Coal unions protest 'privatisation' move; to strike on 24th November

The steering committee of the central trade unions met at Ranchi and served a joint notice on the token strike in the coal industry including Coal India and Singareni Collieries, Secretary General of Indian National Mine Workers' Federation S Q Zama said.
  
The call for the strike, which coincides with the opening day of Parliament, came ten days after the government issued an ordinance to e-auction coal blocks enabling private sector firms, barring those convicted for offences related to mines allotment, to bid. The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Ordinance 2014, got Presidential nod on October 21.
  
The unions, which also included INTUC, CITU, AITUC and HMS, demanded scrapping of the enabling clause for commercial mining by private players and stopping of further disinvestment and restructuring of CIL.
  
The unions are also seeking first preference to CIL and its subsidiaries before auctioning of any coal block, besides steps to revive units like Dankuni Coal Complex, CIL subsidiary Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL) and Assam's North Eastern Coalfields.
  
Left parties have also opposed the ordinance, with AITUC General Secretary Gurudas Dasgupta earlier saying the decision of the government on coal blocks "has a covert implication. It is a back-door entry for taking over the entire coal sector by the private corporates".
  
All India Coal Workers Federation General Secretary Jibon Roy had also warned of nationwide protests if the government implemented any enabling provision to allow commercial mining by private companies.
  
The Supreme Court had last month quashed allotment of 214 coal mines to various companies since 1993 on the ground that they were done in an illegal manner by an "ad-hoc and casual" approach "without application of mind".
  
Allocation of coal blocks became a political issue after Comptroller and Auditor General alleged arbitrariness and absence of any criteria in the screening process and pegged notional loss to the exchequer at Rs 1.86 lakh crore.

Source: News in Hindi and Newspaper

I-T department to prosecute about 300 foreign bank account holders

Officials said the department has informed the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted to go into the issue, to allow it to start the "first step of prosecution" under two sections of the Income Tax Act.
   
Prosecution is being sought under Section 277 (false statement in verification) and 276 D (failure to produce documents) so that the department can share information with other enforcement agencies like the ED and CBI, they said.
  
The sources said the department has already realised Rs. 200 in taxes and penalties from some of these account holders who have accepted to holding these accounts abroad.  There could be another Rs.200 crore to Rs.300 crore in taxes and penalties that could be realised from the others, they said.
  
"The list of 627 Indians submitted to the apex court today has close to 300 people against whom prosecution action can be launched soon. Basic prosecution, at least under select sections of the I-T Act. While some 120 cases are already under prosecution these fresh individuals and entities can also be booked based on prima facie evidence gathered by tax sleuths," sources said.
  
They said this will enable the SIT to hand over some vital information to agencies like Enforcement Directorate and CBI who could take action under their mandates and the laws that they enforce.
  
International and bilateral treaties allow a member nation to share such information obtained by one agency with others only at the stage of prosecution or when the matter is in the purview of courts of the land.
  
"The SIT has agreed to this and we expect to file new prosecutions sooner than later. In these 300 cases the I-T department has some evidence," they said.
    
Officials said these cases pertain to the years 1999-2000 and they will get "time barred" by March 2015 and hence there is "no time to loose" for the authorities.
    
Sources privy to the contents of these lists said there are a number of "established" cases where the foreign account is genuine and has been reflected in tax statements filed by the individual or entity.

Source: News in Hindi and Newspaper

Narendra Modi may expand Cabinet after 12th June

The tragic demise of Union Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde on Tuesday and several ministers handling more than one or two portfolios have necessitated the expansion of Modi Cabinet.

Munde was inducted in Union Council of Ministers for the first time last month. He was appointed as the Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Currently, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is looking after Defence Ministry too. Speculations are rife that senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi may be accommodated in Modi Cabinet as Defence Minister.

Reports also suggest that Modi will induct more than a dozen ministers in his Cabinet. Earlier on May 26, Modi along with 45 other ministers took oath.  

On June 9, President Pranab Mukherjee will address the Joint Sitting of both the Houses of Parliament, outlining the roadmap of Narendra Modi-led government. The discussion on the Motion of Thanks will be taken up as per the original schedule on June 10 and 11 before the session is adjourned sine die.

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