The proposal for immediate phasing out of subsidy on supply of power to agriculture sector was opposed by some of the chief ministers attending the meeting of National Development Council’s Committee on Power when it met here today to finalise its draft report. The proposal did not find favour with the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Beant Singh, and the Karanataka Chief Minister, Mr. Veerapa Moily, on grounds of political expediency since the elections were not far away. They also wanted more time so that farmers could be prepared to accept the hikes in power tariff rates. A view was also expressed that agricultural production in certain states like Punjab may suffer if there was any immediate steep hike in power tariff.

Panel points out ‘glaring deficiencies’

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has pointed out the “glaring deficiencies” in searches and seizures by the tax authorities and called for a critical review of the entire operation so that it served fully the purpose for which it was designed. In its eighth report on “Survey, search and seizure operations by the Income Tax Department,” tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the Committee favoured that searches and seizures should be carried out without “inhibition” and taken to their logical conclusion promptly to deal with persistent and large-scale tax evasion. The Committee noted that large-scale tax evaders should not be given shelter or protection from “influential” corners, if search and seizure was intended to be a real deterrent. Search and seizure should also be quickly followed up by summary assessment under section 132 (5) and thereafter by regular assessment.

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