GST Roll-out: Meals to cost more on Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto

NEW DELHI: With the Goods and Services Tax (GST) coming into effect from July 1, train passengers will have to pay a bit more to have their meal while on the wheels in premier trains such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto. According to Railway Ministry’s official order, the meals of premier trains have been put under the 18 per cent GST slab and the cost of food would see an increase of upto 34 per cent.

Apart from the increase in service tax on ticket charges from 4.5 per cent to 5 per cent after the GST implementation, the rise in meal prices would also result into increase in train fares. According to the order, passengers travelling in First Ac/executive Class would have to pay Rs 100 against the existing Rs 81.50 for the breakfast, while for having lunch/ dinner a passenger would have to pay Rs 155 against the present charges of Rs 129.50.

Similarly, evening tea, where dinner is not served, would now cost Rs 80 against the present charge of Rs 66.50, while combo meal would also be available at the similar prices in First AC or executive class.

Passengers travelling in 2nd Ac/3rd AC/CC would be charged Rs 13.50 more for the breakfast against the present price of Rs 66.5o, while for lunch/dinner passengers would have to pay Rs 23 more against the present rate of Rs 112 for one meal and evening tea would be served at Rs 50 against the existing rate of Rs 40.

The passengers travelling in Duronto’s sleeper class would also face the GST heat as breakfast would now be served at Rs 45 against the existing rate of Rs 34, while lunch/dinner would now cost Rs 80 against the present rate of Rs 71 and evening tea would cost Rs 7 more from the present cost of Rs 18.

There are currently 22 sets of Rajdhani Express operational in the country, while 26 pairs of Shatabdi Express are operating and a similar number of Duronto trains are running in the country.

Gearing up for the GST roll-out from July 1, the Railways has appointed a nodal officer in each state to ensure a smooth transition into the new single tax regime. According to a railways official, a consultant has been appointed for examining the impact of the GST in the Indian Railways.

The GST would be launched at a mega event on Friday midnight in the historic Central Hall. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, industrialist Ratan Tata are also expected to join the launch of India’s most sweeping tax reform. The GST would be launched in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, while former PM Manmohan Singh and HD Deva Gowda have also been invited. NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday issued a showcause notice to hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, asking him to explain the source of USD 10,000 “illegally” possessed by him in 2002.

The foreign currency was seized during Income Tax Department raids at his residence in Srinagar’s Hyderpora area in 2002.

The central probe agency issued the notice, under various sections of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), to the 87-year-old separatist leader based in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.

Geelani heads the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference. Taking cognisance of the Income Tax report, the ED had issued summons to Geelani to appear before it in Srinagar in March this year. BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Thursdayadvised the state Assembly to amicably resolve the issue of sentencing of two editors of Kannada tabloids to one year in jail for alleged defamatory articles against legislators.

Noting that he had no adjudicating powers to give a ruling on a resolution passed by the Assembly, Justice Ashok Hinchigere said he was therefore advising the Speaker to find an amicable solution to the matter.

The judge also virtually ticked off the two editors, saying they should restrain from “hitting below the belt” by publishing ‘baseless’ articles.

“...Is it possible for the Speaker that he can keep in abeyance the resolution sentencing the two editors? If it is, it should be done in the interest of the system,” the judge said, hearing the petitions filed by the two journalists challenging the assembly’s June 21 resolution.

In a rare step, the assembly awarded the sentence besides imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 each on Ravi Belagere and Anil Raju of Kannada tabloids ‘Hai Bangalore’ and ‘Yelahanka Voice’ based on the recommendations of Privileges Committee of the House.

The editors have moved the high court seeking a stay on their arrest and quashing of the resolution.

Justice Hinchigere said the journalists have the freedom of expression, but not at the cost of hurting and humiliating anyone, in this case the legislators.

He also said that Belagere’s non-compliance of (Privileges Committee) summons amounted to “disgraceful disobedience”.

“As many as 11 summons were issued to him and yet he did not turn up to depose before the privileges committee. This amounts to ‘disgraceful disobedience’,” he observed.

Counsel for the state government Ponanna said Raju, however, deposed before the committee and apologised, but resumed writing against MLA SR Vishwanath.

The judge said the editors should face the law and cannot abscond. They should restrain themselves from “hitting below the belt” by publishing baseless articles. He also directed government to give a copy of the resolution to the petitioners in two weeks time.

The next hearing will be heard tomorrow.

The assembly resolution had triggered protests from media with the Editors’ Guild of India terming it as a “gross misuse” of power which “violates” the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression.

The guild had also urged the assembly to withdraw its resolution “without delay.”