thrissur l Sunday l february 05, 2023 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l city edition China’s spy balloon likely guided by A.I., says Expert The balloon spotted over US seems to have advanced steering technologies, an expert on spy balloons said may remain over U.S. for few more days Second one spotted over latin america The Pentagon too said the balloon is carrying advanced sensors and surveillance equipment and is manoeuvrable, disputing the Chinese claim that it has limited steering ability. Indicating there’s no plan to take it down immediately, the Pentagon said the balloon may stay over the US for few more days, adding it posses no threat the people below ■ The row has further strained US-China ties. The White House slammed China for violating US sovereignty and Beijing hit back, accusing the US of using it as a pretext to attack China ■ Amid escalating tensions, Pentagon said it spotted a second high-altitude Chinese spy balloon flying over Latin America 46K feet The height at which the balloon is floating over the U.S. CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Tax benefits off for funds to trusts named after the Gandhi family D i pa k M o n d a l @ New Delhi In another attack on the legacy of the Nehru-Gandhi family, the Finance Bill of the Budget 2023 introduced a provision that excludes donations to three trusts/foundations — the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust and Rajiv Gandhi Foundation — from the list of eligible funds for deductions under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. The government says that these trusts/foundations, which were automatically eligible for Section 80G benefit, will now have to come under the regular route for tax cut. “It has been observed that there are only three funds based on names of the persons in the said section (Sub-section 2 of Section 80G). In order to remove such funds, it is proposed Fuel cess triggers rift, LDF partners demand rollback WITH THIS ISSUE to omit sub-clauses (ii), (iiic) and (iiid) of clause (a) of subsection (2) of section 80G of the Act,” the Finance Bill reads. Sub-clause (ii) mentions the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund; (iiic) the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust; and (iiid) the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. This amendment will come into effect from April 1, 2024. Currently 50% of the amount , donated to four funds — Prime Those three trusts are registered under section 12A, so they will have to come under the regular regime of 80G in the normal course - Nitin Gupta, CBDT chief Minister’s Drought Relief Fund apart from the three mentioned earlier — is eligible for income tax deductions under sub-section 2 of Section 80G. Talking to this newspaper, 1 st trans pregnancy? A transgender couple in Kerala announced pregnancy, in possibly the first such case in India Zahhad, who was undergoing hormone therapy to become a man, is now eight months pregnant Govt may review decision, reduce levy by C1 K S S REE J I T H @ T’Puram Pastoral Postcards PLUS 12 PAGES express read Pradhan gets BJP charge in K’taka New Delhi: The Central leadership of the BJP on Saturday appointed Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan as its in-charge for the forthcoming Karnataka Assembly elections. ‘No more Cong hartals in Kerala’ Kannur: Congress will not call hartals in Kerala again, said party state president K Sudhakaran. “As a party, Congress is against holding hartals as a mode of protest,” said Sudhakaran. “As long as I remain as the president of Congress, the party will not call a hartal in the state,” he said. dissenting voices A day after imposing the `2 social security cess on fuel, the state government has come under intense pressure from within the ruling front to roll back the budget proposal. This could even force the government to review the decision, and reduce the levy by `1. The warning of a possible backlash first came from LDF convenor E P Jayarajan. Other allies followed suit, leaving the CPI, that supported the proposal, the odd man out. Even CPM state secretary M V Govindan tried to play down the issue saying it was a mere proposal. Kerala Congress (M), NCP and Janata Dal (S) are of the opinion that a hike in the fuel price will make the lives of ordinary people more miserable. Unofficial discussions and deliberations have already started in the ruling front on the matter. Leaders in the CPM are also of the view that with the general election round the corner, public sentiment will be against the government. Jayarajan pointed out that the difference in fuel prices with neighbouring states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Puducherry will be a setback for the state economy “The gov. ernment will consider the is- In the state budget for 202324, Finance Minister K N Balagopal proposed C2 per litre social security cess on sale of petrol and diesel Zahhad and partner Ziya Paval initially tried to adopt a child, but found the process very difficult | P2 C750 crore additional revenue targeted with the move The govt will consider the issue. Although no government can survive without imposing tax, it should not make people suffer E P Jayarajan, LDF convenor The Left front’s policy is that nothing that will impose additional burden on the people should be introduced. The fuel cess is against it P C Chacko, NCP state president sue. Although no government can survive without imposing tax, it should not make people suffer. The government should win over people and persuade them to pay tax as their social responsibility he said. ,” NCP state president P C Chacko told TNIE that the proposed cess is against LDF policy. “Its policy is that nothing that will impose additional burden on the people should be introduced. The fuel cess is against it,” he said. Zahhad (L) with partner Ziya Paval | Express When she came for work on Saturday, Vani didn’t respond to Days after she was conferred the sound of the calling bell. with the third highest civilian She informed others, and Vani’s honour Padma Bhushsister who had a duplian, legendary playback cate key was also alertsinger Vani Jairam ed. When they opened passed away at her the door, she was found house at Nungamdead with injuries on bakkam in Chennai on her head. SubsequentSaturday The 77-year. ly, the police were old accidentally fell informed. Vani Jairam down and suffered in“We have filed a case 1 9 45 -2 02 3 juries on her head, acunder Section 174 of cording to the police. the CrPC after a preVani’s domestic help Ma- liminary probe. We are awaitlarkodi told media that she saw ing post-mortem report,” said the singer on Friday night. Shekhar Deshmukh, deputy S u ba sh i n i V i jaya k um a r @ Chennai Academy in Kerala `6.75L for a parade: Celebrity harassed: P T Usha tusker scales new peaks E x p r e ss N e ws S e r v i c e @ Chennai As the festival season in the state nears its peak, Thechikottukavu Ramachandran, once considered the tallest elephant in Asia, is back in the news. The celebrity tusker has been booked for a parade with a record bid of `6.75 lakh. The bidding war, involving 46 festival committees, was won by Punchiri, which is part of the Chavakkad Viswanatha temple festival. This is the high amount offered for parading a single elephant. Ramachandran’s enormous frame and charm won him many fans. The tusker, which was a regular at local festivals in Thrissur, shot to fame after it started attending the ceremony for the opening of the Thekke Gopura Nada, heralding the Thrissur Pooram. Despite his popularity the tusker , is considered a killer, having taken the lives of 13 people. The last incident involving Ramachandran came in 2019, during a housewarming ceremony Two people died while sev. eral others were injured. A report by veterinary surgeons following the incident found Ramachandran to be blind in one eye, which makes him more prone to get agitated in a crowded and loud environment. Despite the report, Ramachandran was paraded at the Thrissur Pooram that same year, albeit with restrictions. According to K Mahesh Menon of the Kerala Elephant Owners’ Federation, “Guruvayur Padmanabhan was one elephant that received big bids for a parade. Festival committees used to offer `2,22,222 for Padmanabhan, who was considered an incarnation of Sree Gurvayoorappan. This year, Guruvayur Devaswom’s Indrasen was offered `2,72,727 by Vadakurumbakkavu festival committee, which was thus far the highest bid for an elephant.” The top bid for Guruvayur Valiya Kesavan, another famous elephant, was `2,32,000. While elephant lovers are happy with Ramachandran’s return to the festival scene, animal rights activists have come out against parading a partially blind elephant. As per sources, the Thechikottukavu temple devaswom had approached the HC. The court verdict had urged an elephant monitoring committee to review the condition of the elephant before taking an appropriate decision. Based on the reports of veterinarians, the committee allowed Ramachandran to be paraded twice weekly . under the regular regime of 80G in the normal course with the approval of the commissioner,” Gupta explained. The move could become another flashpoint between the BJP government and the opposition Congress. Cong ress leader Jairam Ramesh told this newspaper they have not studied the matter yet, adding they will react on the issue in time. Delhi court cites Gandhi, frees 11 in Jamia violence mia violence, Sharjeel will remain in jail since he is a defendA Delhi court on Saturday quot- ant in the bigger conspiracy ed Mahatma Gandhi to point case of the 2020 northeast Delhi out that dissent needs to be giv- riots. en space, while discharging In his order on Saturday, AdSharjeel Imam, Safoora Zargar, ditional Sessions Judge Arul Asif Iqbal Tanha, and eight oth- Varma referred to Mahatma ers in a case linked to Gandhi’s quote: “Conviolence at Jamia Millia science is the source of Islamia in December dissent.” 2019. The judge said investiSharjeel Imam, 35, a gating agencies should scholar and an activist, be able to differentiate was one of the key prodissent and insurrectagonists of a campaign tion. “The desideratum against the anti-Citizen- Sharjeel Imam is for the investigating ship Amendment Act in agencies to discern the the prelude to violence in Delhi difference between dissent and in early 2020. The police had insurrection. The latter has to re gistered multiple FIRs be quelled indisputably. Howagainst him and others under ever, the former has to be given Unlawful Activities (Preven- space, a forum, for dissent is tion) Act. perhaps reflective of something Despite being cleared of all which pricks a citizen’s concharges related to the 2019 Ja- science,” he said. J a i s o n W i l s o n @ New Delhi Singer with mesmerising velvety voice no more record bid G o p i k a V a r r i e r @ Thrissur chairman of the Central Board Direct Taxes Nitin Gupta said the three trusts would no longer be eligible for Section 80G benefits automatically . “How does a trust get 80G benefits? They get themselves registered under section 12A, seek the benefit of 80G registration and 80G (benefit) is granted. Those three trusts are already registered under section 12A, so they will have to come TRACK legend and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P T Usha on Saturday broke down during a small media briefing in New Delhi while describing the ordeal her Usha School of Athletics in Kinaloor near Kozhikode is going through. Intruders, she said, started some kind of construction in the middle of her academy on Friday When the academy’s management con. fronted them, they misbehaved, she alleged. The multiple Asian Games medallist, according to reports, claimed that the workers who were involved in the construction said they had taken permission from Panangad panchayat. The work stopped after she complained to the police. She appealed to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to address and resolve the issue. Usha reportedly said that this is not the first time her school and its staff have been subjected to such harassment. She also said that drug-addicts barge into the academy at night too. “We are being targeted continuously she said. The academy is situated ,” in a 30-acre land provided by the Kerala government on lease. The Panangad panchayat authorities have denied the charges. “There is a human settlement near the plot allocated to Usha School and the local residents need a road for better transportation. The proposed road passes through the plot of the School. We tried to find a solution by calling a meeting, but it went in vain. Right now the panchayat is carrying out pipeline works for providing water to the residents of the area under Jal Jeevan Mission. The school authorities are opposing the work,” said V M Kuttikrishnan, Panangad panchayat presi● More on P5 dent. Music fraternity mourns Vani amma’s demise The death of Vani Jairam who mesmerised thousands with her velvety voice, has shaken many. Here, in Kerala, where Vani got her first career breakthrough, the loss is as equally profound as it is in Vellore and Chennai, where she made her home | P2 commissioner of police, Triplicane. Vani Jairam recently completed 50 years as a professional singer and has contributed to a rich repository of music, comprising more than 10,000 songs across over 18 different Indian languages, including Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi. Her popular songs in Malayalam include Etho janma kalpanayil, Vaalkannezhuthi vanapushpam choodi, among others. Manathe marikurumbe in Puli Murugan, Pookal Panineer... in Action Hero Biju, Olanjaalikuruvi in 1983 and Peythalinja Nimisham in Captain are her recent works in Malayalam. A celebrated singer, Vani won the national award thrice, for Apoorva Raagangal (1975), Sankarabharanam (1980), and Swathi Kiranam (1992).