Mumbai Beat

Mumbai I-T officers jubilantIncome-tax officers and employees took a welcome break on new year's day, after the close of the Voluntary Discl...

Mumbai I-T officers jubilant

Income-tax officers and employees took a welcome break on new year’s day, after the close of the Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme, ’97. Though the I-T offices were working on Thursday, the mood in Aykar Bhavan was one of celebration as many senior officers had also been involved in the VDIS collection activity. Sources reveal that the disclosure of income in Mumbai was over Rs 6,600 crore and tax collected on the same is over Rs 2,000 crore. The total declarations crossed the 70,000 mark, sources said. Senior officers were not willing to confirm whether Mumbai was leading in the tax collected, a fact widely expected to be established from the figures once they are declared by the ministry in Delhi. In Mumbai, the officers pulled all the stops to make the collection figure something to celebrate about.

Even a declaration received by fax from an NRI was taken as a valid declaration, sources said.

Lottery sellers protest ban

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The state government’s decision to ban all lottery sales from January 5 has been met with strong opposition by lottery sellers all over the state with the Akhil Hindustan Lottery Vikreta Sena deciding to lead a morcha in protest on Saturday, January 3.

The union, a wing of the Shiv Sena had met the Sena chief Bal Thackeray today morning. Thackeray, a known supporter of lottery sellers has apparently given his blessings to the morcha.

A delegation of the union also met the Revenue minister Ravindra Mane who assured them that the matter will be looked into. There are an estimated eight lakh lottery sellers in the state, according to the coordinator of the union, Suresh Bhagat. Of these, a lakh alone was in the city of Mumbai, he added.

Greetings

The Governor of Maharashtra Dr P C Alexander and his wife Ackama have wished the people of Maharashtra a very happy new year. “May this new year usher in an era of peace, harmony and prosperity for all people of our country,” Dr Alexander stated in a press release.

Police personnel seen to control the situation during a massive protest over the statehood demand and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, in Leh on Wednesday. (ANI Video Grab)

Statehood protest takes violent turn in Ladakh, BJP office set ablaze in Leh

India5 hr ago

Protests in Ladakh turned violent as students and youth organisations demanded statehood and Sixth Schedule status. Two elderly protesters fainted, prompting a shutdown call. A BJP office and security vehicle were set on fire. Activist Sonam Wangchuk urged for a peaceful approach. The demand for Sixth Schedule status is due to Ladakh's tribal-majority population and direct central administration.

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