All India Radio News Summary: 17 SEPTEMBER 2017

All India Radio News Summary: 17 SEPTEMBER 2017

1. Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the Sardar Sarovar Dam

Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia in Narmada district of Gujarat.

• The Prime Minister said lack of water resources has been a major factor in slowing the pace of developmen He said the Project will be help full to bring prosperity among the people in new India. 
• He said through this project the Narmada water will not only benefit the farmers Gujarat but also those from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajashan.
• Sardar Sarovar Dam faced so many obstacles.
• The Prime Minister said, the western part of India lacks adequate water supply and the eastern part is facing the shortage of electricity & gas supply.
• Gujarat Government had successfully provided Narmada water to the BSF jawans on Kutch border by taking it 700 kilo meters away.
• He also hailed the tribal communities for their role in the project.
• Over 18 lakh hectares of land in the state will come under irrigation through the dam as Narmada water will start flowing to more than 9,000 villages of Gujarat through a network of canals.
• After raising the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam to 138.68 meters, it has now total water storage capacity of 4.73 million acre feet. Total 1.2-km-long dam which is 163 meters deep has already produced 4,141 crore units of electricity from its two power houses.
• River bed powerhouse and canal head powerhouse have an installed capacity of 1,200 MW and 250 MW, respectively.
• The project is expected to benefit about 10 lakh farmers through irrigation and about four crore people for drinking water in four states including Rajasthan.
• The dam is likely to provide flood protection to riverside land of 30,000 hectares covering over 200 villages. 

2. I&B ministry urged the media to play an important role in building public opinion and creating awareness

The Information & Broadcasting Ministry has advised Private television channels, FM and community Radio stations to give adequate attention to the on-going cleanliness campaign of the Centre. In Mann Ki Baat programme PM had called upon the nation to undertake a campaign ‘Swachhta Hi Sewa’. The ministry urged the media to play an important role in building public opinion and creating awareness in favour of the campaign.

Union Minister also congratulated people and administration of Abhanpur block of Raipur for constructing record 10 thousand toilets within a span of just 10 days.

3. The new Metro Policy for expanding the metro network across various cities in the country

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister has released the new Metro Policy for expanding the metro network across various cities in the country.

The policy was approved by the Union Cabinet last month.

• The policy provides useful guidance on making viable metro rail proposals.
• All the States to set up Unified Metropolitan Transport Authorities in all the  53 cities with over 10 lakh population each to ensure integration among all modes of transport on a regional basis.
• The new Metro Policy empowers States to make rules and regulations and set up a permanent Fare Fixation Authority for timely revision of fares.
• It also makes Public Private Partnership component mandatory for availing central assistance for new metro projects.

4. UN reforms need to be ‘broad-based’ and ‘all-encompassing’

India has said that the UN reforms need to be ‘broad-based’ and ‘all-encompassing’ and the changes should not be restricted to its Secretariat only.

• Reforms need to be much more broad-based and reforms cannot side step issues related to governance of UN bodies.
• India is among the 120 countries who have supported the reform efforts of the UN Secretary General.

5. The facility has been reopened for small taxpayers with turnover of up to 75 lakh rupees under GSTN

The GST Network said it has reopened the facility for small taxpayers with turnover of up to 75 lakh rupees to opt for composition scheme. Such small taxpayers will have time till September 30 to opt for the scheme, which offers easy compliance for business as returns are to be filed only quarterly.

Taxpayers were earlier given time till August 16 to opt for composition scheme. But, only 10.86 lakh tax payers, out of total 85 lakh registered businesses opted for the scheme.

GSTN said, the window will be open for those tax payers who have migrated from the earlier excise, service tax or VAT regime as well as for new registered taxpayers.

Composition Scheme Under GST

Goods and Services Tax is set to bring along a new regime of business compliance in India. Large organizations have the requisite resources and expertise to address these requirements. On the flip side, many start-ups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) may struggle to comply with these provisions. To resolve such scenarios, the government has introduced Composition Scheme under GST.

When opting for the Composition Scheme under GST, a taxpayer will be required to file summarized returns on a quarterly basis, instead of three monthly returns (as applicable for normal businesses).

Who can opt for Composition Scheme?

Businesses dealing only in goods can only opt for composition scheme. Services providers have been kept outside the scope of this scheme. However, restaurant sector taxpayers may also opt for the scheme.

This holds true if your annual turnover is below Rs 75 Lakhs.

What is the tax rate applicable on a composition dealer?

A registered taxpayer, who is registered under the Composite Scheme will pay tax at a rate not more than 1% for manufacturer, 2.5% for restaurant sector and 0.5% for other suppliers of turnover.

Can a dealer involved in interstate supplies opt for Composition Scheme?

No, Composition Scheme is available only for intra-state supplies. If a dealer is involved in inter-State supplies, then he cannot opt for the scheme.