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 ■ ■ BHUBANESWAR  THURSDAY  SEPTEMBER 04, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION RAINED-OUT NORTH PLEADS FOR MERCY JAMMU AND KASHMIR PUNJAB DELHI HIMACHAL PRADESH Heavy rain led to the deaths of a woman and her daughter, while 40 people were left trapped in a flooded village in Akhnoor. Major rivers, including the Chenab and the Jhelum, are flowing above the danger level. Thousands of people have been evacuated Punjab was officially declared a disaster-affected state on Wednesday, with 37 deaths reported and 3,55,000 people affected across 1,655 villages. Approximately 4,32,000 acres of farmland have been submerged, causing severe losses to crops and livestock | P8 A man gingerly trying to use a makeshift bridge in a low-lying area at the Yamuna floodplain in Delhi on Wednesday. Delhi was lashed by intermittent showers for the third consecutive day. The city is predicted to receive more showers in the next few days | PHOTO: PARVEEN NEGI In Kullu, two persons including a National Disaster Response Force jawan are feared dead after two houses collapsed Notes From the Field Presenting Partner Gold Partners NEW NARRATIVES, LIVING REALITIES SEPTEMBER 6&7 2025 BHUBANESWAR HOTEL MAYFAIR CONVENTION 5% & 18%: Just two GST slabs from September 22 5% tax for daily use items; no GST for individual health, life insurance P U S H P I TA D E Y & D I PA K M O N D A L Not just GST rate rationalisation, this is structural reform, easing compliance @ New Delhi THE 56th GST Council meeting held here on Wednesday cleared all the proposed changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), including the two-rate tax structure. Taxes on most daily use items, which were earlier in the 18% and 12% slabs, have been cut to 5%. Many goods in the 28% slab were also brought down to 18%. All these rates will come into effect from September 22. Addressing the media after the meeting that went past 9 pm, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said efforts have been made to not just reduce the rates on items for the common man but also ease the compliance burden for businesses. “We have corrected inverted duty structure problems, resolved classification-related issues, and ensured stability and predictability in GST. There has been a rationalisation of rates—slabs have been reduced to just two. We are also addressing issues of compensation cess, simplifying registration, return filing, and refunds,” the finance minister said. Goods which have moved to the 5% slab from 18% or 12% rates include hair oil, toilet soaps, shampoos, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bicycles, tableware, kitchenware, and other household articles. Many food items including namkeen, bhujia, sauces, pasta, instant noodles, chocolates, coffee, preserved meat, cor n flakes, butter, ghee, etc have also been put under 5% slab — Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, J&K CM Omar Abdullah, and others at the 56th GST Council meeting | PTI BASIC FOOD ITEMS TO GET CHEAPER OPPN STATES WARY OF REVENUE LOSS Basic food items have been exempt from GST: paneer, ultra-high temperature milk, and all Indian breads—roti, chapati, and paratha—will attract nil rate. Life-saving drugs too will be exempt Before the Council meeting, opposition-ruled Himachal, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, TN, Telangana and Bengal had their own meeting to formalise their strategy to demand revenue protection from the existing 12% or 18%. The rates on middle-class aspirational goods such as washing machines, TVs (all sizes now at 18%), small cars, motorcycles up to 350cc have been reduced from 28% to 18%. Taxes on agriculture goods such as tractors, horticultural and forestry machines, harvesting/threshing machines, composting machines, etc have been cut from 12% to 5%. Premium on individual health and life insurance have been cut to zero from 18%. Rates on 33 life-saving drugs and medicines have also been Diarrhoea returns to Jajpur, claims life of 46-yr-old woman E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Jajpur AFTER a hiatus of three months, diarrhoea has reared its ugly head again in Jajpur district with the waterborne disease reportedly claiming the life of a 46-year-old woman and affecting 11 people in Barchana block. The deceased was identified as Jharana Malik, a resident of Talua village under Saudia panchayat. Official sources said Jharana along with three other villagers was admitted to Barchana community health centre (CHC) on Sunday night after reportedly developing diarrhoea symptoms. The woman was later referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital (MCH) in Cuttack, where she succumbed during treatCONTINUED ON P5 ment on Tuesday . cut to zero; several others medicines have been reduced from 12% or 5% to zero. There will be a special rate of 40% for sin and super-luxury goods, including caffeinated or flavoured carbonated beverages with added sugar. Welcoming the decisions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “The wide ranging reforms will improve lives of our citizens and ensure ease of doing business for all, especially small traders and businesses.” The overall revenue loss to the government is calculated to be around `47,700 crore. LITERARY FESTIVAL E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Bhubaneswar EXTENDING his firm support to the rationalisation of GST rate proposal of the Group of Ministers of the GST Council, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday said the tax reduction on sale of kendu leaves will immensely benefit the primary procurers belonging to the marginal sections of the society . Addressing the 56th GST Council meeting in New Delhi, the chief minister said the tax reduction from 18 per cent to 5 per cent on kendu leaf will benefit the tribal communities. This will result in increase in volume of sales of kendu leaves through government procurement agencies and help the leaf collection workers in getting higher price from vendors in the de-regulated areas. “The GST rate rationalisation proposal of the Group of Ministers is a welcome move that will benefit the common man and will ease compliance, lower business costs and make India’s tax system simpler and more efficient. In line with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, a Viksit Odisha is going to play a crucial role of the growth engine, propelling the nation’s progress in the Amrit Kal,” Majhi said. He said the proposed rate reduction in agricultural inputs and machinery will ease the financial burden on farmers, lower production costs, and make essential items more affordable. This step will encourage growth in the sector, strengthen rural income and contribute to food security for the nation. “I also strongly support all the proposals of the Law Committee, particularly, the agenda on simplified GST registration scheme for small and low-risk businesses which will provide a simple, hassle-free online registration approval process for small traders, startups and self-employed individuals,” the CM added. FADNAVIS, RUPALA LEAD RACE FOR BJP NATIONAL PRESIDENT’S POST B A L A C H A U H A N @ Bengaluru AS BJP prepares to elect its new president, names of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and former Union minister from Gujarat, Parshottam Khodabhai Rupala, emerged as top contenders for the hot seat along with that of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. According to informed sources, who didn’t wish to be named, Fadnavis has been given a heads-up that he may be asked to step down as CM after Bihar elections. “The message has been conveyed but there is no discussion yet on his future role. He is likely to be considered for the BJP chief post. He is young, has the support of RSS Associate Partners ODISHA CM hails GST rationalisation, lowering tax on kendu leaf ship,” said sources. and the confidence of the The name of Dharmenparty leadership,” said dra Pradhan continues to sources. Though Rupala be among the contenders. is a new entrant into the His late father Dr Debenlist, his candidature dra Pradhan was a life gained traction as he too member of RSS and had is backed by the RSS and joined the BJP in 1980. is said to be trusted by The party needs to unthe party top brass. His dergo an organisational proximity to Prime Minoverhaul in at least 50% ister Narendra Modi, of its 37 organisational when he was Gujarat state units to constitute CM, is well known. Rupala’s antithe electoral college beKshatriya comments Fadnavis (top) and fore it can begin the procduring Parliament elec- Parshottam Rupala ess of electing its nationtions in 2024 did cast a al president. Since its cloud on his political inception, the BJP has career but he is a “loyalist, and always chosen a consensus cana trusted conduit between the didate as its president in ‘co-ordiSangh and the party leader- nation’ with the RSS. Associate Partners Radio Partner Associate Partners Print Partner TV Partner Knowledge Partner Outdoor Partner Book Partner Hospitality Partner Leading Out-Of-Home Media Owners Peace talks with Kuki-Zo insurgents inconclusive armed groups and security forces. However, its renewal was halted after ethnic AHEAD of Prime Minister Narendra violence erupted between the Kuki and Modi’s expected visit to the ethnic vio- Meitei communities in May 2023, leavlence-hit state of Manipur later this ing Manipur deeply fractured. Many in the corridors of power bemonth, the Union home ministry held a meeting on Wednesday with repre- lieve that extending the SoO pact could sentatives of the Kuki-Zo insurgent be one of the most important configroups and the Manipur government to dence-building measures in the troufinalise the terms for renewing the Sus- bled state. Sources indicated that if the prime minister visits Manipur in the pension of Operation (SoO) pact, second or third week of this sources said. PM’s However, they maintained that month, the renewal of the SoO there was “no concrete outcome” Manipur pact could signal a significant and that a fresh round of talks outreach to the tribal Kuki-Zo visit would take place, with the date community and is viewed as a and venue to be decided later. Sourcstep towards restoring normality . es said the ministry’s Northeast adviser, The ministry resumed talks with the A K Mishra and Intelligence BuKuki-Zo SoO groups on June 9 this reau officials held discussions year after a two-year hiatus to rewith representatives of the Kunegotiate the SoO pact under ki-Zo insurgent groups. stricter ground rules. One of the It is worth noting that the conditions includes reducing the SoO pact, originally signed in number of SoO camps from 14 August 2008, has been a corto seven, relocating them nerstone in reducing hosaway from Meitei-domitilities between Kuki-Zo nated areas. M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi STARLINK GETS PROVISIONAL SPECTRUM The Elon Musk-led company has received provisional spectrum to begin trial satellite broadband services in India, ahead of a full-scale commercial launch | P10