Udupi: BJP protesters seek ban on PFI, sacking of Ramanath Rai

Mangaluru, May 29: Several non-resident Kannadigas from various Gulf countries including Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Thursday, May 28, interacted with Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel through a video conference and urged him to allow the Kannadigas stranded in the Middle East to return by facilitating the operation of repatriation flights.

The development comes amidst reports that lack of preparedness on parts of the local authorities in Karnataka compelling the Centre to delay the operation of flights from Middle East to Mangaluru and Bengaluru airports.

“We have never forgotten you. We will take necessary steps for your safe return to the homeland as soon as possible,” assured Mr Kateel after paying heed to the complaints of non-resident Kannadigas.

The video conference was organised by Ravi Shetty, ex president of Kannada Sangha Qatar.

Praveen Kumar Shetty, president, Karnataka NRI Forum of UAE, Sarvottam Shetty of UAE Karnataka Sangha, Avikshit Rai, Ravi Shetty, former president of Qatar Kannada Sangha, Santosh Shetty of Riyadh Karnataka NRI Forum, Zakariya Jokatte, president of Dammam Karnataka NRI Forum, Mohammad Mansoor, president of Bahrain Indian Overseas Congress, NS Shetty Kuwait, Pradeep Shetty of Kannada Sangha Bahrain, Karunakar Rao, Shashidhar Shetty Oman, Rajesh of Kuwait Kannada Sangha, Ramesh Bhandari, M E Muloor and Sunil Kulkarni among others participated in the video conference.

Shivamogga, Apr 13: Banana farmers in Shivamogga say their crop is rotting and they are incurring huge losses amid lockdown due to COVID-19.

The farmers alleged that although permission has been granted for the sale of agricultural products, with inter-district movements being affected, the local buyers are forcing the farmers to sell their produce at ridiculously low prices.

"Local buyers are asking us to sell bananas at Rs 4-5 per kg which is impossible for us. I do not know what we can do," Vijayendra, a farmer told ANI here.

"We expected the markets to be good during the summer season, I have cultivated bananas in four acres of land. There are thousands of other farmers who cultivate it in smaller hoardings," he added.

The farmer further implored the government to ensure there is an open market and inter-district movement of agricultural produce is allowed to ensure the farmers get the right price.

Vijayendra also said that the bananas have started rotting as they were not being harvested due to the lockdown.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last month announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from March 24 midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.

There is also the likelihood that the nationwide lockdown might further be extended even after the completion of the 21-day period on April 14, based on the statements from several chief ministers following a video conference with the Prime Minister held a few days earlier.

New Delhi, Feb 1: The budget is a little more demanding of the non-resident Indian. Firstly, to be categorized a non-resident, an Indian now has to stay abroad for 240 days, against 182 previously. In other words, an Indian national, to claim the non-resident status, can’t stay in India for 120 days or more in a year.

“We've made changes in Income Tax Act where if an Indian citizen stays out of the country for more than 182 days, he becomes non-resident,” said Revenue Secy Ajay Bhushan Pandey. “Now in order to become non-resident, he has to stay out of the country for 240 days.”

The second rule is more deadly: a non-resident Indian, who is not taxed in the foreign country, will become taxable in India.

“If any Indian citizen is not a resident of any country in the world, he'll be deemed to be a resident of India and his worldwide income will be taxed,” said Pandey.

"It's a very big disadvantage for Indians residing overseas only to save on tax,"  said Dinesh Kanabar of Dhruva Advisors. He expects that many Indians stay abroad in countries, where the income tax is low or nil such as Dubai. Now they will be taxed in India if they are in the income tax bracket.

For Indians, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman revised income tax rats and proposed new tax slabs.

The new income tax rates will, however, not allow exemptions under Section 80C. Home loan exemption, insurance exemptions, the standard deduction will also not stay under the regime.

"The new tax regime will be optional and the taxpayers will be given the choice to either remain in the old regime with exemptions and deductions or opt for the new reduced tax rate without those exemptions," Sitharaman said while unveiling Budget.