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Budget 2024 Updates

Pax plane crashes with 23 onboard at Kathmandu airportINDIA bloc boycotts Parliament; says Budget is discriminatoryI-T- Re-assessment - additions quashed as assessee given fresh opportunity to adduce evidence; nevertheless, assessee failed to participate in hearing despite multiple notices - costs of Rs 40000/- imposed on assessee: HCCX - Final product is copper cathodes and not sulphuric acid, which is a by-product - Oxygen gas captively consumed in manufacture of sulphuric acid is entitled to exemption in terms of notification 67/95-CE: HCGST - Same input and output supplies though attracting different tax rates at different points of time - Since para 3.2 of Circular 135 has been struck down as ultra vires, refund to be extended: HCGST - Demand confirmed since petitioner failed to file a reply - Petitioner can be given one opportunity to explain subject to they depositing 25% of disputed tax from its Electronic Cash register: HCGST - Petitioner's assertion that the ITC available in GSTR-2A exceeds that availed of in GSTR-3B was not considered - Matter remanded; bank attachment lifted: HCGST - Legitimate trade and commerce by every supplier should be allowed to be carried on subject to payment of tax and statutory compliance - Registration to be revived: HCGST - Petitioner unaware of SCNs and the orders passed - Subject to petitioner depositing 25% of disputed tax, matter remanded: HCTaxonomy is not about taxesBudget for Vikasit BharatI-T- Re-assessment invalidated where AO fails to record reasons for re-opening assessment & omits to apply mind before issing notice: ITATWill the Old Tax Regime be Consigned to A Margadarshak Role?I-T - Merely because there were rates differential amongst purchases from different vendors, it cannot be sole reason to infer over-invoicing / inflation of purchases: ITATGSTAT to deal with Anti-Profiteering casesI-T- Proceeds from sale of unsold lottery tickets lying with assessee who is engaged as dealer of lottery tickets, is to be construed as business income : ITATDepartment of Posts releases beta version of DIGIPIN for public commentsI-T-Business loss incurred by the assessee after exclusion of price money from net profit is eligible for set off against winning from lotteries under section 71 of the Act: ITATGovt issues Guidelines for 'Incentives to DISCOMs'I-T- Provisions of Section 44AE cannot be applied to an assessee whose contractor engaged in leasing vehicles owns less than 10 vehicles: ITATGovt has taken initiatives to promote exploration and processing of critical mineralsCX - Since goods have been imported and received at factory of appellant, photocopies of Bills of Entry are supported by certificate for loss of original as well as certificate issued by customs authorities for payment of duty, appellant is eligible for credit: CESTATMajor steps taken for Water Conservation and Rainwater HarvestingST - As per CBEC Circular No. 555/51/2000-CX.1 dated 19.10.2000, where amended provision u/s 11A is invoked to demand duty, it will have retrospective operation: CESTATJuly 21 (Sunday) was hottest day on earth since Ice Age: ScientistsRajasthan gets new industrial park in Union BudgetOver 200 killed in landslides in EthiopiaMacron to retain caretaker govt till OlympicsRepublicans at pain as Harris takes over Biden’s campaign fundsTN Chief Minister to boycott NITI Aayog Saturday meeting as TN gets nothing from BudgetBudget 2024 promotes New income tax regime; offers new tax slabs as sopBudget bonanza for MSMEs - Easier access to credit; boosting export capacityThe GST Summons: A relative can appear!Conditions for revocation of cancellation of registration - May be, maybe not!Benami Act: Immunity can now be withdrawn on IO report
 
Major steps taken for Water Conservation and Rainwater Harvesting

 

By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JULY 24, 2024: WATER conservation through rainwater harvesting is one of the foremost priorities of the Government, stated Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Rajbhushan Choudhary, while giving a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha yesterday. Major steps taken by the Government for water conservation and rainwater harvesting to reduce water stress in the country are as follows:

i. Government of India has been implementing a scheme namely Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) which inter-alia includes water conservation and water harvesting structures.

ii. Financial assistance is given to various States under 15th Finance Commission tied grants which can be inter-alia utilized for rainwater harvesting.

iii. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has been implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) since 2019 on an annual basis. In the current year, Ministry of Jal Shakti is implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) 2024, 5th in the series of JSAs, in all the districts (rural as well as urban) of the country. JSA: CTR is a convergence of various Central Government schemes and funds like MGNREGS, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Per Drop More Crop, Repair, Renovation and Restoration Components under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Finance Commission grants, State Government schemes, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds etc. One of the major interventions undertaken under the campaign includes constructions and repair or rainwater harvesting structures including rooftop and water harvesting structures.

iv. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 has provisions for harvesting the rainwater through storm water drains into water body (which is not receiving sewage/effluent). Through preparation of ‘Aquifer Management Plan' cities targets to strategize groundwater recharge augmentation by developing a roadmap for improving rain water harvesting within city limits. Through IEC campaign, awareness is created about practices for water conservation like rainwater harvesting.

v. Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has formulated guidelines for the States to adopt measures suitable to local conditions, such as Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) of Delhi, 2016, Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 and Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014 with adequate focus on requirement of rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures.

vi. Government of India is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana, in 8,213 water stressed Gram Panchayats (GPs) in 80 districts of 7 States, viz., Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The scheme marks a paradigm shift from groundwater development to groundwater management.

vii. Government of India has been implementing "Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)" with an aim to enhance physical access of water on farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on farm water use efficiency, introduce sustainable water conservation practices etc. PMKSY has three components/ schemes namely Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP), Repair, Renovation & Restoration (RRR) Scheme of Water Bodies and Surface Minor irrigation (SMI) Scheme.

viii. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has set up the Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) under the National Water Mission on 20.10.2022, to act as a facilitator for promotion of improving water use efficiency across various sectors namely irrigation, drinking water supply, power generation, industries, etc. in the country.

ix. Mission Amrit Sarovar was implemented in the recent times with provisions for creation/rejuvenation of at least 75 Amrit Sarovars in every district of the country with the purpose to harvest and conserve water.

x. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has completed the National Aquifer Mapping (NAQUIM) Project in the entire mappable area of about 25 lakh sq. km. which has been shared with the respective State agencies for implementation. The management plans include various water conservation measures through recharge structures.

xi. CGWB has also prepared a Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 in consultation with States/UTs which is a macro level plan indicating various structures for the different terrain conditions of the country including estimated cost. The Master Plan has provisions for construction of about 1.42 crore Rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the country to harness 185 Billion Cubic Metre (BCM) of monsoon rainfall.

xii. CGWB, under Ground Water Management and Regulation Scheme , has also implemented several successful artificial recharge projects in the country for demonstrative purpose which enable the State Governments to replicate the same in suitable hydro-geological conditions.

xiii. National Water Policy (2012) has been formulated by Department of Water Resources, RD & GR, which inter-alia advocates rainwater harvesting and conservation of water and also highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through direct use of rainfall.

xiv. Department of Land Resources (DoLR) implements Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) for the development of rainfed and degraded lands in the country. The activities undertaken, inter-alia, include ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, nursery raising, pasture development, livelihoods for asset-less persons etc. WDC-PMKSY, through these interventions, seeks to ensure sustainable development through improved natural resource management and better resilience of farmers to climate change.

Water is a State subject and the Central Government supplements the efforts of the States through technical and financial support, the Minister added.


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