visakhapatnam l sunday l march 15, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION i-T dept apologises after incorrect emails sent to some taxpayers The Income Tax Department was red-faced on Saturday after it sent emails to taxpayers with inaccurate details under ‘significant transactions’ Communication was part of e-campaign Taxpayers urged to ignore faulty emails The department issued an official clarification after some taxpayers flagged the emails with incorrect details about their significant transactions. The emails were sent as part of the department’s ongoing advance tax e-campaign for Assessment Year 2026–27. It is a digital outreach meant to alert taxpayers to verify their transactions ■ ■ Taxpayers were urged to ignore the faulty emails. Officials said the e-campaign communications are intended only as reminders “When tax administration is increasingly driven by advanced digital systems, data analytics and real-time monitoring, such errors should be minimal,” says Rajat Mohan, senior partner, AMRG & Associates 2026-27 the financial year for which advance tax notices were sent 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 Max export via Kharg Kharg Island, targeted in US air strikes on Saturday, is a scrubby stretch of land in the Gulf that handles almost all of Iran’s crude exports. The island is located around 30 km off the Iranian mainland. Kharg underwent major developments during Iran’s oil expansion in the 1960s and 1970s, with much of the country’s coast too shallow for supertankers Old beach park Kharg Island Airport Hospital IRAN Bandar Abbas Gas power plant Old boulevard T Jetty Oil and gas exploration service 2 LPG tankers clear Hormuz Day begins with America carpet-bombing Kharg island, Iran’s biggest oil export hub R a ke s h K u m a r @ New Delhi With two LPG cargoes crossing the troubled Strait of Hormuz after Iran assured their safe passage, they are expected to reach Indian ports by March 16–17. Each of the vessels — Shivalik and Nanda Devi — are carrying more than 46,000 metric tonnes of LPG, with a combined cargo of around 92,700 tonnes. The shipments will be discharged at Kandla and Mundra ports. As per ship-tracking data, Shivalik is currently travelling under Indian Navy’s escort. Six other LPG carriers are arriving from different parts of the world. They will be given priority berthing to ensure faster unloading and distribution, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in the Shipping Ministry informed. Besides, one LNG cargo and four crude oil shipments are scheduled to arrive. Daily LPG bookings have surged to around 8.8 million, compared with about 6 million before the crisis, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Petroleum Ministry said, indicating panic buy, ing. “Regarding LPG supply it remains a matter , of concern for us in light of the prevailing geopolitical situation; however, no stockouts have been reported thus far,” Sharma said. Of the 22 Indian-flagged vessels currently stuck in the Persian Gulf, Sinha said six are LPG tankers, four crude oil tankers, three container ships and dry docks, two bulk carriers, one LNG carrier, one chemical products tanker, one empty ballast vessel and one dredger. As for the booking portal conking, Sharma said attempts to book before the minimum refill period will not be accepted by the system. She urged people to use digital booking platforms instead of visiting distributors and standing in queues. CM to lay stone for AMNS plant on March 23 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Visakhapatnam The foundation stone for the proposed steel plant being established by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel in Nakkapalli mandal of Anakapalle district will be laid on March 23 by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and IT Minister Nara Lokesh. Ahead of the foundation stone laying ceremony Home , Minister Vangalapudi Anitha inspected the proposed site on Saturday and reviewed arrangements with officials from various departments. During the visit, she discussed traffic regulation and vehicle parking arrangements as a large turnout is expected for the event. Officials briefed her on the plans being prepared to regulate the movement of vehicles. Considering the participation of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and other ministers in the stone laying ceremony, she also reviewed security arrangeP4 ments at the venue. 1 Commercial LPG supply now under the purview of state govts to prioritise them 2 Commercial users urged to contact state govt for their LPG refill 3 Joint raids by Central and state teams on to curb black marketing of cooking gas 4 Online booking currently accounts for about 84% of LPG bookings Evacuate ports in UAE, warns Iran a g en c i e s @ Tel Aviv, Tehran, Dubai IRAN issued an evacuation warning for three major ports in the UAE on Saturday, openly threatening a neighbouring country’s non-US assets for the first time as its war with the US and Israel entered its third week. Iran said the US had used “ports, docks and hideouts” in the UAE to launch strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island, without providing evidence. It urged people to evacuate areas where it said US forces were sheltering. Hours later, there was a fire at Fujairah port in Dubai, caused by day debris from an intercepted Iranian drone hitting an oil facility . Israel said the war against Iran was entering its “decisive phase”, as explosions rocked cities across West Asia amid strikes on the US embassy in Baghdad, Tel Aviv and Iran’s Ishfahan, where 15 were killed. Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas urged Iran to refrain from targeting Gulf neighbours, many of which have supported its cause. Beyond the Gulf, Turkey said NATO forces shot down a ballistic missile launched from Iran. Oilrich Qatar said it intercepted two missiles. US President Donald Trump called upon the UK and its allies to send ships to secure the Strait of Hormuz. 15 NSA off, Wangchuk free days before SC hearing Govt calls for dialogue Reiterating its “commitment” to provide all necessary safeguards for Ladakh, the government expressed hope that the issues concerning the region will be resolved through constructive engagement and dialogue ‘Big victory’ The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, which are spearheading the agitation over demands for statehood for Ladakh termed Wangchuk’s release a “big victory” Rajesh Asnani, S u m i t K u m a r & F aya z w a n i @ Jaipur/New Delhi/Srinagar Activist Sonam Wangchuk was released from Jodhpur jail on Saturday after the Centre revoked his detention under the National Security Act (NSA). His release, after six months in custody, comes days before the Supreme Court’s final hearing of a petition by his wife, Geetanjali Angmo, against his detention. On Saturday mor ning, Angmo arrived at the Jodhpur jail to receive Wangchuk. After completing the formalities, the two left together in a private vehicle under police protection. Wangchuk was taken into custody by the Ladakh administration on September 24, 2025, and was transferred to the Jodhpur jail two days later. Authorities had accused him of “inciting violence” during protests demanding statehood for Ladakh and the implementation of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The unrest reportedly left four dead and more than 150 injured. In a social media post ahead of his release, Wangchuk reiterated his commitment to Ladakh, saying, “I have not backed down from activism. Our struggle was and will continue to be for the security, dignity, and future of Ladakh.” Analysts said the Centre may now initiate fresh talks with the leaders of Ladakh through a high-powered committee. In a statement, the Union home ministry said the gover nment had been actively engaging with various stakeholders and community leaders in Ladakh to address the aspirations and concerns of the people. Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena termed it a positive step by the Union government and underlined that there is no place for agitation, bandhs, or violence in Ladakh. The Congress said the Centre should apologise not just to Wangchuk and his family, but also to the people of Ladakh. WITH THIS ISSUE Haute by Hand PLUS 12 P AGES