Along says the party will stand with the people on Naga issue

Our Correspondent

Kohima, Sep. 25 (EMN): BJP Nagaland state unit has announced that it will launch Swachhata Hi Seva, a cleanliness campaign, across the state on Saturday. This was informed at a press conference held at Japfü Hotel, Conference Hall on Wednesday.

“In memory of 193rd birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, forerunner of BJP, BJP Nagaland will be launching Swachhata Hi Seva on September 28 in all the 60 constituencies including all the district headquarters across Nagaland,” announced Temjen Imna Along, president of BJP Nagaland and Minister of Higher and Technical Education and Tribal Affairs.

He said the programme will be celebrated in all polling stations as per the directive of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and stress on creating awareness about single-use plastic.

“Cleanliness drive will be taken up in and around our own towns irrespective of political ideologies,” he stated, adding that all the office areas should also be cleaned and made plastic-free. “We will also be taking up other cleanliness and environment-friendly-related activities,” he added while appealing to all the departments to refrain from using single-use plastics.

Along also announced that “Gandhi Sandesh Yatra” will be launched on October 2, 2019 and culminate on January 30, 2020 to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. He stated that “BJP throughout the country is resolved to make this year a very historic and momentous year for the people of this nation.”

“We want to make this campaign the largest-ever effort in terms of distance travelled and number of people reached out to, for the purpose of remembering Gandhiji,” he said. It was also informed that the campaign see the participation of all members of parliament, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, members of legislatives assembly and council, public representatives and party office bearers, travelling a distance of 150 km in their parliamentary constituencies over 15 days. The campaign will be conducted in as many wards and villages as possible, he added.

When asked about the stand of BJP Nagaland on the Naga political issue, Along said: “Let the talk between the two parties conclude and then whatever is good and wise for the Naga people, the BJP Nagaland will stand together with their people.”

Jacob Zhimomi, minister for PHED, requested the leaders and people working on the Naga political issue to leave aside all the differences and come together.

Measures to boost economy

In a move to enhance economy, encourage investment and create new job opportunities, the government of India has slashed corporate income tax rate from 30 percent to 22 percent for domestic companies with effect from financial year 2019-20 if they don’t avail any exemption; and the effective tax rate for such companies has now come down to 25.17 percent inclusive of cess and surcharges, deputy chief minister of Nagaland Yanthungo Patton, who is also the minister in-charge of Home and Roads and Bridges, said on Wednesday

He said these measures taken by the Modi government on September 20 would accelerate growth in industrial sector and help small traders and public as well.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a series of measures with an aim to revive the economy and regain growth momentum. The measures include lowering of effective tax rate to 17 percent for new companies incorporated after October 1, 2019 and with no tax on buyback of shares by listed companies that have announced buyback plans before July 5, 2019. Enhanced surcharge will not apply on capital gains arising on equity sale or equity-oriented funds liable for Securities Transaction Tax (STT) to stabilise flow of funds into capital markets, informed a handout issued by BJP Nagaland state unit.

For companies that continue to avail of exemptions or incentives, the rate of minimum alternate tax (MAT) is reduced to 15 percent from the current 18.5 percent, and the effective tax rate will be lowered to 17 percent, including surcharge and cess, it added.

It informed that the government has decided to expand the scope of Co-operate Social Responsibility (CSR) of 2 percent spending, and the CSR 2 percent can be spent on incubators funded by Central or state government, public sector undertaking of Central or state government, public funded universities, IITs and national laboratories and autonomous bodies engaged in conducting research in science, technology, engineering and medicine aimed at promoting SDGs.

It announced that there will be no goods and services tax (GST) for hotel room rent below INR 1000, and the rate has been reduced from 18 percent to 12 percent for hotel room rent of INR 1000 to INR 7500; from 28 percent to 18 percent for INR 7500 and above hotel room rent; from 18 percent to 5 percent for outdoor catering up to INR 7501, while the GST rate for INR 7501 and above outdoor catering remains the same at 18 percent.

The reduction in tax rate will help companies and subsequently enhance their investments which will lead to more business units and thus generate employment and contribute to successive GDPs, informed Nagaland BJP. However, tax cut is expected to cause a yearly revenue loss of INR 1.45 lakh crore to the government.

The party also claimed that merger of centralised banks, which has reduced 27 banks (in 2017) to 12, has benefited current account and saving account holders.