No GST exemptions for northeast, hill states: Minister New Delhi, March 22 (IANS): The government on Thursday said that no exemptions from tax refund had been given to the northeastern and hilly states under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime till March 2027. It said the GST Council had in September 2016 decided that all entities exempted from payment of indirect tax under the then-existing tax incentive scheme will have to pay tax in the GST regime. "It was also decided that the decision to continue with any incentive given to specific industries in existing industrial policies of states or through any schemes of the Central government shall be with the concerned state or Central government," Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. And in case the state or Central government decides to continue any existing exemption or incentive scheme, it shall be administered by way of a reimbursement mechanism through the budgetary route, he added. He said the Central government had notified a scheme for grant of budgetary support to the eligible units which were earlier availing exemption or refund benefit under erstwhile Central Excise regime. Measles outbreak in Manipur kills two children Imphal, March 22 (IANS): Two tribal children were killed after an outbreak of measles in Manipur, said K. Rajo, Director of Health Services, on Thursday. Over 50 other children have also been affected by this disease. Officials said that the disease had affected the children at Phoklong village in Tamenglong district of the state. The Director added that a 12-member medical team, along with medicines, has already reached the village. "The unaffected children will be vaccinated against this disease. Besides, the children already affected by the disease will be taken care of," Rajo said. Villagers complained that no preventive vaccines were given in advance to the tribal children by the health officials in the district. The Director said that all the preventive measures will be taken in other parts of the state. Health officials and paramedics have been mobilised for doing the needful. Governor suspends Chakma Autonomous District Council Aizawl, March 22 (PTI): Mizoram Governor Lt Gen Nirbhay Sharma today suspended the executive council of the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) for four months for its reconstitution, a government order said today. Sharma suspended the CADC and assumed the power and functioning to himself following provisions of the of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution, an order by District Council Affairs department secretary Rodney L. Ralte said. The action was taken in the wake of the inquiry report submitted by Dr Arun T, Deputy Commissioner of Lawngtlai district, on the malfunctioning of the CADC. The deputy commissioner would now function as the administrator of the CADC, the order said. The CADC is an autonomous council for ethnic Chakma people, formed under the sixth schedule to the Constitution on April 29, 1972. The Council exercises legislative, executive and judiciary powers over allotted departments within the territory of CADC. NHRC issues notice to Assam, Mizoram DGPs over assault on journalists NEW DELHI, March 22 (TNN): The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Directors General of Police (DGPs) of Assam and Mizoram asking them to send a detailed report on the alleged physical assault and lathi charge on journalists by the Assam police at Zophai Bairabi area in Kolasib district of Mizoram near Assam border, while they were on a reporting assignment. The journalists had gone to Zophai to prepare a ground report as there was tension between Mizo Zirlai Pawl, a student organisation of Mizoram and the Assam police, which escalated due to lathi charge by the Assam police on the journalists. The police also fired gun shots during the action. The journalists displayed their press identity cards to the police personnel but they were not spared and were beaten black and blue. Many journalists, including women, have sustained serious injuries, said NHRC in a statement. ".....the Mizoram Journalists' Association had called a General Body Meeting at Aizawl Press Club Conference Hall on March 12 to express their plight. They also organised a sit-in demonstration on March 13," it said.
