News- BJP Parliamentary Board asks Yeddyurappa to resign

BJP Parliamentary Board asks Yeddyurappa to resign

In Karnataka, BJP National General Secretary Dharmendra Pradhan said in Bangalore on Thursday that the legislative party meeting convened on Friday will take a unanimous decision on the leadership in the state. State Party President K S Eeswarappa said a whip has been issued to all party MLAs to participate in Friday's meeting. BJP leaders Rajnath Singh and Arun Jailtely are reaching Bangalore Friday morning to implement the Parliamentary Board decision of the party.
The BJP Parliamentary Board had earlier asked Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa to step down immediately. Party spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said that all senior leaders of the party have unanimously decided that the leadership of the Karnataka BJP legislature party should be changed.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Opposition in Karnataka and Congress party leader Siddaramaiah has requested the Governor to initiate action against Chief Minister Yeddyurappa and all others named in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining. He said the case should be handed over to the CBI. Speaking to media persons in Bangalore, he said the Lokayukta report has named four ministers and 787 officials responsible for illegal mining in the state and hence the BJP government in the state has no moral right to continue.

After the Party Parliamentary Board decision to drop Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister of Karnataka, speculation is rife about his successor. Several names are being taken but officially no successor of Yeddyurappa is announced. The Reddy brothers and their close associate Sriramulu who are mine owners and powerful ministers are implicated by Lokayukta. They have said that they will abide by party decision. The first chief minister of the BJP in south India B S Yeddyurappa took reign of the State Government in May 2008. Another 22 months still remain, as the term of the current state legislative assembly will last till May 2013.

News-Cabinet approves draft Lokpal Bill

Cabinet approves draft Lokpal Bill

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the enactment of a new legislation, in the form of Lokpal Bill-2011 to inquire into the allegations of corruption. Briefing the media, after a meeting of the cabinet, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Mrs. Ambika Soni said the bill will be introduced in Monsoon session of Parliament beginning on Monday. The Prime Minister and the higher judiciary will not come under the purview of the Lokpal Bill but the former Prime Ministers have been brought under its ambit.

She said the Lokpal will constitute of a Chairperson and eight members, half of them will be judicial members. The Bill provides for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into the allegations of corruption. The Lokpal will also have powers to attach the property of corrupt public servants acquired through corrupt means. In reply to a question, Law minister Salman Khursheed said, Lokpal will have separate wings on inquiry and investigation but no power to prosecute. Mr Khursheed said Prosecution has to be done by judiciary. He said that the draft legislation, which has included some of the provisions of the Jan Lokpal Bill proposed by Team Anna Hazare, gives permission to Lokpal to probe any Union Minister or officials of Group A and above without any sanction.

news- 300 Political Parties never filed Income Tax

300 Registered Political Parties never filed Income Tax Return

A country-wide probe conducted by the Income Tax Department has found that 300 registered political parties have never filed their income tax returns. The Election Commission has now directed the Income Tax Department to issue notices to them. The EC asked the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to ascertain the financial status of these small parties for alleged violation of tax laws and money laundering. The CBDT conducted a probe on this issue and has submitted a report to the election panel. A number of political parties also do not possess permanent account or PAN numbers. It was alleged that people are floating such political parties in large numbers to evade taxes as the donations to them are exempted from income tax.

News- President calls for war against black money

President calls for war against black money

The President Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil today said that the war against black money has to be fought both domestically and through cross border measures. Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the year long celebrations commemorating 150 years of Income Tax in the country, Mrs. Patil emphasized for better global co-operation to track down evaders taking shelter in other countries.

The President said, an environment of voluntary tax compliance has to be fostered and nurtured in the country. She said, the importance of meeting tax obligations has to be ingrained in the minds of children as they can be made tax responsible citizens of tomorrow. Speaking on broad policy issues on taxation, Mrs. Patil said the interface with compliant taxpayers, especially small taxpayers, senior citizens and pensioners must be initiated and maintained on a continuous basis, for a feedback on difficulties being faced by them. She said the use of electronic modes for filing returns should be further popularised for greater efficiency.
The President expressed confidence that with the widening of the present taxpayer base by about 3.5 crore taxpayers, the direct tax-to-GDP ratio will rise beyond the present figure of 6.1 per cent.

The President also released a book on the completion of 150 years of Income Tax.
Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, E- governance initiatives are being taken for better management of taxes. He said direct tax collection is about 56 per cent of total tax collection. Mr. Mukherjee said the Direct tax code, DTC, when enacted, will further simplify tax regime and will be more transparent and tax payer friendly.

News-Govt files review petition in SC on Black Money

Govt files review petition in Supreme Court on black money case

The Union government today filed a review petition in the Supreme Court seeking to recall and reconsider its earlier judgement of handing over the investigation in black money case to Special Investigating Team (SIT).

A bench comprising Justices B Sudarshan Reddy (since retired) and S S Nijjar had appointed SIT headed by former Supreme Court judge B P Jeevan Reddy to investigate the black money case. Another retired Supreme Court judge M B Shah was made the Vice-Chairman of SIT and the government appointed high power committee headed by Union revenue secretary who was also made part of SIT. The Union government in its review petition has contended that the job of investigation into an offence is the job of statutory investigation agency and such agency cannot be subjected to the supervision of retired judges, bureaucrats or private individuals and such a course amounts to expressing lack of faith in the investigating agency. The Union government has prayed for stay of the operation of the SIT order passed on July 5. The government has also pleaded that the matter may be referred to a larger bench.

News- Supreme Court appoints special Investigation team on black money issue

Supreme Court appoints SIT to probe black money cases

The Supreme Court has appointed a high-level Special Investigation Team, SIT, headed by former apex court judge B P Jeevan Reddy to monitor the investigation and the steps being taken to bring back black money stashed away in foreign banks.

Besides Justice Reddy, who will be the Chairman of the SIT, the apex court also appointed its former judge, Justice M B Shah as the Vice-Chairman of the panel.

A Bench comprising Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar directed that the High-Level Committee constituted by the government to look into the issue of black money, would "forthwith" be a part of the SIT.

The Bench also directed the government to disclose the names of all the persons who have been issued show cause notices by the authorities in connection with the probe into the black money issue.

The Court, however, made it clear that the authorities would not disclose the names of those who have not been investigated in connection with deposits made in foreign banks including Liechtenstein bank.

The Court passed the order on a petition filed by eminent jurist Ram Jethmalani and others seeking directions to the government to track black money stashed away abroad and bring it back.

The BJP today welcomed the Supreme Court decision to appoint a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a former Supreme Court judge to investigate the black money case. Party spokesman Prakash Javadekar said the action of the Supreme Court showed that even the judiciary felt that nothing much was done by the government to bring back the black money stashed abroad.

News-Consensus on strong and effective Lokpal Bill

All Party Meet Meet- Consensus on strong and effective Lokpal Bill
An all party meeting convened by the Prime Minister in New Delhi last evening agreed that the government should bring before the next session of Parliament a strong and effective Lokpal Bill following the established procedures.

According to the sources, who attended the meeting, the political parties have asked the government to first table the bill in Parliament so that a proper discussion on the issue could follow.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Prime Minister reiterated government's commitment to enact a Lokpal Act, which provides for a strong, effective and quick institutional arrangement for tackling corruption at high places.

Dr Manmohan Singh reaffirmed that the bill will be presented before Parliament in the coming Monsoon Session.

Urging the parties to arrive at the widest possible consensus, he assured that their views will be appropriately taken into account while presenting a suitable bill in Parliament.

Acknowledging that the corruption is a major issue today, the Prime Minister drew the attention of the political parties to the fact that there are enough legal and institutional arrangements in place to tackle corruption.

Dr Manmohan Singh noted that there is a feeling that the institutional arrangements in place are not strong enough to ensure that the guilty, especially those occupying high positions, are brought to book swiftly and given deterrent punishment.

The Prime Minister emphasised that to achieve the objective, the Lokpal has to work in harmony with other institutions and laws and within the framework of the basic structure of the Constitution.

He underlined that the Constitution provides for an intricate system of checks and balances and the new institution of Lokpal has to find an appropriate place in that matrix.

Dr Manmohan Singh had convened the meeting of all political parties in the backdrop of differences between the representatives of government and civil society in the drafting committee on certain provisions of the bill.

After the meeting, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said her party did not agree with a number of provisions of government's Lokpal bill like selection and jurisdiction. She said, BJP will present views on Lokpal bill when it is discussed in Parliament.

The meeting was attended by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, union ministers - Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, M Veerappa Moily, Salman Khurshid and Pawan Kumar Bansal. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel (both NCP), and T R Baalu (DMK) were among UPA constituents to attend the deliberations.

The Opposition was represented by BJP leaders L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, NDA Convenor and JD (U) chief Sharad Yadav, S S Dhindsa of SAD, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), Gurudas Dasgupta and D Raja (both CPI), Lalu Prasad (RJD) and V Maitreyan and M Thambidurai (both AIADMK), S C Mishra (BSP) and Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) at the meeting.

The government is learnt to have presented to the parties a comparative draft of the provisions of the Lokpal Bill suggested by the civil society and those put forward by the five union ministers in the Joint Drafting Committee.

News-Centre appoints new CVC

Centre appoints New Chief Vigilance Commissioner Appointed

Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar has been chosen to be next Chief Vigilance Commissioner. Pradeep Kumar, who retires as Defence Secretary on the 31st of this month was chosen by consensus by a panel comprising Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. But his selection has been not been officially announced as yet. Mr.Kumar, a Haryana cadre IAS officer of the 1972 batch, was Secretary, Defence Production, before taking over as Defence Secretary.