Efforts needed to bring more property deals under the registration net

Posted on August 11, 2011 by SRRF

While talking of black money often focus is at money stashed abroad, one must recognize that the biggest source of black money in India is the real estate sector. This fact has been further supported in a survey undertaken by KPMG, a consultancy organization, where a large number of respondents have stated that this is perhaps one sector which promotes large amount of corruption.

One of the main factor which promotes this perception is perhaps involvement of cash transactions in the sector. However several reputed organizations involvement in the sector has brought some transparency to the sector. Tata Housing MD claimed that they do not indulge in any cash transactions. He also stated that after introduction of S 80IB under the Income Tax Act, cash transactions have reduced significantly.

Yet another aspect which enhances black money in the real estate sector is the non-registration of the real-estate deals. One of the major contributing factor towards the same is high Stamp Duty.

Stamp duty is a property tax, to be paid in almost every deal at a prescribed rate on the transaction value or calculations based on circle rate, whichever is higher. It varies from state to state. This particular tax varies from one state to another around 4% in Mumbai, 13% in Kerala, 6% in Haryana and 8% in Uttar Pradesh. Most of the states charge around 6-8%. At present, stamp duty is charged from developers at the time of registering the land and again from consumers during the possession of flats.

A number of persons have been asking that the Stamp Duty rates be reduced, to help enhance registration of properties. The argument is that bringing down rates will not result in losses, since more properties will come under the registration net. It may be added that even Prime Minister has stated the same, however considering Stamp Duty is a state tax one is not sure if his statement would have any impact on rationalization of the Stamp Duty.
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Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in Governance Reforms | 2 Comments

Performance Incentives for Central Staff

Posted on August 6, 2011 by SRRF

Centre is all set to bring in a Performance Related Incentive System (PRIS) for its employees. The system devised & tested by IIM, Ahemdabad allows any employee to receive cash incentives if s/he gets a performance rating of 70% or more as per Results Framework document. Secretaries / Joint secretaries will receive the incentive based on overall performance of their Departments, while others will be evaluated on individual performance. Around 62 ministries and departments have implemented the system of evaluating the performance. These departments have also installed bio-metric systems to improve punctuality.

The Govt asked various departments to make savings by cutting costs and would allow upto 15% to be paid as incentives. Thus not putting any additional burden on the Govt. finances. The scheme has been approved by a Committee of Secretaries, appointed for the purpose and is likely to be implemented effective 2012-13.

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Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in Governance Reforms | Comments Off on Performance Incentives for Central Staff

Payment Gateway

Posted on August 5, 2011 by SRRF

At our organisation we are exploring the option of initiating a payment gateway.Would appreciate pointers for choosing an appropriate vendor.

Who are the most popular vendors among NGOs.

Are there any special concessions that we could negotiate from the vendors?

Also in case one receives foreign funds ( by individuals) through the payment gateway then what are the points to be kept in mind.

Look forward to understanding the subject.

Regards

Anupama Kalra
Executive Director
United Way of Delhi

H-171 (First Floor),
Sector-63,Noida 201301, India
http://www.uwdelhi.org/

Posted in FCRA, TAX, LEGAL | 7 Comments

Pay Pal accounts and e-LS international a/cs

Posted on August 5, 2011 by SRRF

Dear Sir,

Your workshop on DTC & FCRA is very useful and gave an intro to the amendments in both. I attended the workshop in Chennai and thankful to you for making the day 100% useful.

Now many online international platforms are willing to mobilise donations for the ngos and transferring the foreign exchange to us. While some transfer the money to our bank accounts, few others talk of Pay pal accounts and e-LS international accounts for fund transfers. Is this legal? Can you kindly clarify the same.

With regards
—
F. Beatrice Vanaja,
Chief Administrative Officer,

New Life,

No: 7,3rd Cross, 5th Main Road, Srinivasanagar,

Land Mark:Next to Bishop heber College, Puthur,

TRICHIRAPPALLI-620017.

Phone: Office: 91-431-2782726

Fax: 91-431-2770199

Posted in FCRA, TAX, LEGAL | 1 Comment

Government prepared SOP for tracking the missing children

Posted on August 2, 2011 by SRRF

Delhi government has recently taken a decision in forming Missing Person Squad (MPS) under the Crime Branch of the city police to search the missing children. It has also submitted a 14-page Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to Delhi high court.

Government response has come on direction given by the court for rehabilitating the missing children. Several organizations had filed a petition to the high court on Delhi policies failure to trace a large number of children who go missing from the capital every day and very few of them are traced by the police. Children are largely trafficked and used for child labour.

The court also taking note of the fact that school struck off names of the missing children. It has directed the education department to issue a circular for all the schools that this should not be done and the children can continue their school after being rescued.

SRRF dialogue has number of members who are working for missing children. Some of them can contribute to the discussion by bringing out the ground realities.
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Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in Human Rights | Comments Off on Government prepared SOP for tracking the missing children

RBI working on major Financial Inclusion Scheme

Posted on August 1, 2011 by SRRF

RBI has high ambitions for its financial inclusion scheme. It plans to provide banking access to all villages with population of over 2,000 by March 2012. There are 72,800 villages in the country identified as falling into this category. It is coordinating with several banks in this matter. It has asked banks to ensure that at least 25 per cent of the new branches being opened during this year are located in rural areas. In last two years 20% of all branches opened by the Scheduled Commercial Banks have been in rural areas, with emphasis on areas with population over 2000 but no banking facility. Business Correspondents are also a major part of this scheme.

Part of this exercise also includes providing of banking facilities to villages at the their doorstep. For this purpose, villagers would be issued Smart Cards, which they could use to manage their bank accounts. The smart cards come with a zero balance saving account and will be linked to UID. All government benefits would be eventually routed through this bank account. As part of the scheme business correspondent with a hand-held swipe machine would be required to go from door to door, for facilitating withdrawal / deposit of funds.

As part of this scheme around 1000 villages in Bihar, including some naxal affected districts, have been partly covered. While most bankers are going for the business correspondent model, SBI has preferred to put kiosks with machines at each village. It has covered around 400 villages.  In Bihar around 9230 villages are planned to be covered by March 2013.

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Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in Governance Reforms | Comments Off on RBI working on major Financial Inclusion Scheme

Query on FCRA

Posted on July 25, 2011 by SRRF

Dear S.Mittal Sir,

I have attended your FCRA workshop held in Chennai on 8th July (organized by CSO Partners). I have a query on transferring our FC fund to a few un-registered organization. This is mentioned that as per Rule 23(4), a FC registered organization can transfer its fund subject to maximum 10% of total FC receipt by taking prior permission from MHA through Form-10. I have the following queries on this

1. Do we need to fill separate Form-10 for each organization whom we are planning to transfer funds in this financial year or can we put the names of all the organisation in annexure of a single FC-10
2. Do we need to give details of projected receipts during the year to proof that total amount to be transferred will be 10% of receipts.
3. Can we transfer the fund after filing Form-10 or we have to wait for getting the permission letter from Department. How long Department will take to give us the permission.
4. Do we need to attach any permission letter from District Magistrate of the place where the beneficiary organization will be located.
5. Can we fill Form-10 online.

Looking forward for your response.
—

Thanks & Regards

Pragya
Team Leader-Accounts

Villgro Innovations Foundation
III Floor, IIT Madras Research Park Building
Kanagam Road, Taramani,
(Behind TIDEL Park),
Chennai – 600 113

Mob: 91-8144308874

Posted in FCRA, TAX, LEGAL | 28 Comments

E-based Procurement

Posted on July 25, 2011 by SRRF

Considering the flak Government has been receiving on corruption, a Group of Ministers formed to combat the same have suggested a public procurement law and a switch to e-procurement. It seems the government is considering the proposal to create a single portal for procurement for all its departments and agencies on the line of MCA21 (a Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ e-filing portal). It also plans to focus on capacity building and training people in public procurement while ensuring that maximum number of people understand it.

All key information related to procurement will be posted on a single procurement portal. Even the post-bid progress, i.e. who has won the bid, on what grounds, possibly even the rates.  Interestingly the portal may cover not only much maligned telecom spectrum but also other natural resources (such as mining, etc.)

We all hope that move will help bring more transparency in the procurement by the government.

____________________________________

Socio Research & Reform Foundation

(A Non Government Organisation)

512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008

Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044

e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in Governance Reforms | 1 Comment

Mid-day meals plan to cover pvt schools in tribal areas

Posted on July 25, 2011 by SRRF

Originally MDM scheme was started- aiming at enhancing enrolment, retention and attendance at school besides simultaneously improving nutritional values among children, and since 1995 it has been implemented across the country’s primary and upper primary government schools and schools aided by the Centre or state governments. The scheme is the world’s largest school-feeding programme reaching out to about 12 crore (1.2 million) children in over 12.65 lakh (1.26 million) schools across the country.
Since states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh with high tribal population have been demanding that 30% of schools operating in these states are private; there is a need to extend the scheme to such private/unaided schools.
Hence, the GOI has now decided to expand the midday meal scheme to such schools in the districts with more than 20% tribal population.

____________________________________

Socio Research & Reform Foundation

(A Non Government Organisation)

512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008

Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044

e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in Education | 3 Comments

Policy for managing burgeoning vehicles in Delhi

Posted on July 25, 2011 by SRRF
Delhi has more than 6.8 million vehicles registered in Delhi, not including vehicles registered in neighbouring states but plying in Delhi. Total number of vehicles is more than the number of combined vehicles in other metros.

Under the directions of High Court, Delhi Government had formed a Committee headed by the Chief Secretary. It has made several recommendations including:

  • · A Transport policy which discourages the use of personal vehicles and promotes public transport, including construction of Bus Rapid Transit Corridors.
  • · Policy of parking charges to factor in real-estate cost of land.
  • · Congestion Charges on private vehicles, especially in busy markets.
  • · For better management of parking sites, identify them through GPS.
  • · Introduction of parking meters and internet-enabled parking systems.

A conference has been planned on August 17 at CSE to discuss the policy proposals.

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Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
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Posted in Urban Governance | 5 Comments