Income Tax ‘surveys’ at BBC offices end after over 58 hours

NEW DELHI, FEB 16

(PTI): The Income Tax department’s marathon “surveys” at BBC’s offices ended on Thursday, after clocking over 58 hours in total, as officials prepared an inventory of financial data from select staffers and collected digital and paper data.

The operation that began at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offices in Delhi and Mumbai around 11:30 am on Tuesday has ended in Mumbai and will be wound up at Delhi by tonight, sources said late on Thursday.

Tax authorities have made an inventory of the available stock, recorded the statement of some staffers and have impounded some documents as part of the survey action that continued for three days clocking about 57-58 hours, officials told PTI.

The survey was carried out to investigate issues related to international taxation and transfer pricing of BBC subsidiary companies, they had said.

The I-T teams, it is understood, sought answers on financial transactions, the company structure and other details about the news company, and copied data from electronic gadgets as part of their task of collecting the evidence.

Opposition parties have denounced the I-T department action against the London-headquartered public broadcaster, terming it “political vendetta”.

On Tuesday, the ruling BJP had accused the BBC of “venomous reporting” while the Opposition had questioned the timing of the action that came weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary “India: The Modi Question” on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots.

While there has been no official statement from the Income Tax department on the action, the BBC has said it was cooperating with the authorities.

A BBC staffer in Delhi said they were broadcasting their news like usual and the company has informed them that it is cooperating with the authorities.

Bihar’s Muzaffarpur. “Give us NREGA work, or we will not leave.” online facility for passport verification -- mPassport Seva -- and dedicated the mobile forensic vehicles inducted into the Delhi Police to people.

Asked as to why she is not getting work, she said, “... because of the app, our attendance is not getting marked.” Maheshwari Devi, another MGNREGA worker from Bihar, said they are uncertain whether they would get their wages or not.

“We go to work early in the morning, if the mobile works, the attendance is marked. Many a times after working for the whole day, the attendance does not get marked in the evening, and we do not get paid,” she said.

“We just want 100 days of work, and weekly payments,” she said.

He also inaugurated the academic complex of the National Forensic Science University’s (NFSU) Delhi campus.

“People living in Delhi will no longer have to worry about their passports as they will now get the police clearance within five days as against the earlier 15 days. A facility for passport verification through mobile phones and tablet computers has been launched. On an average, 2,000 applications for passports are received on a daily basis and their online processing will reduce the problems faced by people,” he said.

The home minister said with India assuming the presidency of Group of 20 (G20), the year 2023 assumes significance.

“The year 2023 is very important for the Delhi Police. From the point of view of security and the traffic system during the G20 summit, the city police will have to stay alert since the heads of several countries will be here,” he said.

Pointing out that the city police has received mobile forensic vans now, Shah said, “In the coming days, the Delhi Police will become the first police force in the country to investigate every crime punishable with six years in jail and more by the visit of a forensic team.

“There is a great need to strengthen the country’s judicial system on the basis of forensic science evidence. When this vehicle, equipped with state-ofthe-art facilities and 14 different types of forensic kits, would visit the crime scene, the conviction rate will significantly increase.”

The home minister pointed out that a modern building built at a cost of Rs 34 crore for educational facilities on the NFSU’s Delhi campus has also been inaugurated.

Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar to be new Vice Chief of Army

NEW DELHI, FEB 16

(PTI): Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar has been appointed as the new Vice Chief of Army Staff, official sources said on Thursday. He is currently serving as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) in the Army Headquarters. Lt Gen Kumar will succeed Lt Gen B S Raju who has been appointed as the Jaipur- headquartered South Western Army Commander, the sources said. Lt Gen NSR Subramani, at present serving as the Chief of Staff at the headquarters of the Northern Command in Udhampur, has been appointed as the next Central Army Commander in Lucknow,

Cong accuses AAP of creating ‘constitutional crisis’ in Punjab

CHAN DIGARH, FEB 16 (PTI): Amid the row between chief minister and the governor, Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Thursday accused the Bhagwant Mann’s Aam Aadmi Party of trying to create a “constructional crisis” in Punjab by questioning the governor’s authority. He also criticised Mann and reminded him that it was the same governor who had administered him the oath when he became the chief minister last year.

Earlier, a row erupted between governor Banwari Lal Purohit and Mann after the former asked Mann about the process of selecting 36 government school principal s for a training ing press conferences in 23 major cities across the country on Friday to highlight the alleged scam involving the group in the wake of a meltdown in the stocks of its group companies on stock markets in the country following the Hindenburg report charges.

In a statement, Ramesh said a Supreme Court bench on February 13, while hearing petitions on the Adani-Hindenburg matter, discussed the setting up of a committee of experts to examine the regulatory regime post the allegations made by the US-based short-seller.

He said it had directed the government to give its submissions in this regard by February 17. “Where the allegations are of close, intertwined proximity between the ruling dispensation, the government of India and the Adani Group, the setting up of a committee with terms of reference proposed by the Government of India can hardly carry any insignia or reassurance of independence or transparency,” he said.

“It is an exercise initiated by the two principal actors - the government and the Adani Group - to cover up, avoid, evade and bury all genuine scrutiny. It is becoming clear that the proposed Committee is part of a carefully orchestrated exercise by these vested interests to prevent any real investigation into the Adani Group’s relationship with the ruling regime,” the Congress leader alleged. “If the prime minister and his government are to be held accountable, any com- mittee other than a JPC will be nothing but an exercise in legitimisation and exoneration,” he claimed.Ramesh said given the nature of the allegations, it is imperative that the “link” between Adani and the ruling regime is examined in the full light of day by elected officials accountable to the public. seminar held recently in Singapore.

“An evaluation of the regulatory and statutory regime by experts is in no manner equivalent to an investigation by a JPC. Such a committee, however competently staffed, cannot be a substitute for a thorough investigation into the political-corporate nexus that has come to light in the last two weeks. It simply does not have the authority, resources, or jurisdiction to examine the issues that the Opposition has raised,” he said.

Mann said he was not answerable to a Centreappointed governor and went on to question Centre’s criteria for appointing governors.

AAP also accused Purohit of interfering in the state government’s affairs. Addressing the media here on Thursday, Bajwa said Punjab is heading for “anarchy” with the state CM and governor at loggerheads.

Acknowledgement

The Nagaland Masters Games Association had participated in the 5 th National Masters Games 2023 held in IIT BHU. Varanasi from 11th -14th February 2023 and won Silver medal in Men’s 50+ Football and a Bronze medal in the Track event. The NMGA would like to place in record and extend heartfelt gratitude to the people of Varanasi, particularly to the respected Shri Sunil Ojha Ji, Ex MLA Gujarat presently working as co-incharge of BJP Uttar Pradesh and also the incharge for PM’s Work in Varanasi for extending wonderful hospitality arranged at Apex Institute of Ayurvedic and Medicine, Chunar. The Team members were amazed to see that Varanasi is one of the fastest growing cities today and appreciated the work done by our Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modiji.

The NMGA also would like to extend our sincere gratitude to various organisations and individuals who had supported financially and materially during our participation in the games.

they said. All the new appointments will come into effect on March 1.

Lt Gen Kumar, is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into 1 Assam Regiment in June 1985.

He has commanded 59 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion, an Infantry Brigade and an Infantry Division along the Line of Control. Lt Gen Kumar has also commanded the highly active White Knight Corps. He has held the posts of Additional Director General Military Intelligence and Director General Military Intelligence at the Army headquarters. Lt Gen BS Raju was commissioned into the 11th battalion of the Jat Regiment in December 1984. He later commanded his battalion during ‘Operation Parakram’ in Jammu and Kashmir. He also holds the distinction of commanding the Uri brigade along the Line of Control, the Counter Insurgency Force and Chinar Corps in Kashmir Valley.