India seeks investments from Qatar in infra, energy sectors

December 3, 2016

New Delhi, Dec 3: India on Saturday sought investments from Qatar in the infrastructure and energy sectors as the two sides signed four agreements, including on visas and cyber security.

modi

During delegation-level talks here led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Qatari counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations in depth, in particular on the follow-up of the important decisions taken during Modi's visit to Qatar in June this year.

Sources here said the two leaders discussed cooperation in various sectors and acknowledged that the current level of trade and investment was much below potential.

"Prime Minister Modi highlighted the tremendous opportunities available for Qatari investment in India's infrastructure and energy sectors," a source said.

"He outlined the various measures taken by his government to open up the Indian economy and welcome FDI."

Modi and Al Thani also identified civil aviation as a priority sector for enhancing cooperation.

According to the sources, Modi mentioned that India imported eight million tonnes of urea per year and said that a long term arrangement with Qatar for the supply of urea would be welcome.

India could also meet Qatari needs in the area of food security, he said.

On his part, the Qatari Prime Minister invited India's participation in infrastructure and investment opportunities coming up ahead of the FIFA World Cup in that Gulf nation in 2022.

He also welcomed Indian investment in the port sector of Qatar.

"On energy cooperation, Prime Minister Modi said that we should go beyond the buyer-seller relationship to include joint ventures, joint research and development and joint exploration," the source said.

Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India, accounting for 66 percent of the total imports in 2015-16.

Modi, it is learnt, said that Indian companies were ready to invest in both upstream and downstream projects in Qatar in the hydrocarbon sector.

The two leaders discussed enhancing cooperation in defence and security, in cyber security in particular, and agreed on joint action to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing.

The security situation in Iraq, Syria and Yemen also came up for discussion.

Following the delegation-level talks, four agreements were signed by the two sides.

One agreement allows holders of diplomatic, special and official passports of the two countries visa-free travel between the two countries.

A protocol on technical cooperation in cyber space and combating cyber crime was signed between the Ministry of Home Affairs of India and the Ministry of Interior of Qatar.

The protocol adds an important dimension of bilateral technical cooperation in cyberspace and combating cyber crime to the existing framework agreement in the field of security signed in November 2008.

A letter of intent was signed that allows for negotiations on an agreement on grant of e-visa to businessmen and tourists of the two countries.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed between Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy of Qatar and Confederation of Indian Industry which will provide a framework for project experts for Indian companies in Qatar, including through participation in infrastructure projects in Qatar undertaken for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Another MoU was signed for encouraging greater collaboration and exchange in the field of national ports management.

Al Thani arrived here on Friday in what was the third exchange of high-level visits between Indiaand the Gulf nation in less than two years.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visited India in March 2015 which was followed by the visit of Modi to that Gulf nation in June 2016.

Indians form the largest expatriate community in Qatar and their positive contribution in the progress and development of their host country is well recognised. There are over expatriate 630,000 Indians in Qatar.

Comments

Narayana
 - 
Sunday, 4 Dec 2016

Oh my Godse!! Idu enaithu marayarey!!!

satyameva jayte
 - 
Saturday, 3 Dec 2016

hi naren and viren.....any comments for your PM dealing with wahabi islamic countries? tum log bhi sudhar jaao.... papa enjoying...pillas troubling...

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News Network
May 26,2020

Bengaluru, May 26: After Yogi Adityanath said that no state can take manpower from Uttar Pradesh without his government's permission, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar on Tuesday termed the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's move as "unconstitutional" and "against the right to freedom of movement."

"Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's move to restrict hiring people of Uttar Pradesh is unconstitutional and goes against the right to freedom of movement. Mr Yogi, please note that UP is not the private property of your govt. The people of Uttar Pradesh don't need your government's permission to work anywhere in India," Shivakumar tweeted.

"Mr Yogi doesn't understand the basic rules of governance in a democracy. Such actions lack common sense and will only make the people of Uttar Pradesh suffer more. When it's convenient for BJP, it's One Nation, when it's not, it's different states and different people. Heights of hypocrisy," he added.

Adityanath had on Monday said that the state government will provide social security and insurance to labourers and no state can take manpower from Uttar Pradesh without his government's permission.

"If any state wants manpower, they cannot take our people from the state without our permission as there were reports of misbehaviour with them in other states. We are taking full responsibility for labourers' social security. We will provide every kind of security to them including insurance. Wherever they will go, we will always stand by them," Yogi said.

The Chief Minister said that skill mapping is being done in Uttar Pradesh and a commission will be set up for labourers to ensure employment for them.

On Sunday, Adityanath had ordered the formation of a 'Migration Commission' for the purpose of providing the workers, who have returned to the state during the lockdown phase, with employment suited to their skills.

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News Network
May 9,2020

New Delhi, May 9: The Finance Ministry on Friday announced relief to those who have been facing difficulty with their residency status in India under section 6 of the Income-tax Act due to lockdown and suspension of international flights owing to COIVD-19 outbreak, as they have had to prolong their stay in India.

According to a Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) release, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today allowed discounting of prolonged stay period in India for the purpose of determining residency status after considering various representations received from people who had to prolong their stay in India due to lockdown and suspension of international flights.

They expressed concern that they will be required to file tax returns as Indian residents and not as NRIs after 120 days of stay.

The Finance Ministry stated that the lockdown continues during the financial year 2020-21 and it is not yet clear when international flight operations would resume, a circular excluding the period of stay of these individuals up to the date of resumption of international flight operations shall be issued for determination of the residential status for the financial year 2020-21.

A circular also said that in order to avoid genuine hardship in such cases, the CBDT has decided that for the purposes of determining the residential status under section 6 of the Act during the previous year 2019-20 in respect of an individual who has come to India on a visit before March 22, 2020 and:

(a) has been unable to leave India on or before March 31, 2020, his period of stay in India from March 22, 2020 to March 31, 2020 shall not be taken into account; or

(b) has been quarantined in India on account of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) on or after March 1, 2020 and has departed on an evacuation flight on or before March 31, 2020 or has been unable to leave India on or before March 31, 2020, his period of stay from the beginning of his quarantine to his date of departure or March 31, 2020, as the case may be, shall not be taken into account; or

(c) has departed on an evacuation flight on or before March 31, 2020, his period of stay in India from March 22, 2020 to his date of departure shall not be taken into account."

The release said there are number of individuals who had come on a visit to India during the previous year 2019-20 for a particular duration and intended to leave India before the end of the previous year for maintaining their status as non-resident or not ordinary resident in India.

"However, due to declaration of the lockdown and suspension of international flights owing to outbreak of COVID-19, they are required to prolong their stay in India. The status of an individual whether he is resident in India or a non-resident or not ordinarily resident, is dependent, inter-alia, on the period for which the person is in India during a year," it said.

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News Network
July 2,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 2: Karnataka government has issued a show-cause notice to 18 private hospitals for refusing to admit a 52-year-old patient with influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms, who later died.

According to the notice dated on June 30, a 52-years patient named Bhawarlal Sujani died after he was denied admission by 18 private hospitals.

The patient was taken to these hospitals on Saturday and Sunday for admission on observing some ILI like symptoms. But none of these hospitals admitted in on the pretext of unavailability of bed/ventilators, read the notice.

This is a clear violation of providing medical assistance and admission necessitated under the agreed provision of KPME Registration. They should strictly adhere to the provisions under Sections 11 & 11 A of KPME Act 2017. Private Medical Establishments cannot deny/ refuse/ avoid treatment to patients with Covid-19 and Covid-19 like symptoms, the state Health Department said.

By denying the admission to the deceased patient, your hospitals have violated the provisions of the above-said act. You are liable for legal action in this regard, as per the notice.

The state Health department asked the hospitals to reply as to why action should not be initiated under the relevant Acts. 

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