Month: April 2021

Seema Thakur, the only woman driver in Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) on Wednesday drove a bus on Shimla-Chandigarh route to become the first HRTC woman driver to drive on an inter-state route.

Speaking to ANI, the woman driver said: “It was a great experience and I am proud that I got this opportunity to drive an inter-state bus. I am the only first woman bus driver in the region and in the state of Himachal Pradesh.”
Thakur, who joined the HRTC as a driver in 2016, appealed to the government to include drivers, conductors into COVID-19 warriors so that they can also take the vaccine.

“We are at the risk of being contracted with coronavirus as we cannot stop the passengers or ask them whether they are COVID-19 positive or negative. Drivers and conductors should also be vaccinated against COVID-19,” she said.

Thakur, the only woman driver among a total of over 8,800 employees of HRTC, has a Master’s Degree in English.

Commuters on the bus were impressed with the confidence of the woman driver.

“We are happy and it is relaxing for us, more women should come forward in such profession,” said a woman commuter said. (ANI)

The gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue collected in March was at a record of Rs 1.23 lakh crore, touching the highest level since its introduction, the government said on Thursday.

Of this, Central GST was Rs 22,973 crore, State GST Rs 29,329 crore, Integrated GST Rs 62,842 crore (including Rs 31,097 crore collected on import of goods) and cess Rs 8,757 crore (including Rs 935 crore collected on import of goods).
The government settled Rs 21,879 crore to CGST and Rs 17,230 crore to SGST from IGST as regular settlement. In addition, Centre also settled Rs 28,000 crore as IGST ad-hoc settlement in the ratio of 50:50 between Centre and states/union territories.

The total revenue of Centre and states after regular and ad-hoc settlements in March 2021 was Rs 58,852 crore for CGST and Rs 60,559 crore for the SGST. The Centre also released a compensation of Rs 30,000 crore during last month.

“The GST revenues during March 2021 are the highest since introduction of GST,” said an official statement released by the Ministry of Finance.

In line with the trend of recovery in GST revenues over past five months, revenues for March were 27 per cent higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year. Revenues from import of goods were 70 per cent higher and revenues from domestic transaction (including import of services) were 17 per cent higher than the revenues from these sources during the same month last year.

The GST revenue witnessed a de-growth rate of 41 per cent, 8 per cent, 8 per cent and 14 per cent in the first, second, third and fourth quarters of FY21 as compared to the same period last year, indicating a trend in recovery of GST revenues as well as economy as a whole.

GST revenues crossed above Rs 1 lakh crore mark at a stretch for the last six months. A steep increasing trend over this period are clear indicators of rapid economic recovery post pandemic, said the Ministry of Finance.

Closer monitoring against fake-billing, deep data analytics using data from multiple sources including GST, income-tax and customs IT systems and effective tax administration have also contributed to the steady increase in tax revenue over last few months, it said. (ANI)

The lawyer of actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu in connection with January 26 violence, on Thursday, said his client is being made a scapegoat as he is a known face.

Abhishek Gupta, appearing for Sidhu, told the court that “There is a media trial going on. Sidhu was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The FIR says that people broke the gates and climbed the rampart at 12:30. He reached there after 2 pm.”
“There was no violence on his urging. We have videos showing that he was helping the police and asking people to stop climbing the walls,” Gupta added.

Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar, who was the link judge today, adjourned the matter for April 8.

Delhi Police had arrested Sidhu on February 9.

“The names of Sidhu and others were included in the FIR registered in connection with the violence at Red Fort in Delhi on January 26,” Delhi Police had said earlier.

On Republic Day, protestors allegedly did not follow the pre-arranged route and broke barricades to enter Delhi, clashed with police and vandalised property in several parts of the national capital during the farmers’ tractor rally. They also entered the Red Fort and unfurled their flags from its ramparts.

Farmers have been protesting at the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)