The Confederation of Citizens Association has been protesting against collection of holding tax since 2011
BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa high court’s interim order asking the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to be lenient on people unable to pay holding tax in view of pandemic situation prompted the government to suspend tax collection at revised rates apart from protests.
The HC had said in its September 4, 2020, order, “The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation can collect the holding tax @50 % of the assessment involved but without prejudice to the rights and contentions of both the parties and subject to the final outcome of the writ petition. Further considering the continuation of pandemic situation due to Covid-19, it is also directed that in the event any consumer approaching the BMC, indicating his difficulty to pay the tax at one go and seeking instalments, the BMC shall do well in granting relief to the person.”
p Speaker tries to pacify members in assembly br /p
BHUBANESWAR: Normalcy failed to return to the assembly even as speaker Surya Narayan Patro chaired two all-party meetings to end the deadlock that has been continuing for the last four days.
Members of the treasury and opposition benches continued to protest as soon as the House assembled at 10:30 am, forcing the speaker to adjourn it till 11:30 and later till noon and then till 4 pm.
While members of the treasury bench protested in the well of the House, demanding an apology from BJP MLA Subash Chandra Panigrahi for attempting suicide inside the assembly, the opposition BJP and Congress raised issues related to paddy procurement. As chaos continued, no business was conducted yet again. Though Patro convened an all-party meeting in the pre-lunch session, it remained inconclusive as Congress followed by BJP staged a walkout alleging that the speaker had started discussion on the treasury bench’s demand for an apology from P
Badal Paida, YOUNGEST IN EASTERN INDIA
KEONJHAR: Badal Paida, an impoverished 13-year-old child belonging to Kundapitha village under Ghatagaon block of Keonjhar district, became the youngest in eastern India to undergo a successful heart transplant surgery.
The news of Paida’s operation was tweeted by the state health department on Tuesday. The boy was successfully operated upon at Narayana Superspecialty Hospital in Howrah, West Bengal. For faster access to quality healthcare for children detected with heart ailments, the state government has signed an MoU with Narayan hospital. As per agreement, children suffering from congenital heart diseases and rheumatic heart diseases get free surgery at the hospital.
The WhatsApp service is part of the commissionerate’s active and visible policing endeavour
BHUBANESWAR: The commissionerate police on Monday issued a WhatsApp number 7077798111 for citizens to report street crimes, including snatching, harassment and eve-teasing in the capital city. Police have also urged the citizens to share credible information, photo and video on street crimes and criminals on the WhatsApp number.
“We will start the service from Tuesday. The WhatsApp number will be functional in addition to the dial 100 emergency number. We urge people not to call the WhatsApp number. They should only send messages, photos and videos of street crimes and criminals. Details of the informers will not be disclosed,” said deputy commissioner of police Uma Shankar Dash.