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Haryana, first in India, to procure all 24 crops at MSP

Chandigarh, Dec 23 (IANS) Haryana has become the first state to procure all 24 crops at the minimum support price (MSP) set by the Union government, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana said on Monday.

On the occasion of Kisan Divas and the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and farmer leader Chaudhary Charan Singh, the minister expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for issuing the notification, which ensures comprehensive MSP procurement for all 24 crops.

Rana said the government under the leadership of Chief Minister Saini has shown an unwavering commitment to the welfare of farmers. He described the decision to procure all 24 crops at the MSP as a significant step towards securing the economic well-being of the farmers.

The newly issued notification expands the list of procured crops — ragi, soybean, nigerseed, safflower, barley, maize, jowar, jute, copra, and summer moong — along with the already procured crops — paddy, bajra, moong, urd, arhar, til, cotton, groundnut, wheat, mustard, gram, masur, sunflower and sugarcane.

Rana emphasised that this initiative aims to provide farmers with a stable and remunerative price environment, insulating them from market volatility and potential losses.

“This move is expected to boost the adoption of modern farming techniques and improve agricultural productivity, leading to better incomes for farmers,” he said.

The MSP system, which is determined annually by the Central Government, is based on recommendations from the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) to ensure that the farmers receive a profit margin above their production costs. This system remains a vital tool for protecting farmers’ financial interests.

“This historic decision reinforces Haryana’s commitment to safeguarding the interests of its farmers and sets an exemplary standard for the rest of the country,” added Minister Rana.

–IANS

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Odisha Law Minister confirms sacred Daaru wood not used in carving of idols in Digha temple

Bhubaneswar, May 5 (IANS) Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Monday clarified that the idols in Digha Jagannath temple were not carved from the surplus Daaru or sacred neem wood used in the making of deities of Puri Jagannath temple during the Nabakalebara.

Speaking to media persons following discussions with the officials of Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri, the Law Minister said, “The use of surplus Daaru or sacred Neem tree in the carving of the deities at the Digha Jagannath Temple is proved false during inquiry. The Maharana Sevaks (carpenter servitors) have confirmed during discussions that it is impossible to carve out a 2.5 feet idol using the surplus sacred daaru.”

He further asserted that the Secretary of Daitapati Nijoga, Ramakrushna Das Mahapatra, who was summoned to appear before the SJTA, has clarified in his submission that the surplus daaru or the sacred wood of Puri was not used in the making of the deities at Digha Temple.

“Mahapatra said that the idols at the Digha Jagannath temple were made from a neem tree by one sculptor, Sudarshan Maharana, based in Bhubaneswar. No surplus daaru wood is used in making those idols. Sudarshan Maharana also accepted that he carved the idols of Digha Jagannath temple,” added Harichandan.

The senior servitor also termed his claims regarding the making of the idols at Digha Temple using the sacred surplus daaru wood from Puri as a ‘slip of tongue’, and it was not intended to hurt the sentiments of devotees.

However, the temple administration under the Temple Act has instructed Mahapatra to submit a detailed explanation on the issue within seven days.

The Law Minister clarified that the SJTA will take action against Mahapatara as per the temple rules if it finds his explanation not satisfactory.

“The state government will request the West Bengal government to stop using the word ‘Dham’ and calling the sea beach at Digha as ‘Mahodadhi’. We will write to the West Bengal government in this regard. If the West Bengal government didn’t give any heed to our request, then we will hold discussions on exploring legal options on this,” added the Law Minister.

He also stated that all these problems have arisen due to a wrong decision taken by the then state government in the year 1995/96, allowing the storage of some surplus Daaru wood in the room of Daitapati servitors.

“As per the temple’s Records of Rights, the surplus Daru wood is kept in a special room (Daaru Gruha) inside the temple,” he said.

Harichandan informed the media that the temple administration has formed a five-member committee that will prepare a detailed list of all the sacred Daru wood kept at both the ‘Daaru Gruha’ and the room of the Daitapati servitor.

Later, all the surplus daaru will be shifted to the Daaru Gruha, and none of the wood will be kept outside.

The Odisha Law Minister also said that the temple administration will soon distribute a set of guidelines to Jagannath Temples across the country and outside, suggesting specifications to be followed during the construction of any Jagannath Temple and in the daily and special occasional rituals and puja of the deities in the temples.

The Chhatisa Nijoga (Chief of the traditional 36 categories of sevakas) and Mukti Mandap Pandit Sabha will be requested to prepare a guideline.

The Temple administration will also prepare SOPs for the servitors on sharing rituals and pujas related to the Jagannath temple at puri with the media persons.

–IANS

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New Income Tax Act to turbocharge growth, cut litigation: Panda

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) BJP leader Baijayant Panda, the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee that scrutinised the Income Tax Bill 2025, on Monday said, “This new Act will further turbocharge growth by making taxes easy to understand and easy to comply with, thus reducing disputes and litigation.”

He congratulated Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the passage of the modified Income Tax Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha.

“The leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has seen the repeal and overhaul of well over 1,500 laws, helping India become the fastest growing and now the 4th-largest economy in the world,” he remarked.

The Income Tax (No 2) Bill, 2025, was passed shortly after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the revised Bill, incorporating most of the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Select Committee in the Lok Sabha amid an Opposition uproar.

The revised Bill would improve fairness and clarity while aligning the law with existing provisions. The new draft aims to provide lawmakers with a single, updated version that reflects all suggested changes, the Finance Minister explained.

FM Sitharaman said that suggestions were received which are required to be incorporated to convey the correct legislative meaning. “There are corrections in the nature of drafting, alignment of phrases, consequential changes and cross-referencing,” she said, adding that the earlier Bill was pulled back to avoid confusion.

The updated Income Tax Bill 2025 incorporates 285 suggestions from the Parliamentary Select Committee. The new legislation aims to simplify tax processes and address previous shortcomings, potentially reshaping the Income Tax landscape in the country.

Last week, the Income Tax Bill, 2025, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on February 13 to replace the existing Income Tax Act, 1961, was formally withdrawn by the government.

According to Panda, who chaired the Parliamentary Select Committee responsible for reviewing the legislation, the new law, once passed, will simplify India’s decades-old tax structure, cut down legal confusion, and help individual taxpayers and MSMEs avoid unnecessary litigation.

The current Income Tax Act of 1961 has undergone more than 4,000 amendments and contains over 5 lakh words. It has become too complex. The new Bill simplifies that by nearly 50 per cent — making it far easier for ordinary taxpayers to read and understand, according to Panda. The parliamentary panel had flagged multiple drafting errors and suggested amendments to reduce ambiguity.

In the revised Bill, slabs and rates have been changed across the board to benefit all taxpayers. The new structure substantially reduces the taxes of the middle class and leaves more money in their hands, boosting household consumption, savings and investment, according to the government.

–IANS

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