National
Odisha government seeks revision of coal royalty in Union Budget
New Delhi/Bhubaneswar, Jan 18 (IANS) The Odisha government on Thursday asked the Centre to revise the coal royalty and also for change in the sharing pattern of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Odisha Finance Minister, Sashi Bhusan Behera made the demands while participating in the pre-budget consultation meeting held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
“The royalty on coal was last revised by Government of India in April 2012. As per norm, the rate of royalty on coal should be revised every three years, which was due for revision in April 2015. Hence, Government of India should revise the royalty on coal immediately without further delay,” said Behera.
On changing the sharing pattern of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), Behera said as per recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission the sharing pattern of SDRF should be changed from 75:25 to 90:10 once GST is in place.
As the GST has been implemented from July 1, 2017, the sharing pattern may be changed to 90:10 between Centre and the State; and Government of India should release the Central share accordingly, he added.
He also demanded Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for the purpose of providing guarantees in respect of borrowers in the farm sector.
Credit Guarantee Fund for loans for agriculture and allied sectors can serve as a credit enhancement mechanism for the perspective borrowers in the farm sector, he added.
He said the Centre should set up a separate credit guarantee trust fund preferably under NABARD to facilitate smooth flow of long term credit to the prospective borrowers in the farm sector.
He said there should be an advance indication about the annual allocation of Central assistance for each state at the time of budget formulation so that the states would be able to prepare their budgets on a realistic basis.
The Minister sought an exemption of Income Tax on the interest income of District Mineral Foundations from bank deposits.
The state government has requested the union government on several occasions to exempt interest earnings of DMF Trust Board from Income Tax.
The central government may issue suitable notification with regard to exemption of DMF Trusts from Income Tax as the DMF Trusts funds are being utilized towards the direct benefit of the persons living in and for development of the areas affected by mining operations, said Behera.
He informed that financial inclusion in Odisha is constrained by lack of brick and mortar bank branches and lack of connectivity in the state.
Informing that Odisha is a connectivity deficit state with overall tele-density of about 83 per cent and rural tele-density of about 50 per cent, he said instruction may be issued from the Union Ministry of Finance to all banks to open bank branches in identified unbanked gram panchayats.
Besides, Behera also wanted cess and surcharge of the Customs duty and Direct Taxes should be gradually eliminated, establishment of Eastern Industrial Corridor between Vishakhapatnam and Kolkata through Odisha, and provision of sufficient funds for development and maintenance of National Highway.
–IANS
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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.
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