Backdoor boy
India is blessed with some incredible people who can do wonders irrespective of place and time. In recent times one name is going round the political circles is Prashant Kishore. He first came to prominence with 2014 Lok Sabha elections when he worked as strategist for BJP. Kishore next worked with Nitish Kumar and now currently he is in core group of Mamta Banerjee's team. In an interview with a leading news channel he claimed that he has the formula of winning for any party with whom he is associated. In his 'magical formula', performance of the party doesn't matter. Sounds really strange! It's my humble request to enlist his name for the prestigious Nobel Prize for inventing the 'formula for winning elections'.
Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,
Guwahati-1.
UK flights
The temporary suspension of all flights connecting the UK and our country in the wake of a rapidly spreading new strain of COVID-19 in Britain, is timely. It will go a long way in checking the entry of the mutated virus into our country. The new variant, which has been named by the UK scientists as VUI-2020.12/01, may contribute to increased transmission. COVID-19 has already wreaked havoc in India. Therefore, not only the government has to remain alert, we also should be taking all necessary precautions. Complacency can prove costly.
Chandan Kumar Nath,
Sorbhog.
Open extortion
Our misguided youths, particularly from upper Assam, are falling prey to easy money business. The modus operandi is simple. Form an organization with an attractive name and join the business. Extortion (chanda) from business class people, particularly the non-Assamese, has become the order of the day. Marwari and Bengali people are their prime targets. This trend is actually shown by the AASU (All Assam Students' Union), the KMSS (Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti), Lachit Sena and other ethnic organizations. These bunch of youths has adversely affected the genuine businessmen (locals included), as it has direct impact on their business. The chanda collection is rampant in Golaghat, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Duliajan and Tinsukia. The misguided youths or the chanda party project themselves as jatiyo/anchalik leaders by putting gamosa on the shoulders but in true sense not a single social service is done by them. During the last anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) movement, these 'chanda parties' had booming business. Interestingly, there are around 80-90 so-called fraud jatiyo dals in upper Assam only. During daytime, they were busy shouting slogans on the roads and by the evening they were seen extorting money from the businessmen. It is my appeal to conscious people not to give any indulgence to these parasite organizations. Such action will only bring them back to the civilized society and also they would learn proper work culture.
Julie Bhuyan,
Gaurisagar, Sivasagar.
Scooty for girl students
In the current month, the Education department in Assam has provided Scooters to 22,000 meritorious girl students under its 'Pragyan Bharati Scheme'. Since it has been done in the run-up to the Assembly elections it has gained special traction among the people. We have no objection to giving such benefits to meritorious girl students of the State, but it's unfortunate that the scheme has been implemented even as the State-economy has been ravaged by corona. Had the government given cash to the poor meritorious girl students instead of Scooter, they would have benefited more.
Heramba Nath,
Kamrup.
Budget suggestions
Our six-decades old outdated Income Tax Act 1961 which is full of amendments, needs to be replaced by an altogether new Income Tax Act which may be simple-most abolishing additives and deductive like cess, surcharge and exemptions with tax-rates incorporated in new Income Tax Act according to recommendations of Raja Chelliah Committee.
Maximum tax-rate at one time used to be effectively as high as 98-per cent causing high level of tax-evasion with people paying up to even 52-per cent to whiten black money. However, good sense prevailed and maximum tax-rate was slashed down to just 30-per cent in tune with most other countries of the world in accordance with recommendations of Raja Chelliah Committee. But gradually surcharges, cess etc have again raised effective tax-rate to now about 50-per cent.
New Income Tax Act should fix tax-rates at 10, 20 and 30 per cent even though taxable amounts may not be included in Income Tax Act to keep flexibility on taxable income under fixed Income Tax rates without any cess or surcharge. Idea should that people may find it advantageous to declare more and more incomes by inducing healthy competition for tax paid in our status-conscious society by giving special national honours through President or Prime Minister for those paying more taxes. Some gimmick facilities like jumping queues at airports or railway-stations and other public-dealing counters may be provided to those coming in highest tax-slab.
At the same time all tax exemptions, including on agricultural income, charity and contribution to political parties may be abolished now with basic exemption-limit raised to rupees five lakh which may be reviewed periodically. A permanent Voluntary Disclosure Scheme may be there whereby income from undisclosed sources may attract maximum tax-rate of suggested 30-per cent with extra 20-per cent be deposited in new-to-be introduced 10-year bonds with some nominal interest-rate. At the same time, loopholes from GST system may be plugged out so that India may move towards cashless economy. GST rates should be minimized to just two slabs of 10 and 30 per cent with provision of Input-Tax-Credit (ITC) retained only on trading purposes to avoid false ITC claims in non-trading sector after normal GST rate slashed down from 18 and 12 per cent to just 10 per cent. Instead of cess, special GST rates can be in multiples of 50-per cent for luxurious items presently attracting cess in addition to highest 28-per cent GST slab.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal,
DELHI 110006
Suggestions for postal tariffs
Postal-tariffs have not been revised for so many years resulting in undesired loss to public-exchequer due to negligible tariff like of 25 or 50 paise still prevailing even though coins in denominations less than rupee one are no more in circulation. Minimum postal-tariff for registered newspapers and ordinary post-cards should be rupee one with these post-cards fetching additional revenue through advertisements printed on postcards. Outdated Inland Letter Cards having lost utility should be discontinued.
Thereafter all postal-tariffs (inland and international) should be in multiples of rupees ten. Printed or rubber-stamped post-cards and ordinary mail should have tariff of rupees ten with weight-slabs for mail-articles fixed in multiples of 50 gm rather than of 20 gm at present. This will fetch more revenue, and will be more economical for users of postal services with tariff for ordinary mail at rupees 5 for 20 gm or part being revised to rupees 10 for 50 gm or part.
It is senseless to have GST on select premium postal-services like Speed Post with tax-money going from one pocket of government to other. Otherwise also present irrational tariff for Speed Post making it economical than ordinary post should be made rational by having common tariff for local and non-local Speed Post articles being equal tariff-rise for every 50 gm (or part) weight slab with GST abolished. It can be rupees 20 or 30 for every 50 gm weight-slab both for local and non-local.
Sponsored postage stamps should be introduced with advertisers paying for every printed postage stamp with their advertisements and also making purchase of some minimum number of sponsored postage stamps. This will make further addition to revenue when advertisers of sponsored postage stamps will prefer postal-service to private couriers to use postage stamps carrying their advertisements.
Madhu Agrawal,
DELHI 110006