Hindu family coverts to Islam after facing social boycott

Bengaluru, May 3: Karnataka Government has allowed the movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons who are stranded and also those who want to go to their residence as a "one-time measure" from district to district, after obtaining "one-day, one way" passes issued by concerned authorities.

Consequent to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) new guidelines on lockdown measures, the government of Karnataka issued new guidelines on lockdown measures which will come into effect from May 4 for the period of two weeks.

In an order issued on Saturday, Chief Secretary and Chairman, State Executive Committee, Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority stated, "In the exercise of the powers, conferred under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the undersigned, in his capacity of Chairman, State Executive Committee, hereby order to permit movement migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons who are stranded and also those people who want to go to their residence as a one-time measure from district to district with one-time one-day one-way passes issued by concerned Deputy Commissioners of the districts/Deputy Commissioner of Police in Commissionerates for strict implementation."

The details of the passes issued shall be shared by the issuing Deputy Commissioners of the districts/ Deputy Commissioner of Police with the receiving Deputy Commissioners of the districts/Deputy Commissioners of Police shall follow the SOPs prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the movement of such persons, the order read.

It is reiterated that this would be a one-time one-day one-way pass for the individuals to reach their final destination.

Meanwhile, three deaths and 12 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the 24 hours in Karnataka, said the state Health Department on Saturday.

According to the Health Department, the total number of coronavirus positive cases in the State is now 601. 271 patients have either been cured or discharged. The virus has killed 25 people so far in the State.

New Delhi, Jun 23: In an unexpected development, the pump price of diesel is all set to surpass the petrol price in the capital, making it the most expensive transport fuel for the first time in a long time.

Globally, diesel is priced slightly above petrol prices due to the very nature of the product that has a higher cost of production. But in India, due to the lopsided taxation structure, diesel attracts lesser of the tax between the two auto fuels keeping its prices lower than petrol for last several years.

Diesel is currently priced at Rs 79.40 a litre in the Capital, just 36 paise short of petrol price that is being retailed at Rs 79.76 a litre. Going by the trend of price movement in the two products for the last few days where diesel prices have consistently increased by 50-60 paise per litre while the daily increase in petrol prices have fallen to just 20 paise on Tuesday, it is set to surpass petrol prices in next few days.

"Diesel price movement is sharper in international market and if oil companies follow the global price trend, diesel prices will surpass that of petrol later this week. It will be after many years that this would happen and is expected to sustain for some time unless government changes the tax structure of the petroleum products again," said an oil sector expert from one of the big four audit and advisory firms asking not to be named.

Interestingly, even in India the base price of diesel is expensive than petrol. According to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), while the base price of petrol in Delhi currently comes to Rs 22.11 per litre, the same for diesel is higher at Rs 22.93 per litre (effective from June 16, 2020). This has been the case for a long time, but retail price of petrol can be higher than diesel due to central and state taxes.

What has now brought diesel prices to a whisker of petrol prices in the capital is the Delhi government's decision early May to increase the Value Added Tax on diesel from 16.75 per cent to 30 per cent and on petrol from 27 per cent to 30 per cent. This increased the retail price of diesel and petrol in Delhi by Rs 7.10 and Rs 1.67 a litre respectively. With Central taxes on the two products already reaching identical levels, the Delhi governments move hastened price parity between petrol and diesel.

Currently, the Central excise on petrol is Rs 32.98 a litre while that on diesel it is Rs 31.83 a litre. The VAT on petrol in Delhi is Rs 17.71 a litre and that on diesel is Rs 17.60 a litre.

While the movement of retail pricing is being seen with a sigh of relief by vehicle owners whose cars run on petrol, those buying the relatively expensive diesel cars are now repenting on their decision. The development is also being seen with caution by automobile companies who have spent millions to ramp up their facilities for diesel run vehicles. The expectation is that demand for such cars will now fall, causing more damage to companies where sales are already impacted due to persistent economic slowdown and now the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

"The pricing development would push automobile companies to strategies being followed by companies in the western markets where diesel run cars are not sold on fuel pricing differential, but on overall make and quality that puts them ahead of petrol run cars," the expert quoted earlier.

Yes, but for commercial vehicle sector the rising price of diesel had not been welcomed. In fact, the commercial transport sector had time an again threatened strike against the move to raise fuel prices.

With petrol and diesel retail prices closing, the case for adultering fuel has also gone down much to the relief of vehicle owners.

Bengaluru, Feb 26: Karnataka Minister CT Ravi on Wednesday said that time is ripe to bring in Uniform Civil Code in the country as there was a demand for "equality".

"Everyone talks about equality. Those who desired inequality in the past are now seeking equality. The time is ripe to bring Uniform Civil Code," he said.

The Minister said that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has been a part of the party's agenda since the time when BJP was formed in 1980.

"We spoke about article 370, we have done it, on Ayodhya issue, the Supreme Court has given its verdict. As the time comes we will do it," he said.