Government may table 4 GST bills in Parliament today: Minister

Government may table 4 GST bills in Parliament today: Minister

New Delhi: The government may table four GST supplementary legislations in Parliament today, a union minister said.

We can do it today as well. A meeting on GST will be chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today, Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal said when asked about tabling of the four GST bills in the Lok Sabha.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an infrastructure event here.

The Cabinet on Monday cleared the four GST related bills to enable roll out of the Goods and Services Tax from July 1.

The four bills are: the Central Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017, the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017, the Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 and the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to the States) Bill 2017.

A source had told that the bills would be introduced as money bills in Parliament this week.

Yesterday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that he was hopeful of rolling out GST from July 1 which will create one of the world's biggest single markets and make commodities cheaper and tax evasion difficult.

Jaitley said India has "hugely" a non-tax compliant society and the government banned higher denomination notes to curb the tendency of people to deal in cash that lead to tax evasion as well as terror financing.

PTI

Central government to change the ceiling for tax free gratuity

Cabinet nod likely to double gratuity cap to Rs 20 lakh

Besides, the bill seeks to enable the central government to change the ceiling for tax free gratuity after factoring in rise in income levels by an executive order bypassing Parliament route to amend the law.
The Union Cabinet is likely to consider tomorrow a draft amendment bill which seeks to double the ceiling of tax-free gratuity to Rs 20 lakh under the Payment of Gratuity Act.

Besides, the bill seeks to enable the central government to change the ceiling for tax free gratuity after factoring in rise in income levels by an executive order bypassing Parliament route to amend the law.
"The bill to amend the Payment of Gratuity Act is likely to be considered and approved by the Union Cabinet in its meeting scheduled tomorrow," a source said.

After the amendment in the Act, formal sector workers would be eligible for up to Rs 20 lakh tax-free gratuity. Last month, the central trade unions had agreed on the proposal in a tripartite consultation with the Labour Ministry.

However, the unions had demanded the removal of conditions asking to have at least 10 employees in an establishment and minimum five years of service for payment of gratuity.

At present, as per the Payment of Gratuity Act, an employee is required to do minimum service of five years to become eligible for gratuity amount. Moreover, the Act applies to those establishments where the number of employees is not less than 10.

Trade unions had demanded that the amended provision regarding maximum amount should be made effective from January 1, 2016, as done in the case of central government employees.

Besides that rate of 15 days wages for each completed year of service be raised to 30 days wages, the unions had said during the tripartite meeting.

The proposed amendment to the Payment of Gratuity Act as circulated by the government only deals with enhancing the ceiling of maximum amount under Section 4(3) of the Act from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
The proposed amendment is being brought to bring the maximum ceiling amount to Rs 20 lakh in line with the 7th Central Pay Commission's recommendations as accepted by the government.

The relevant amendment for central government employees was notified on July 25, 2016 and the enhanced amount ceiling was made effective from January 1, 2016.

The unions were of the view that the delay of eight months for employees covered under the Payment of Gratuity Act should not result in adversely affecting the interest of the concerned employees.
The employers as well as state representatives had also agreed to the proposal of raising the amount of gratuity to Rs 20 lakh in the tripartite meeting held last month.

Source: Money Control

whether Government has any proposal to extend same benefits to paramilitary forces at par with army?

'Benefits to paramilitary forces at par with army' issue raised in Parliament :

whether Government has any proposal to extend same benefits to paramilitary forces at par with army?

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-710
ANSWERED ON-08.02.2017

Benefits to paramilitary forces at par with army
710 . Shri A. Vijayakumar
(a) whether Government has any proposal to extend same benefits to paramilitary forces at par with army;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether there is any such pending demand by paramilitary forces; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (d): The proposals from Central Armed Police Force for grant of benefits at par with Army include, inter-alia, Risk & Hardship Allowance, Para Military Service Pay, Discontinuation of New Pension Scheme etc. The CAPF personnel are entitled for pension and other pensionary benefits as per Central Civil Service (Pension) Rules 1972, which are different from the pension rules applicable to Ex-servicemen. The 7th CPC has not recommended grant of Para Military Service Pay to the CAPFs. The 7th CPC has recommended a common regime of Risk and Hardship Allowance for Army and CAPFs which is under consideration of the Committee on Allowances.

Authority: www.rajyasabha.nic.in

We Don't need a Pay Commission - We will Hike it Ourself - Parliamentarians to get 100% Hike

We Don't need a Pay Commission - We will Hike it Ourself - Parliamentarians to get 100% Hike

The Prime Minister's Office is learnt to have agreed to consider a recommendation made by the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament, which is headed by BJP MP Yogi Adityanath. The PMO is believed to have agreed to revise not only Parliamentarians’ salary, but also their allowances.

The basic compensation for a lawmaker will climb from Rs 1,90,000 per month to Rs 2,80,000 per month (salary along with constituency and office staff allowances). The government had last revised MPs’ salary in 2010.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier was of the view to set up a separate commission for reviewing the salary, instead of MPs themselves, he abandoned it following pressure from the MPs, government sources aware of developments told DH.

The government has also taken a call to increase the President of India's salary from the existing Rs 1.5 lakh per month to Rs 5 lakh, and governor’s salary to Rs 2.5 lakh per month from existing Rs 1.10 lakh.

The government is planning to bring separate bills in the winter session of Parliament, which is starting from November 16, to give affect to salary hikes for President, governors and MPs. In the same session, the government will also seek Parliament nod to raise the salary of the vice-president, who is also chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

As per the accepted proposal, an MP's constituency allowance will go up to Rs 90,000 from existing Rs 45,000 every month, the secretarial assistance and office allowance will get a jump from Rs 45,000 to Rs 90,000 per month.

Annual furniture allowance for MP's official homes will double to Rs 1,50,000 a year and free broadband worth Rs 1,700 per month will be provided at parliamentarians official homes in their constituencies. The monthly pensions for former MPs will also go up from Rs 20,000 to Rs 35,000 per month. Even those who have served for more than five years would get an additional amount in pension - the number of years multiplied by Rs 2,000.

At present, the additional amount is the number of years multiplied by Rs 1,500.

Besides salary, the MPs are also entitled for government accommodation, air travel and train travel facilities, besides three landline telephone connections and two mobile phones. They also get a loan of Rs 4 lakh to buy a vehicle.

Source: DH

Parliament to resume Budget Session today

Parliament to resume Budget Session today

New Delhi: The Budget Session of the Parliament is to resume shortly, with the Lok Sabha reconvening its term today, while the Rajya Sabha will begin its second spell on April 23.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu

Among the key legislations to be passed during this period will be the controversial Land Acquisition Bill, the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill and the Constitution Amendment Bill for introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST), among others.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (ND) has a clear majority of 335 in the Lok Sabha but is weaker in the Rajya Sabha, with just 63 seats.

ANI

Compassionate appointments in Public Sector Banks

Compassionate appointments in Public Sector Banks

Compassionate appointment is available in Public Sector Banks (PSBs) based on the “Scheme for appointment of dependents of deceased employees on compassionate grounds” as last modified in 2007.

The Scheme provides for compassionate appointment in the following cases :-

i) when an employee dies while performing his/her official duty as a result of violence, terrorism, robbery or dacoity; or

ii) when an employee dies within five years of his/her first appointment or before reaching the age of 30 years, whichever is later, leaving a dependent spouse and/or minor children.

The above information was submitted in a written reply to a question in Parliament on 30.8.2013 by the Minister of State for Finance Shri.Namo Narain Meena.

Source: 90paisa.blogspot.in
[http://90paisa.blogspot.in/2014/01/compassionate-appointments-in-public.html]