Chidambaram a la Midas
If the budget offers unexpected tax bonanza as an Income Tax payee how will you react? May be you will thank your stars. But a Finance Minister may be generous to give impressive tax benefits in return for a combination factors like buoyancy in revenue collection, high growth rate and higher level of tax compliance.
But again the very prevalence of such congenial environment, which may induce a Finance Minister to come out with unexpected tax concessions while presenting a budget, may be due to luck factor.
Chidambaram while presenting tax proposals in his fifth and the last full fledged Budget of the Congress-led UPA government was explaining about buoyancy in tax revenues.
“Many people are surprised by the buoyancy in tax revenues especially in direct taxes. I am not. I have always maintained that moderate and stable tax rates coupled with a tax administration that shows no fear or favour will bring high revenues to the exchequer,” he said with a smile. Chidambaram, however, conceded that help also came in the form of high growth rates, changes in attitude, information systems and technology, and “a lucky Finance Minister’!
“If I may add in a lighter vein having a lucky Finance Minister may have also helped!” he quipped amidst laughter. Soon after the luck factor came into play when he unveiled tax bonanza for Income Tax payees, which was quite unexpected.
Not only that Chidambaram went on to announce duty cuts on small cars, two wheelers and several consumer goods. “Average tax payers must thank their stars to get so many benefits from the budget this year,” a scribe quipped as he rushed to collect the budget papers.

Aditya Raj Das

Sartorial gesture

Who says the CPM always follows double standards? On the contrary, they are sympathetic and sensitive to the concerns of each and every section of people — not only the proletariat, but their class enemies as well.
And this fact was amply proved by CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury when he came to brief reporters in Parliament in an embroidered kurta.
When press persons complimented him on his dress sense, the Marxist leader retorted, “This type of kurtas are usually worn by the Marwaris and I am wearing it particularly because your colleagues in Bengal accuse my party as anti-Marwari.”
Obviously his reference was to the reported anti-Marwari comment by a West Bengal minister and the deluge of harsh talk against the Budhhadeb Bhattacharya government in the wake of that incident.
“I just want to prove my party’s impartiality so that media can never label us as anti-this or anti-that,” Sitaram said amidst laughter and thumping of desks by the newspersons.
“Have you seen any incident like the Maharashtra one in West Bengal? Our party is not parochial, neither has it any regional bias,” the leader, who has been elected to Rajya Sabha from West Bengal, proudly said.

Shruba Mukherjee

Bidar: What is in the air?

The defence ministry may have cleared the Karnataka government proposal to allow the Bidar defence airport for civilian use but Defence Minister A K Antony is not aware.
On his recent visit to the fort town to participate in a function organised to induct “Hawk” advanced jet trainers into the Indian Air Force, Antony was asked by Deccan Herald when would the Bidar airport be thrown open for commercial use.
“Which airport ? This airport ?” a startled Antony asked this correspondent, indicating that he was not aware of it
The fact is, Antony told Parliament on December 5 that the Centre “has already conveyed” its “in principle” approval to the proposal for Bidar airfield. He, however, added that no offer has been made for provision of additional land by the Karnataka government. 

B S Arun