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The income tax (I-T) department has rejected two sets of suspicious high value declarations under the income disclosure scheme (IDS) which ended in September, including one made by Mahesh Shah, the Ahmedabad-based property dealer who was detained by the income tax department on Saturday. In the first instance, declarations were made by a family of four based in Mumbai, named Abdul Razzaque Mohammed Sayed, Mohammed Aarif Abdul Razzaque Sayed, Rukhsana Abdul Razzaque Sayed, and Noorjahan Mohammed Sayed, amounting to a total of Rs2 trillion and in the other instance, the declaration was made by Shah, an Ahmedabad-based individual amounting to Rs13,860 crore. In both instances, after investigations, it was established that these people were of ‘small means’ and these declarations could have been misused, the tax department said in a statement. These numbers were also not included while arriving at the final numbers under the income disclosure scheme, it added. The total declaration...

In a bid to bring more workers from unorganised sector under the health insurance scheme,the Employees State Insurance Corporation has increased the monthly wage limit to  Rs.21,000,Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya( pictured )said on Sunday.“Coverage under ESIC scheme was enhanced to Rs.15,000 in 2010.Now,government has taken a decision to hike the coverage from Rs.15,000 to Rs.21,000,”he said.He said the government was also strengthening the health infrastructure for the benefit of workers.The upward increase in revision would add about 3.5 million new members to the ESIC pool. The  government is keeping a close watch on temperature-sensitive wheat cropas the Met Department has predicted warmer winter this year, Agriculture Secretary ShobhanaK Pattanayak  said  on Sunday. He also said the ongoing rabisowing has not been impacted much due to demonetisation.A central team sent to rural areas has found no significant impact on so wings of ar.Sowing of wheat,the m...

The Reserve Bank of India on Suday said it will issue new currency notes Rs.20 and  of Rs. 50 denominations with numerals in ascending size in the number panels and without intaglio printing. The old notes of Rs. 50 will Rs.20 and ` remain legal tender. These new notes come against the backdrop of government last month scrapping  Rs.1000 . 500.currency notes to crack down on black money. “The Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue Rs.20 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005, with inset letter `L' in both the number panels, bearing signature of Dr Urjit R Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, and the year of printing `2016' printed on the reverse of the banknote,“ the RBI said in a statement. The Economic Times New Delhi,05th December 2016

The six-member monetary policy committee headed by Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel is likely to cut the policy rate by at least 25 basis points in the December 6-7 policy review. But, the case for a pause is equally strong, say economists. However, the central bank is unlikely to pause, given a demonetisation-induced slowdown. "Demonetisation and its impact would justify a rate cut," says Upasna Bharadwaj, economist at the Kotak Mahindra Bank. "The market has largely factored in a 25-basis-point rate cut. If the central bank sounds dovish and realistic about future rate cuts, the market would take comfort from that," she added. Two out of the 12 economists, bond market dealers and rating agency officials polled by Business Standard say the RBI will go for at least a 25 basis-point cut. The economic slowdown due to demonetisation is expected to shave off a percentage point from the gross domestic product growth and so a rate cut at this point t...

Measures may include taxs lab & rate revisions for individuals,companies To soften the “pain” of demonetisation,the central government might announce a number of direct taxs ops for individuals as well as the corporate sector in the Union Budget for 2017-18,which is likely to be presented on February 1— earlier than usual. The Budget might have revisions of the taxs labs,reductions in the corporate tax rate,and more tax exemptions or  rebates in certain cases.While a clearer picture is emerging,nothing is likely to befinalised till mid-January. Policy makers have stated—publicly and off there cord—that the Prime Minister’s Office and Union finance ministry are working on certain “populist” measures on taxes.This would fit in with the now expected “feel-good” Budget. Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal had told Business Standard earlier that there was scope for reduction in direct taxes in the Budget.“There is a likelihood of reduction indirect taxes next f...