NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Thursday extended by three months the term of the high-level committee, inquiring into the February 27, 2002 fire aboard the Sabarmati Express at the Godhra station, which led to one of the worst communal riots in Gujarat.

The U.C. Banerjee panel, which was scheduled to present its report by June 4, will now have time till September 4. The committee has still to complete some complex investigations.

The Cabinet also decided to exempt from tax incomes from any international sporting event conducted in India, provided it was recognised by an international body responsible for regulating games. The exemption would be given for income earned by both residents and non-residents.

ICC Championship Trophy

Finance Minister and Cabinet spokesperson P. Chidambaram said the decision was taken to facilitate the conduct of ICC Championship Trophy next year. Tax exemption was one of the conditions for a country to host the game. The decision was taken on a request from the International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

To ensure that the benefit was available for other games also, the Cabinet decided that income tax exemption be provided for all international events, approved by recognised global bodies responsible for regulating them.

It would not, however, be a blanket exemption. The Centre would notify the event for which it was granted. The notification would mention the beneficiaries and the proportion and category of income that would enjoy exemption.

Immunity to carriers

A Bill would be introduced to amend the law to provide immunity to carriers for disembarking passengers without valid entry documents under unforeseen circumstances. The amendment to the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act would confer powers on the Government to exempt a certain class of persons from the legislation and enable it in specified cases to exempt any carrier or class of carriers from the operation of all or certain provisions of the Act, without prejudice to the provisions of the Passport (Entry into India) Act.

The Cabinet's Committee on Economic Affairs approved two programmes for promotion of the tea industry and the coffee sector.

Undera new scheme subsidy would be provided for production of orthodox tea at Rs. 3 a kg for leaf grades and Rs. 2 for dust grades at the existing levels of production and an additional incentive of Rs. 2 a kg for the incremental volume over the previous year.

One-time scheme

The Government would meet the actual deficits of the two research and development institutions — United Planters Association of South India-Tea Research Foundation in Tamil Nadu and the Tea Research Association at Tocklai in Assam. It would be a one-time scheme. The subsidy for planters would be available only for the period from January 1, 2005 to March 31, 2007.

The support to the R&D institutions would be provided for five years, begun 2004-05, subject to a maximum of 80 per cent of the expenditure on items already agreed upon. The scheme would be implemented by the Tea Board and financed from the special fund created with collection of an additional duty of excise on tea. The scheme was estimated to cost Rs. 93 crores.

Development loans

For the coffee sector, the Government and banks would share with grower-loanees to the extent of one-third each the total interest burden of Rs. 287.10 crores on the Special Coffee Term Loan (SCTL) during a three-year moratorium period.

Besides, the Government would write off coffee development loans along with interest amounting to about Rs. 24 crores due from the Coffee Board. The Board would, in turn, waive old developmental loans amounting to Rs. 64.59 crores it extended to small growers (with less than 10 hectares).

In addition, the interest subsidy scheme on working capital loans for small growers at five per cent and for large growers at three per cent would be continued for the remaining years of the 10th Plan.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |