generated on Sunday, over 2.89 lakh bills were generated till 4 p.m. on Monday.
“This means that around 60,000 e-way bills are being generated every hour. We expect this number to rise further. We are prepared for even higher traffic.”
He said while over 11 lakh dealers had registered for the e-way system, over 20,000 transporters had also registered.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.