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GST Council sets up GoM on imposing cess in case of disasters (Lead)

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New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) The GST Council on Friday decided to set up a seven-member Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi to look into Kerala’s demand for imposing an additional cess over GST to meet the financial requirements in case of a natural calamity.

The other members of the GoM include Himanta Biswa Sarma, T.M. Thomas Isaac, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Sashi Bhusan Behera, Manpreet Singh Badal and Prakash Pant, finance ministers of Assam, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab and Uttarakhand, respectively.

The GoM, set up to examine the “modalities for revenue mobilisation in case of natural calamities and disasters”, would submit its recommendations by October 31 after which another meeting of the GST Council will be called to finalise the course of action.

Earlier, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, after the GST Council meeting, said that the committee to consider Kerala’s proposal for imposition of cess for rehabilitation following a disaster would comprise members from the northeastern, hill and coastal states which are most vulnerable to natural calamities.

He said it was important to have a mature view on the issue instead of acting in haste as this would set a precedent for future natural calamities as well.

The Minister said that while there were various views among the council members, all states agreed that something must be done to address the devastating Kerala floods and similar calamities in future.

“One view expressed in the Council was ‘Must the entire burden be borne by the people of the state suffering from natural calamities?’. There was a counterview that this defies the one-nation one-tax principle,” Jaitley said.

He added another view was whether there should be an all-India levy and should it be confined only to some luxury and sin products or on all products.

“There was also a discussion on if the cess should be imposed in the case of all natural calamities or if there should be a distinction. For example, if one or two districts of a state are affected, should there be a levy in that case,” he said.

The Minister said there was a need to have best legal methodologies to address the issue while keeping the constitutional provisions in mind.

He said there was currently a provision to have earmarked funds for natural calamities at the state as well as the national level in the form of State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) which have nothing to do with taxes.

Jaitley said the GoM would also consider if the SDRF and NDRF mechanism were sufficient to address the issue or if more was needed to be done.

“I have been a part of this for five years. Wherever the calamities have happened, the NDRF fund over and above the SDRF has been sufficient in servicing the requirements of the state,” Jaitley added.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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