rajya sabha

Income Tax department seized Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion) in black money, including cash and jewellery, during April-October, 2011-12, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. The I-T department has issued 2,190 warrants and seized assets worth Rs 299.63 crore (Rs 2.996 billion), Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in the Rajya Sabha. Full Article

14 Bills (11 in the Lok Sabha and 3 in the Rajya Sabha) introduced during the Monsoon Session The Lok Sabha passes 13 Bills and the Rajya Sabha passes 09 Bills during the session. Full Article

Amid concerns by medical community on the proposed service tax on healthcare, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said in the Rajya Sabha that he would respond to the representations on tax issues next week.Following the reply of Mukherjee on general discussion on the Budget, the Rajya Sabha returned the Appropriations Bills, completing the first phase of the three-stage exercise for passage of the budget. Full Article

The government has sent notices to 18 Indians who have stashed away unaccounted money in Liechestein's LGT Bank, asking them to pay Rs 24.66 crore (Rs 246.6 million) as taxes. Full Article

The Minister for Corporate Affairs has said that the Competition Commission of India has fully started its statutory functions except Regulation of combinations, as Sections 5 & 6 of the Competition Act have not been notified. Giving this information Full Article

Non-Resident Indians can hope to cast votes in their home country as the Rajya Sabha today passed a bill to provide them voting rights. "We are not doing them any charity," law minister M Veerappa Moily said, while replying to a brief debate on a bill that seeks to amend the Representation of Peoples Act. Full Article

Individuals and companies can expect some relief in the Direct Taxes Code (DTC), with the government planning to widen personal income-tax slabs, enhance the exemption limit and remove levies on corporate tax. This comes with the Cabinet clearing the Direct tax code which will be introduced in Rajya Sabha, and referred it to a select committee, during the monsoon session. Full Article

The Government has said that a number of steps have been taken to make the ‘Easy Exit Scheme- 2010’ effective. Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Corporate Affairs, said that the steps include conducting seminars and workshops involving all stakeholders, to sensitize the scheme and advertisements in newspapers, banners, etc. Full Article