tirupati l friday l april 02, 2021 l `7.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION record GST mop-up in March ’21 as collections touch `1.24L-cr The revenue crossed the `1-lakh-crore mark for the 6th straight month. This month’s tally is 27% above the March ’20 collection Highest since introduction of GST Marker of post pandemic recovery? Of the total revenue, Central GST stood at `22,973 crore, State GST was `29,329 crore, integrated GST accounted for `62,842 crore (including `31,097 crore collected on import of goods) while cess amounted to `8,757 crore (including `935 crore on import of goods). The finance ministry said March’s figures are the highest since the introduction of GST ■ ■ The steady increase in GST collections over the past six months could be a marker of rapid economic recovery post pandemic Closer monitoring against fake-billing, deep data analytics using data from multiple sources and effective tax administration have also contributed to the increase in GST revenue | P10 `58,852 cr Revenue of Centre and states for CGST; the earning is `60,559 crore for SGST CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ WARANGAL ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI MPTC, ZPTC polls on April 8, results on 10 on March 7, 2020 and the election process was completed up to the stage of publication of the list of contesting candidates on March 14, 2020. However, on March 15, the then SEC N Ramesh Kumar issued a notification withholding the election process due to the outbreak of Covid-19. Though Ramesh Kumar, whose tenure ended on Wednesday (March 31, 2021), completed the elections to Gram Panchayats in February , 2021 and to Urban Local Bodies in March, 2021, did not conduct the polls to MPTCs and ZPTCs. Though the gover nment wanted the SEC to complete the remaining six-day process of stalled polls to intensify vaccination drive, Ramesh Kumar was not inclined to do it.  P3 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada On the very first day of assuming office on Thursday, State Election Commissioner (SEC) Nilam Sawhney released notification for the conduct of polls to MPTCs and ZPTCs, the process of which was stalled due to outbreak of Covid-19 last year. While polling will be held on April 8, counting of votes will be held on April 10. Repolling if necessary will be held on April 9. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force with immediate effect in rural areas of the entire State and it will be in force till the completion of the election process. In fact, the SEC issued a notification for the MPTC and ZPTC elections MPTC/ZPTC election schedule 660 652 10,047 7,322 Polling - April 8 (7 am to 5 pm) Repoll if any April 9 (7 am to 5 pm) Counting of votes - April 10 Total ZPTCs 126 Elections announced Total MPTCs 526 Elections to be held Elections announced Unanimous Election to be held 9,693 2,371 Unanimous TDP likely to boycott MPTC and ZPTC elections Sporadic incidents of violence reported elsewhere in West Bengal also; voting percentage high in Assam Phase II Figures that matter WEST BENGAL 10,620 ballot units and an equal polling in Bengal’s number 30 Assembly of control constituencies, units and including VVPATs used Nandigram in Bengal 80.43% ASSAM 77.21% in Assam’s 39 Assembly constituencies 10,819 ballot units, 10,592 control units and as many VVPATs used in Assam E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kolkata/Guwahati West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arriving at a polling station during the second phase of Assembly polls at Boyal in Nandigram on Thursday | PTI After SOS calls from candidates and PMO stinker, savings rate cut nixed A N URADHA SHU K L A @ New Delhi The finance ministry on Thursday rescinded its controversial order slashing interest rates on small savings within 12 hours of issuing it, following social media backlash, panic calls from BJP functionaries of poll-bound states, and a sharply worded directive from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). On Wednesday evening, the ministry had issued an order cutting interest rates applicable on various small savings schemes by 50-110 basis points for April-June 2021 period. The decision, announced a day before phase-2 voting in Bengal and Assam, drew widespread criticism. Sources said some BJP candidates, too, made calls to the PMO. West Bengal contributes the most to small savings, according to National Savings Institute data. Of the total gross small savings collections of `5.96 lakh crore in FY18, collections from West Bengal were `90,000 crore. Early on Thursday morn- Make AP a model for other States in Covid-19 vaccination drive: Jagan NIA raids 31 places in AP, TS, arrests six E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy who along with his , wife YS Bharathi, took the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday said the vaccination , drive will be taken up aggressively in the State and AP should remain as a model for other States in the country . He launched the vaccination drive at the 140th ward secretariat at Bharatpet in the Guntur Municipal Corporation. Later, he launched an app developed by the Medical and Health Department to monitor the progress of vaccination drive. Officials can get accurate information about the vaccination drive with the help of the feedback given by staff of ward and village secretariats and also volunteers. Speaking on the occasion, Jagan said the vaccination drive should be taken up as a yagna by considering the ward secretariat as a unit. In the coming days, the same will be extended to village secretariats, he said. “Volunteers and Asha workers will collect the details of those who are above 45 years of age. Later, beneficiaries of The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which conducted raids on the houses of several civil rights activists, lawyers and journalists at 31 locations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, said it had arrested six persons so far in the case related to the furthering the activities of the banned CPI (Maoist) in the guise of frontal organisations. The NIA said it conducted searches at 31 locations spread across eight districts of Andhra Pradesh -- Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Prakasam, Srikakulam, Kurnool, Krishna, East Godavari and Kadapa -and four districts in Telangana. The case was originally registered by Munchingput police of Visakhapatnam (Rural) after they nabbed Pangi Naganna in November, 2020. Investigation revealed that Naganna had been ostensibly working as a journalist and passing information about the movements of police to Maoists. He allegedly indulged in instigating the villagers to obstruct combing operations of police and prevent them from P4 entering into villages.  ing, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took upon herself to do damage control. “The interest rates of small savings schemes will continue to be the same as in the last quarter of 2020-21. Orders issued by oversight shall be withdrawn,” she tweeted. Sources said the order was supposed to be made public next week but got out early due to “bureaucratic error”. “As it was financial year-end closing (March 31), the order went public. It has been corrected now,” said an official. A high voter turnout of 80.43% and 77.21% was recorded in West Bengal and Assam, respectively on Thursday but the , highlight of the second phase of polling was the high drama in Nandigram, followed by Mamata Banerjee accusing the BJP of rigging the polls and the Election Commission of inaction. Sporadic violence was reported in other parts of Bengal, too, as voting took place in 30 assembly constituencies spread over East and West Midnapore, Bankura and South 24 Parganas districts. In Assam, polling for 39 seats across 13 districts was largely peaceful, barring one incident. Pitted against her aideturned-rival Suvendu Adhikari, the Bengal chief minister rushed to booth no. 7 at Boyal in Nandigram claiming she had received complaints that TMC’s polling agents were not allowed at the polling station. As she argued with senior police officers, BJP supporters as- @ Vijayawada that particular ward or village will be informed about the date vaccination. A team of doctors -- four from the two PHCs in the mandal and another of 104 vehicle -- will be made available at the secretariat for the vaccination drive. Apart from this, a 108 ambulance will also be stationed at the secretariat to meet any medical emergency If any beneficiary does not . turn up on the scheduled date, Asha workers and volunteers will visit his house and ensure that he takes the jab, he said. “The medical and health officials are hopeful of completing the vaccination drive in the State in four to six weeks,” Jagan said. Vax drive on off days too in April, as govt aims to enhance coverage New Delhi: On a day the Covid-19 inoculation for all people above the age of 45 began, the Centre on Thursday said the shots would be given on all days, including gazetted holidays, throughout April at all public and private vaccination centres. The decision seeks to arrest a steep decline in the number of people getting vaccinated against the backdrop of rise in number of cases during the second wave. Till Thursday, over 63 million people have been vaccinated, translating into just 4.5 doses per 100 people. charisma, talent, effort Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2019 for Rajini E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ Chennai ACTOR Rajinikanth will be awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2019, as announced by Union I&B Minister Prakash Javdekar on Thursday He said, “A jury con. sisting of Asha Bhonsle, Mohanlal, Biswajit Chatterjee, Shankar Mahadevan and Subhash Ghai unanimously decided to nominate Rajinikanth for the award, and we’ve accepted it. For the last 50-odd years, he has been the uncrowned king of cinema. Through his charisma, talent, and efforts, he has made a place for himself in the hearts of people.” heat wave to prevail in state  Many parts in the State have been reeling under a heat wave with the mercury crossing 40 degree Celsius-mark. The situation will continue for the next couple of days, according to Met office @ Vijayawada Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy takes Covid vaccine at the ward secretariat in Guntur on Thursday | Express Governor, Jagan congratulate Rajini Vijayawada: Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday congratulated film actor Rajinikanth for getting the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest film honour, in recognition of his immense contribution to Indian cinema The actor now joins an illustrious list of film personalities to have been conferred this award, including his mentor K Balachander, Sivaji Ganesan, Satyajit Ray, Amitabh Bachchan, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Gulzar, Lata Mangeshkar, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, and K Vishwanath. He is set to become the fourth star from South Indian cinema after Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Sivaji Gane- san, and Rajkumar to be awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke. Having begun his career with a cameo in K Balachander’s Apoorva Raagangal (1975), Rajinikanth went on to act in over 160 films across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, and English languages. Tasting success as a stylish antagonist in many films like Aadu Puli Aatam, 16 Vayathinile, and Moondru Mudichu, he made the transition to ‘hero’ roles with Bairavi (1978), which was also the first film to give him the ‘Superstar’ sobriquet that would later become so continued on p5 iconic. sembled outside and raised Jai Sri Ram slogan. A group of TMC supporters, too, gathered and shouted Khela Hobe. As the two groups clashed, hurling stones and trading abuses, Mamata called up Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and alleged that bogus voting was taking place on a massive scale while central force remained mute spectators. The TMC chief wrote a complaint letter to the Election Commission, accusing it of inaction on 63 complaints lodged by her party and threatened to , move court. She accused the central forces and the EC of acting at the behest of Union home minister Amit Shah. The poll panel, however, cited its general observer’s report to state that there was no disruption in voting at polling station number 7. Despite her allegations of poll fraud, Mamata claimed victory even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi took potshots at her saying “your body language is showing you have accepted your defeat in Nandigram”.  AP Disaster Management chief K Kanna Babu said the heat wave prevailed in 113 mandals in the State. They included Guntur (29), Krishna (27), Vizianagaram (19) and Visakhapatnam (10) and 217 other mandals experienced heat Madhav K  The district administrations have been alerted, and women, children and old people urged to take precautionary measures to protect themselves from heat RINL achieves `18,000 crore turnover, `740 cr profit E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Visakhapatnam Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), has set new milestones in the sales turnover and net profit at a time when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs decided to privatise the plant, which is being strongly opposed by employees as well as political parties of the State. The VSP has achieved a net profit of `740 crore in the last four months. RINL CMD PK Rath on T hursday said the VSP achieved a record sales turnover of around `18,000 crore, the second highest since its inception, in the just concluded 2020-21 financial year, registering an impressive growth of 13 per cent. Its sales volumes reached 4.45 million tonnes recording a growth of 4 per cent. In March 2021, the VSP achieved a sales turnover of `3,300 crore and sales volume of 7,11,000 tonnes for the first time in its history “This . sales turnover is a whopping 42 per cent more than the previous best of `2,329 crore in March 2019,” the CMD said. Addressing the RINL senior officers in a virtual meeting, the CMD highlighted the stupendous perfor mance achieved by RINL-VSP in all areas of operations. He stated that this has been possible due to record levels of production being achieved since December 2020. He complimented the VSP workforce for achieving the best ever production figures exceeding the capacity of 6.3 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum). “During the year, we achieved export sales of 1.3 million tonnes, which is 261 per cent higher than the previous year. In addition to this, 35 out of the total 57 ocean export contracts were finalised with 100 per cent advance payment terms. Having established such a good market for exports, there should not be any looking back,” he said. VSP union president J Ayodhya Ram said the plant has achieved a 13 per cent growth in turnover in the last fiscal compared to 2019-20. The VSP has achieved a turnover of `17,917 crore in 2020-21.  P4 Steel plant sets new records RINL, the corporate entity of VSP, has performed exceedingly well in 2020-21 `18,000 cr 4.45 million tonnes Sales volume `740 cr `2,329 crore turnover in march 2019 Sales turnover in 2020-21 Net profit (in the last four months) 7,11,000 tonnes Sales volume in march 1.3 million tonnes export sales 13% Growth rate `3,300 cr turnover in march 21