vijayawada l wednesday l april 02, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Offensive and condemnable : Assam CM on Yunus’ comments Muhammad Yunus’ comments on northeastern states kicks up a row, with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma calling it “strongly condemnable” yunus had urged chinese cooperation ‘b’desh inviting china to encircle india’ Calling Bangladesh the “only guardian of the ocean” in the Northeastern region, Yunus had urged China to extend its economic influence to his country, mentioning that India’s seven sisters being landlocked is an opportunity. Yunus apparently made the comment during his recent fourday visit to China. A video of it surfaced on social media and led to furore ■ ■ Former Manipur CM N Biren Singh also joined in, accusing the neighbouring country of using the region as a strategic pawn Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the attitude of Bangladesh government is “very dangerous for the security of our North East region.” “Bangladesh is inviting China to encircle India.” | P8 20 km is the width of Siliguri Corridor, also called the ‘Chicken’s Neck’ 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 USTR lights into India ahead of tariff rollout Don in mind, India DIPAK M O N DA L @ New Delhi Ahead of the expected rollout of reciprocal tariffs on April 2, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) raised concerns over India’s trade policies. In its 2025 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, the USTR cited India’s high tariffs, restrictive digital trade rules, weak intellectual property enforcement, and unfair procurement practices as key obstacles for US businesses. The 397-page report devotes 15 pages to highlight the tariff and non-tariff barriers that skew trade in India’s favour. It says India’s average MFN (most-favoured-nation) applied tariff rate of 17% in 2023 was the highest among major economies, with agricultural products averaging 39%. The report accuses India of keeping high tariffs on a wide range of goods, including vegetable oils (45%); apples, corn, and motorcycles (50%); automobiles and flowers (60%); natural rubber (70%); coffee, rai- MSP, farm subsidy distort global prices The report highlights India’s agricultural subsidies, particularly the MSP system for rice and wheat crops, claiming that these distort global prices and put US farmers at a great disadvantage sins, and walnuts (100%); and alcoholic beverages (150%). In addition, India maintains high basic customs duties on drug formulations, including lifesaving drugs, it notes. USTR alleges India’s high tariff rates present a big barrier to trade in other agriculture and processed foods such as poultry, potatoes, citrus, almonds, pecans, apples, grapes, canned peaches, chocolate, cookies, frozen French fries, and other prepared foods used in fast-food restaurants. The report cites other nontariff barriers as well such as quality control measures, and local procurement conditions for manufacturing in India. The USTR has also flagged India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act for restricting cross-border data transfers and mandating data localisation. US president Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that the reciprocal tax would be imposed on all countries without any exception. SC’s conscience shocked over ’21 UP demolitions Orders the Prayagraj Development Authority to pay `10 lakh to each of the six petitioners whose houses were demolished. The appellants approached the top court after their plea to stop The Prayagraj Development the demolition was rejected by Authority in Uttar Pradesh was the Allahabad High Court. at the receiving end of the SuVarious other states have preme Court’s wrath on Tues- also flouted the court’s earlier day, as it slammed the “inhu- ruling barring illegal demolimane and illegal” demolition tion of houses without followof houses of six individuals in ing the rule of law. 2021, saying it had shocked its In the Prayagraj case, showconscience. cause notices were The court directfirst issued on Deed it to pay a comcember 18, 2020, pensation of `10 and pasted on the lakh each to the six six houses the individuals within same day On Janu. six weeks, after the ary 8, 2021, a demoappellants said lition notice was they did not have pasted on the same ‘Wrongly tied the means to rehouses but not sent to Atiq Ahmed’ build their homes. by registered post. “These cases “The first regisThe petitioners had shock our contered post commuclaimed that the science. Residential nication was sent state government premises of the apon March 1, 2021, had wrongly linked pellants have been received on March their properties to high handedly de6, 2021, and the gangster-politician molished. It is a demolition was Atiq Ahmed and very serious affair,” carried out the next demolished them the court said. day leaving the ap, Warning it for pellants with no opflouting the due process of law, portunity to appeal under Seca bench comprising justice Ab- tion 27(2) of the UP Urban hay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan Planning and Development Act, said, “The Prayagraj Develop- 1973,” the bench observed. ment Authority must remem“This affixing business must ber that the right to shelter is be stopped. They have lost their also an integral part of Article houses because of this,” Jus21 of the Constitution.” tice Oka said. He was referring The court’s whiplash came to the practice of pasting noafter hearing a joint plea by ad- tices rather than making efvocate Zulfiqar Haider, profes- forts to serve them in person or sor Ali Ahmed and others by registered post. S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi express read New queue system at sub-registrar offices Guntur: The State government will implement the Dynamic Queue Management System (DQMS) at sub-registrar offices from April 4 to modernise registration services, reduce congestion, and improve efficiency. The system, aimed at eliminating long wait time, will initially be introduced in all the district headquarters of the State | P3 Shipbuilding industry to come up in Parchur Guntur: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday announced plans to establish a shipbuilding industry in Parchur of Bapatla district, along with key infrastructure projects aimed at boosting the region’s economy. He also outlined his vision for industrial growth, canal modernisation, and agricultural market expansion Deadly blast Debris of a firecracker warehouse after a blast in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district on Tuesday. At least 18 were killed, 5 injured | pti | P8 J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi under the shadow of the reciprocal tariffs set to be imposed by US President Donald Trump on April 2, India and China on Tuesday sought to work together as they marked the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his letter to President Droupadi Murmu, said the bilateral ties should resemble a “dragon-elephant tango”. Responding to a letter from Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that advancing bilateral relations would enhance global stability and prosperity, while supporting the emergence of a multi-polar world. Modi noted that India and China are two ancient cultures and civilizations that have shaped human history and it’s their responsi, bility to promote peace and development. “Progress in our bilateral relations will contribute not only to global stability and prosperity but also to the emergence of a multi-polar world,” Modi said. “The development of China- Sparks to fly as LS debates Waqf bill today P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi Oppn to demand division of votes during passage Setting the stage for a major showdown between the government and the Opposition, the Lok Sabha will take up the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill for discussion and passage on Wednesday with , an eight-hour-long debate allocated for its deliberation. While the gover nment is determined to push the bill through, the Opposition condemned it and called it “unconstitutional”. The government requires a simple majority of 272 votes, which should be smooth for the The opposition INDIA bloc on Tuesday unanimously decided to participate in the debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and seek a division of votes during its passage. The decision was arrived at a meeting attended by all Opposition parties | P7 NDA with 293 MPs. Major BJP allies like the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (United), and Chirag Paswanled LJP (Ramvilas), who had initial reservations, have now extended support after the joint parliamentary committee adopted some of their suggestions. The BJP has 240 MPs, JD(U) 12, and TDP 16. heatwave likely to grip 30 mandals in state today As many as 30 mandals in the State are likely to reel under heatwave on Wednesday. Light rain is expected to occur in one or two places in Sathya Sai and Chittoor districts | P3 Govt to issue new ration cards from May, fine rice for mid-day meal E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar has announced that new ration cards will be issued from May after completing the KYC process by April 30. Addressing the media at the State Secretariat on Tuesday, he said the new ration cards will be similar to ATM cards, and they contain all necessary details of the beneficiary, besides security features such as QR code. The new ration cards will allow beneficiaries to add or remove family members, and obtain split cards. Unlike those issued by the previous government, the new ration cards will not bear individual photograph. The exact number of beneficiaries eligible for the new ration cards will be ascertained and China mark 75th year of diplomatic ties Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar shows the new ration card, which is similar to an ATM card | Express once the KYC process is completed, he explained. The eKYC, mandated by the Supreme Court, can be completed through WhatsApp and online platfor ms. Out of 4 , 2 4 , 5 9 , 0 2 8 b e n e f i c i a r i e s, 3,85,74,194 (93%) have successfully completed eKYC, and the remaining are expected to do it by the end of April, he elabo- rated. The second phase of the Deepam 2.0 scheme will benefit one crore people in the State. So far, 99.03 lakh beneficiaries have availed the scheme, and `760 crore has been deposited directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. Additionally, two lakh new LPG connections have been registered under the scheme, he said. Fine rice will be supplied for the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme from the academic year 2025-26. Necessary arrangements have been made to distribute fine rice packets to 44,394 schools, and 3,938 residential hostels in the State, he revealed. On paddy procurement, the Civil Supplies Minister said the government plans to procure 10 lakh metric tonnes out of the estimated 13.5 lakh metric tonnes harvested in the P4 Rabi season.  The BJP and several Opposition parties have issued whips for their MPs to be present in the House for the next three days. Despite the numbers favouring the BJP, the Opposition has vowed to fight the bill. After a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders, Congress MP K C Venugopal said, “This bill is fundamentally against Constitutional provisions. We are going to oppose this bill.” CPI(M) MP John Brittas said they would fight tooth and nail and seek a division of votes while coordinating with parties like YSRCP and Biju Janata Dal. The Congress and other INDIA bloc members walked out of the Lok Sabha’s business advisory committee meeting, accusing the government of stifling their voice. Minorities and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Speaker Om Birla chaired the meeting and agreed on an eight-hour debate, extendable based on the House’s consensus. However, the Opposition had demanded 12 hours. Sector-wise revenue trends in last 6 months (in ` cr) Month GST October, 2024 November December January, 2025 February March 2,820 2,843 2,524 2,904 2,937 3,116 Petroleum Products 1,189 1,312 1,386 1,377 1,383 1,426 Liquor 87 74 106 84 76 82 Profession Tax 31 29 30 30 33 44 Total 4,126.28 4,258.55 4,046.02 4,394.92 4,427.99 4,667.76 State collects record GST of `3,116 cr in March E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The State has demonstrated remarkable resilience and efficiency in GST collection, successfully reversing the downward trend observed in November and December 2024. Through strategic policy implementation, and improved tax compliance, the State has achieved a sustained growth in GST revenue in 1.19% rise the first quarter of 2025 with March registered emerging as an exceptional month. In 2024-25, The net GST collection in March has gross GST reached `3,116 crore, marking the highcollection est amount collected in the past 11 rose by 1.19%, months, said Chief Commissioner of amounting to State Taxes Babu A. `44,825 crore, This impressive performance not compared to only signifies effective tax administra`44,298 crore tion but also reflects the positive ecoin 2023-24 nomic momentum in the State. The steady increase in tax revenue underscores the strength of the State’s financial framework, and the success of various initiatives designed to enhance tax compliance and enforcement. The net GST collection in March 2025 is the highest for the month since the introducP4 tion of the AP Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.  Ready to step up imports: Envoy Ahead of the US tariffs from April 2, China’s Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, said, “We are willing to work with India to enhance cooperation in trade and to import more Indian products” India relations demonstrates that it is the right choice for China and India to be partners of mutual achievement and realise the ‘dragon-elephant tango’, which fully serves the fundamental interests of both countries and their peoples,” Xi said in his letter. Mur mu, in her response, said a stable, predictable and friendly bilateral relationship will benefit both countries and the world. “We have opportunity to rebuild India, China ties,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a function organised at the Chinese embassy . “Let us join hands with clear vision, uphold correct mindset, and rise above distraction and dissonance,” said Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong. stance clear TDP supports Waqf Bill, issues whip to party MPs S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada As the Centre is all set to table the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the TDP which is a key ally of , the BJP-led NDA government, has extended its support to the bill. TDP Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha GM Harish Balayogi on Tuesday issued a whip to the party MPs to be present in the Lok Sabha throughout the day on Wednesday “Some very im. portant legislative business will be taken up for passing in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday ,” the whip read. Bagging 16 Lok Sabha seats out of the total 25 in Andhra Pradesh, the TDP emerged as the second largest party in the NDA, and was instrumental in the formation of the BJP-led coalition gover nment at the Centre. The TDP is supporting all the decisions being taken up by the Narendra Modi government. With regard to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, though the TDP faced severe criticism from some sections of Muslim Minorities for its stand, who recently boycotted the Iftar dinner hosted by the State government during Ramzan, the party has decided to support the bill, asserting that it is committed to the welfare of Muslim Minorities. The TDP leadership claims that it is very clear on its stand on the Waqf Bill issue, and there is no compromise on safeguarding the rights of the Muslim Minorities. In fact, the TDP has made some recommendations pertaining to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), and its recommendations have P4 been considered.