Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 2 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari is likely to step down as Chairperson of Jute Corporation of India.
Speaking to ANI over a phone call on Tuesday, the BJP leader said, “I have to contest in West Bengal elections. To prioritise this position, I might resign as Chairperson of Jute Corporation of India. Also, I cannot work having two government positions at a time.”
Adhikari, former West Bengal Minister, had joined the BJP in December 2020. Later, in January 2021, he was appointed as the Chairperson of the Jute Corporation of India.
The Jute Corporation of India Limited (JCI) was set up in 1971 as an official agency by the Government of India with the aim to provide minimum support price (MSP) to the jute cultivators and also work as a helping hand in the raw jute sector.
At present, he is actively campaigning in West Bengal for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
A total of 824 Assembly constituencies shall be going for polls in four states — Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam — and the Union Territory of Puducherry, said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora on Friday.
The polling in these states will start from March 27 and end on April 29.
West Bengal will witness eight-phased Assembly polls beginning March 27.
The tenure of the 16th Legislative Assembly of West Bengal will end on May 30 this year. A total of 7,34,07,832 voters will choose their representative for the 17th Legislative Assembly of West Bengal.
On January 20, Adhikari said although he does not know who from his party would contest from the Nandigram seat, he would make sure that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee loses the poll there by 50,000 votes. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 2 (ANI): In the ongoing drive to counter the fake billing operations, the Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST) Commissionerate arrested an accused for creating a network of 38 fictitious firms to generate and pass fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) of Goods and Service Tax (GST) amounting to Rs 38.91 Crore.
“Information from analytics tool NETRA (Network Exploration Tool for Revenue Augmentation), was developed by the officers of CGST commissionerate, Delhi East to unearth a network of fictitious firms used to generate and pass on fake ITC of GST,” said an official release.
According to the release, the investigation revealed that the multilayered network was being operated by one Nihaluddin who has confessed to having created a fake firm in his own name and also arranging ITC from 38 other fictitious firms on a commission basis to pass on fake ITC to multiple beneficiaries.
“The investigation has so far established the issuance of fake bills of Rs 216.06 Crore involving fake ITC of Rs 38.91 Crore, which is expected to increase as the investigation progresses.”
“The offence committed by the accused Nihaluddin is covered under Section 132(1)(b) of the CGST Act, 2017 which is cognizable and non-bailable offences as per the provision of Section 132(5) and punishable under clause (i) of sub section 1 of Section 132 of the Act ibid,” it stated.
The Commissionerate said that the accused has been arrested under Section 69(1) of the CGST Act, 2017 and produced before the Duty Magistrate on March 1 who remanded him to judicial custody of 14 days till March 15.
Further investigation is underway.
Notably, since the inception of GST Central Tax, Delhi Zone has made 28 arrests in various cases involving GST evasion amounting to more than Rs 4058.86 Crore. (ANI)

By Joymala Bagchi
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 2 (ANI): The Indian Secular Front (ISF) on Tuesday submitted the final list of six candidates for its seats in North Bengal to Congress for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.
“All over today’s meeting between ISF, Congress and Left at Alimuddin went well,” ISF chief Naushad Siddiqui told ANI.
“Our discussion with Left Front on seat sharing is settled and importantly we gave a list of six candidates for seats in North Bengal. They (Congress) will let us know tonight,” Siddiqui said.
Earlier the ISF was demanding 12 seats from this part.
This comes a day after veteran Congress leader Anand Sharma tweeted, “Congress’ alliance with parties like ISF and other such forces militates against the core ideology of the party and Gandhian and Nehruvian secularism, which forms the soul of the party. These issues need to be approved by the CWC.”
The meeting between ISF, Congress and Left parties, which was held today was attended by ISF chairman Naushad Siddiqui along with Pradeep Bhattacharya, Abdul Mannan, Biman Bose and Mohd Salim.
West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. Counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 2 (ANI): Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has taken the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at RR Hospital in the national capital on Tuesday.
“The first dosage of COVID-19 vaccine was administered to me at RR Hospital today. India’s resolve for making the country COVID free has been strengthened by this inoculation drive. The vaccine is completely safe and hassle free,” tweeted the Defence Minister.”
“I salute the efforts of India’s scientists and doctors who developed the vaccine in a short span of time. I also thank the doctors and paramedic staff at the RR Hospital for the vaccination. I urge everyone who is eligible to take the vaccine and make India COVID free,” added Singh.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the first dose of Covaxin, the indigenous coronavirus vaccine developed by biotechnology firm Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Soon after receiving the jab, he tweeted, “Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS.”
“Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19,” he added.
The second phase of the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive for age-appropriate population groups (people above 60 and those with comorbidities above 45) began on Monday with the Union Health Ministry calling out eligible people to get an appointment at respective hospitals in the country. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 2 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday pulled up a petitioner for using “Tom, Dick and Harry” in the petition and said such language is not permissible in pleadings before the court.
A single-judge bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh was hearing a petition filed by Group Captain Atul Jain against the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), on the ground that wrong procedures are being adopted by these tribunals.
The petitioner was appearing in person. The court noted that the petitioner appeared to have drafted the petition on his own.
The court also noted that a perusal of paragraph 6(f) shows that there is slang language being used in this petition.
“The said paragraph reads as under, ‘(f) The AA/NCLT cannot permit any person – Tom, Dick, and Harry’ to represent and defend the respondent u/s-7 of IBC, as the rules do not permit it,” the court noted.
The court further said the petition is liable to be dismissed, however, the petitioner later wished to withdraw it.
“Such language is not permissible in pleadings before the court. Accordingly, this petition is liable to be dismissed. If the petitioner is, aggrieved by any order of the NCLT or NCLAT, he may draft a proper petition and only then, file the same,” the court said.
The court added that the petition is dismissed as withdrawn with liberty to avail of his remedies in accordance with the law.
“Since the petitioner is appearing in person, this court is refraining from imposing costs at this stage,” it said. (ANI)

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 2 (ANI): With a sudden surge of COVID-19 infections in Kangra district, 153 monks have been tested positive at Gyuto Tantric Monastery of Karmapa in Sidhpur area of Dharamshala on Tuesday.
Following initial cases on February 23, 330 monks tested so far for COVID-19 and 153 monks have tested positive at Gyuto monastery in Himachal Pradesh, informed said Dr Gurdarshan Gupta, Chief Medical Officer, Zonal Hospital, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
“During the case investigation, it was found that few of the monks travelled from Karnataka and Delhi after new year’s celebration but surprisingly all the people who have travelled from outside have tested negative. One of them is shifted to Tanda Medical College as he had serious symptoms, others are in isolation in the monastery itself,” said Dr Gupta.
“The entire locality has been now declared as a containment zone,” he added.
Informing about the safety protocols, Secretary of the Department of Health, Palden Dhondup said, “We are taking all precautions measures and we are taking care of the monks and the situation is very grave but after 10 to 15 days everything will be alright.” (ANI)