Category: Business

Business

Clamour grows louder for abolition of toll tax in state: GST Effect

Editor

Even as the ruling dispensation has given the excuse of Rs 900-crore revenue loss to the state exchequer on account of abolition of the toll tax at Lakhanpur, clamour has gone louder against the charging of the toll tax after the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Jammu and Kashmir. The state government, however, has maintained a silence on “net profit” to Jammu and Kashmir in terms of “divisible pool of taxes” from the Centre under the GST. The state government has also remained non-committal over doing away…

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Kashmir Unrest may drive luxury glass-roof trains down South

Editor

Given the unrest in Kashmir, the government is thinking of moving the train to Andhra Pradesh’s Araku Valley, or even routes in Goa and Kerala. Will Kashmir’s loss become Kerala’s gain? With the Indian Railways engaged in a serious re-think over deploying the super-luxury glass roof top coaches on the Banihal-Baramulla stretch of the Kashmir rail line on account of the worsening law and order situation in the state, the question has started coming up. Two of these four high-end coaches – with opalescent roof glass windows which can be…

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Internet banned 10 times in 3 months across Kashmir

Editor

At a time when frequent internet bans have become a regular trend here, Kashmir has witnessed suspension of both mobile and broadband internet services 10 times between April, 2017 and July 13. This year interestingly from January to April, there were no Internet suspensions. Internet was also suspended once in Jammu recently as a precautionary measure following the killing of Amarnath pilgrims in an attack. The first internet ban in Kashmir this year was imposed on April 8 when mobile and Broadband services were shut down from midnight in Srinagar,…

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Civil Society Group, Kashmir Traders demands GST rollback, threatens state-wide agitation

Editor

Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee – an umbrella or trade bodies and civil society groups – on Wednesday warned of intensifying agitation across the state if the government didn’t roll back the GST law within a week’s time. Besides GST rollout, the JKCC has demanded the withdrawal of presidential order on the tax law and declaring the Jammu and Kashmir as a “free economic zone (FEZ). “In the event of Government not acceding to our demands, within a week’s time, the JKCC will be forced to continue its agitation and…

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Kashmir Civil Society, PHD Chamber Kashmir, Traders come out to protest killing of Amarnath yatris

Editor

Amid widespread anger over killing of Amarnath yatris, civil society Tuesday came out to protest against these killings and demanded an impartial probe. Large numbers of representatives from various civil society groups including businessmen, tourism players, academicians and journalists held silent protest demonstration at Pratap Park here and expressed solidarity with victim families. They demanded that all the massacres carried out by forces and other agencies should be probed by independent human rights organisations. “We are here to send a message that this is not our culture or tradition but…

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Unregistered Hajj-Umrah illegal travel agency bust, 2 Arrested

Editor

J&K Police (Tourism Enforcement Wing) on Sunday claimed to have busted an unregistered Hajj-Umrah Tour and Travel agency operating here with the arrest of two persons. Senior superintendent of police (Tourism Enforcement), Amarjit Singh said “Tourist police station Srinagar received information that one un-approved travel agency namely Indo Sahab located at New Delhi is allegedly operating in Kashmir illegally and giving frequent advertisements in local newspapers in order to cheat gullible people”. The SSP said a special team was set up led by SHO Tourist police station Srinagar. “During investigation…

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Restrictions aimed at economically crushing Downtown: Traders

Editor

Government’s practice to frequently impose restrictions in Downtown is taking a distressing toll on businesses there, with traders accusing authorities of imposing curbs under “a conspiracy to economically crush people of Old City”. As per officials, out of five days in this week, there were restrictions on two days, Wednesday and Friday. While there were no restrictions on other parts of Srinagar, the areas falling under the jurisdiction of five police stations – Khanyar, Nowhatta, Rainawari, MR Gunj and Safakadal, were under siege even on Friday with police and paramilitary…

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Kashmir’s farm produce of Walnut, Almond to be taxed at 12% under GST

Editor

Having been pitted against intense competition from imported walnut and almond especially the California produce, the local farmers and traders have expressed shock over 12 percent tax under GST regime, to be implemented in the state in a day or two. While expressing surprise over the decision of imposing tax on two Kashmir based agriculture commodities, growers and traders associated with the dry fruit demanded the immediate roll back of tax on the almond and walnut. More than 95 percent walnuts and 90 percent almonds of total Indian production are…

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50% Industrial units suspend manufacturing in Jammu: GST Row

Editor

As the confusion prevails over implementation of Goods and Services Tax in the state, 50 percent of industrial units in various industrial estates in Jammu division have suspended manufacturing from last four days. Traders and industrialists here say they have stopped here say they have stopped import and export outside stop due to confusion and are now facing shortage of raw material. “From last four days over 50 percent industrial units in entire Jammu division have stopped manufacturing as import or export not happened,” treasurer Bari Brahmana Industries Association (BBIA),…

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JKCC calls for Kashmir bandh today, Hurriyat lends support

Editor

Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee – an amalgam of trade bodies and civil society – has called for Kashmir Bandh on Wednesday to protest against the police action against the traders and civil society members. “Scores of traders were detained and beaten by the police when we tried to take out a peaceful protest march outside the Assembly complex. In the morning, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers (KTMF) president Muhammad Yaseen Khan and civil society members Mubeen Shah and Shakeel Qalandar were put under house arrest. The state government wants to…

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