Thursday, June 30, 2016

GOD WILL LEAD YOU!

Paul Dhinakaran

Dearly beloved, The Lord says, “I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron” (Isaiah 45:2). 

Indeed there are crooked places in your life. You would have been struggling all these years to straighten your crooked places on your own. Despite your best efforts, you realise you have failed miserably. Beloved, never lose heart! As God promised in Isaiah 45:2, He Himself will go before you and will certainly straighten all the crooked things in your life. All you have to do is to receive Jesus in your heart and trust Him to work in your life. 

PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD!

The Scripture exhorts, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth” (Luke 3:4,5). As mentioned in the above Scripture verses, when you prepare a way for the Lord in your heart, then your crooked paths will be straightened.

TRUST GOD TO LEAD THE WAY

There are two paths available for us. One is the straight path and the other is the crooked path. To walk in the straight path, we should plead with God saying, “Lord, You are my way. Even though I tried my best to walk in the straight path, I am unable to do it. Hence, I look up to You who is the way. Please go before me from today onwards and straighten my path. I surrender myself to You. Please come and dwell in my heart and enable me to walk in the straight path.” Then the Lord will certainly strengthen your faith and come and dwell in your heart. He will also enable you to walk in the straight path. He will not forsake you. He will enable you to overcome the challenges of life and bring prosperity into your life. 

Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus, You are the Way. I surrender my life to You. Come and dwell in my heart. Go before me and make a way for me. Straighten the crooked path. Let me begin to follow You in faith through this journey of life, placing my trust in your faithfulness. Lead me in your ways and give me the grace to inherit your eternal blessings. In Your matchless name I pray, Amen.
----

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

INDICES OF ADMITTED QUESTIONS

INDICES OF ADMITTED QUESTIONS DURING THE 8TH SESSIONS OF 16TH LOK SABHA (APRIL 24 TO MAY 13, 2016) PERTAINING TO THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE

STOCK, INVESTMENT AND PUBLIC ASSET MANAGEMENT
Sl no
Qn number
Heading and text of the question
1
922
29.4.2016
Forward Trading
Benefits to small and marginal farmers due to commencement of forward trading in commodities - easier access to better information about future prices which help them in taking appropriate cropping and marketing decisions. ; steps taken or proposed to optimize benefits to farmers – apart from other exchanges have also installed price ticker boards at APMC mandis for disseminating futures prices to the farmers on a real time basis.
2
1002
29.4.2016
Startup Companies
Startup companies raising capital through private placements and stake sales-annexure given; details of transactions over last three years; transactions taking place at high valuations; system for regulation of such capital raising and ensuring prudent valuations of startup companies to protect investors and the public- Private placement by unlisted companies not covered under the ICDR Regulations which are applicable for equity shares and convertible securities. Chapter III and IV of the Companies Act, 2013 provides for provision w.r.t. Prospectus and Allotment of Securities & Share Capital and Debentures respectively.
The requirement under Section 62(1)(c) and Section 42 read with relevant rules provides for making adequate disclosures and valuation requirement.
3
1007
29.4.2016
Surplus Cash with CPSE
over Rs. 2 lakh crore surplus cash lying idle with PSUs and if so, the details thereof PSU-wise- “Public Enterprise Survey” 2014-15, total cash & bank balance of all CPSEs Rs. 25583902 lakh (website quoted); contemplation about following buy back model to achieve the disinvestment target for the current financial year 2016-17 – Government may participate in the process; detailed report of PSUs on their investment and capex plans – annexure not given in website; disinvestment revenue received against the revised estimate of Rs. 25312 crore in financial year 2015-16 - Rs. 23,997 crore (approx) received; steps taken or proposed for optimum utilisation of surplus lying with banks- additional amount of Rs. 1023 crore(approx) been realized as buy-back tax on account of buy-back transactions undertaken by unlisted CPSEs during 2015-16, also Government raised Rs. 8,152 crore on account of sale of bonus debentures of NTPC to EPFO.
4
1008
29.4.2016
Disinvestment 
Decision to sell off or disinvest most loss making PSUs; likely hood of exceptions while disinvesting the sick PSU and the reasons therefor; details about strategic sale of profit-making PSUs - CCEA on February 17, 2016 approved the structure and mechanism for ‘strategic disinvestment’ of CPSEs. Requisite instructions issued on February 29, 2016 to all including NITI Aayog, who has not made any suggestion for strategic disinvestment; amount of dividend paid to the Government last three years


5
1062
29.4.2016
Mis-Selling of Financial Products
Status of recommendations of Sumit Bose Committee to curb the mis-selling of financial products- submitted in 10.8.2015 under examination; plans to phase out the upfront commissions in investment products and the investment portion of the bundled products; details - details
6
1073
29.4.2016
Loan Defaulters
SEBI decision to debar companies declared wilful loan defaulters along with their promoters and directors from accessing stock or bond markets; SEBI decision have decided to bar for raising funds in a bid to choke fund flow to the entire group with a common owner; wilful defaulters taking over another listed company – a 4 point proposal approved by SEBI; (c) if so, the details thereof; (d) whether SEBI also proposes norms requiring companies to disclose if the bank loans extended to them have been classified as Non-Performing Assets (NPAs)- SEBI has not proposed any norms requiring companies to disclose if the bank loans extended to them have been classifies as NPSs; and (e) if so, the details thereo
7
1083
29.4.2016
Sell Off of PSUs 
16 Public Sector Units (PSUs) to mop up about Rs. 40000 crore during the year 2016-17 and if so, the details of the PSUs proposed for sale along with the percentage of stake proposed to be offloaded in each PSU- mineral and metal, oil, energy, capital goods as well as some mid-size and small stocks. No strict timeline and the Government looks for right opportunity of disinvestment transaction and moves ahead in a prudent manner; (b) whether the market conditions are favourable for sale of stake of PSUs; target 2016-17 BE Rs. 56,500 crore which comprising Rs. 36,000 crore as disinvestment receipts from CPSEs and Rs. 20,500 crore from strategic disinvestment
8
1084
29.4.2016
Interest Rate on Small Savings/ Deposits 
Reduction in rate of interest on various savings/deposits schemes including the popular Provident Fund, Kisan Vikas Patra and Senior citizens deposits adversely affecting poor and middle class – to help the economy move to a lower overall interest rate regime eventually and thereby help all, particularly poor and middle class; steps taken/being taken by the Government to encourage/promote household savings and deposits –jan dhan yojana
9
1149
29.4.2016
Share of EPFO Fund in Stock Market
Investment of EPFO fund in Indian stock market – 5% of investible surplus in ETF of Nifty and Sensex based Index. Rs. 6577 crores as on 31.3.2016; plans to make changes - No; intention to establish EPFO as a domestic investment institution in the stock market; likely result of more investment of the funds of EPFO in the stock market- in equity and related investments from 5 to 15%, to maximize earnings on investments; risks of more investment of funds of EPFO in the stock market; steps taken or proposed - Govt is aware of the risks that’s why only 5%
10
193
6.5.2016
Women Directors in Listed Companies 
Mandate to appoint at least one Women Director on their Board- w.e.f. April 1, 2015, NSE 1759 companies listed and 1568 complied and BSE 5451 companies listed and 4128 complied; women directors only – info asked. No supplemntries

11
2079
6.5.2016
Venture Capital Fund
development of powerloom sector in India by setting up of a Venture Capital Fund under the administration of SIDBI – with the objective to invest in innovative companies in the textile sector, with products and services meant mainly for the power loom sector  SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd. in 2013-14, as a Category I Alternative Investment Fund. Out of a target corpus of Rs. 80 crore, the Fund has so far made commitments worth Rs. 13.43 crore to 5 companies
12
2162
6.5.2016
Black Listed Foreign Institutions
Declaration of foreign institutes registered abroad as bankrupt or black listed by the PSBs; institute-wise and the outstanding loans against them during each of the last three years and the current year; guidelines and procedure to declare the above said foreign institutes bankrupt and blacklist them; steps to check such institutional frauds in future - No such information,  Bank of Baroda has reported 3 borrowers, Indian Bank has reported 8 companies and Canara Bank has reported 12 companies which have been declared bankrupt or black listed.
The above mentioned banks have acted upon as per their policy and local legal provision
13
2203
6.5.2016
Non-Compliance of Rules
companies not complied with the rules of appointing a woman director to their Boards; NSE-1375 and BSE-191; Public Sector Enterprises- 17 in NSE and 22 BSE and Public Sector Banks -2 in NSE and 2 in BSE have not complied with the above rules and fines levied;  all efforts made to ensure compliance
14
2221
6.5.2016
Investigation against Chit Fund Frauds
SIT to investigate cases related to ponzi scheme and chit fund in many parts of the country - formed in CBI on May 12, 2014 to investigate cases of chit fund and Ponzi schemes in the State of West Bengal, Odisha and Assam,  6 cases in 2013, 62 in 2014, 14 in 2015 and 90 in 2016 registered; involvement of representatives of people with any individual or entities against whom FIRs have been lodged -  Madan Mitra, Ex-MLA Govt. of West Bengal;Kunal Ghosh, Hon’ble MP, Rajya Sabha; Srinjoy Bose, Hon’ble MP (Now resigned), Rajya Sabha, presently on bail;
Matang Sinh, Ex-Union Minister; Pravat Kumar Tripathy, MLA, Banki Constituency, Odisha Legislative Assembly, Bhubaneswar;i Ramachandra Hansda, M.P. Mayurbhanja Constituency, Odisha; Subarna Nayak, Ex. MLA, Keonjhar Sadar, Odisha; Hitesh Kumar Bagartti, Ex. MLA, Khariar Constituency, Odisha; Malla Vijaya Prasad, Ex-MLA, Visakhapatnam, West Constituency, A.P.
15
2225
6.5.2016
Fungibility of Foreign Investments
Allowing full fungibility in foreign investments; bringing about simplicity and clarity in FDI applications; extent to which this would help catalyze capital raising options for private banks; assessment of impact on performance and resources of public sector banks; outcome; steps taken to ensure adequate funds for public sector banks - a budgetary provision of Rs. 25,000 crores made in the BE 2016-17
16
2241
6.5.2016
Pledging of Shares
promoters remaining as promoters even after pledging most shares, action taken/ being taken thereon last 3 years – NSE 1633 listed companies 570 pledged, BSE 4268 and 798 and Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India Ltd 162 and 7 respectively; criteria; steps taken/being taken for benefit of small investors
17
2276
6.5.2016
Facilities to REITS
response/ observations Indian Housing Industry experts and others regarding exemptions, incentives, provision extended to Real Estate Investment Trust REITS by the Government in 2014 budget; the REITS formed by MNCs, Singapore and other countries; plans made by the Government in the matter- REIT notified in September 26, 2014 aimed primarily at completed rent yielding commercial real estate assets. The tax regime includes, inter-alia, exemption from applicability of capital gains tax, minimum alternate tax and dividend distribution tax that compares favorably with the policy and tax regime for REITs around the world. aimed towards providing a conducive regulatory enviornment for REITs in India.
18
1062
6.5.2016
Mis-Selling of Financial Products
Recommendations of Sumit Bose Committee submitted on 10.8.2015, under examination of the DEA
PAY AND PENSIONS
1
2128
6.5.2016
Work Force for NPS
PFRDA to train 75,000 totally committed work force for the implementation of the NPS; hiring of training institutes for implementation  - The Request For Proposals was first floated on 18th March, 2016 to cover about 600 district headquarters in about 1660 sessions covering about 45 participants per session to train around one employee per branch, approximately 75, 000 participants expected to be trained ; other steps - training an ongoing process
CURRENCY AND COINAGE
1
1136
29.4.2016
Maithili Language on Currency Note
 ‘Maithili’ language not being used on the Indian currency notes; reasons therefor; likely time - Demands to incorporate all the languages included in the Eighth Schedule raised, may not be possible as it would require expanding the space used by the language panel
2
1142
29.4.2016
Bitcoin Currency
Increase of bitcoin currency base in the country; introduction of bitcoin exchange and trading; study of other crypto-currency forms - rbi has cautioned the users, holders and traders of virtual currencies, including bitcoins about the potential financial operational, legal, customer protection and security related risks that they are exposing themselves to.
3
2101
6.5.2016
Currency Notes of Higher Denominations
printing of notes 5,000 and 10,000 denominations – negative reply
4
2235
6.5.2016
Counterfeit Money
data with RBI on total value of currencies or money in circulation and value of currencies seized; specific data or report on the total value of counterfeit money in circulation in the 670 country; measures to control and curb
DIRECT TAXES
1
81
29.4.2016
 Tax Evasion
Assessment of the quantum of tax evaded – no assessment; review of the mechanism put in place to detect tax evasion- periodic; deficiencies – no categorical reply; tax evasion in the guise of farm income, often used as a conduit for money laundering and inquiry- no categorical reply. No supplementaries
2
96
29.4.2016

 Education Cess
modus operandi of levy of education cess, allocation and collected on income tax since its inception across the country- 2004-05 to 2006-07 primary education cess and till 2015-16 both primary and secondary &higher education under direct taxes and 2006-07 started indirect taxes in secondary & higher education, reply silent on utilisation; study for utilisation of education cess before imposing it on income tax – no categorical reply. No supplementaries
3
98
29.4.2016
Taxation of e-Commerce
Committee to examine taxation from e-commerce in the country – 8 members comprising of Jt Secretaries in CBDT, one industry representative each nominated by CII, one by ICCAI and one expert in international taxation and taxation of e-commerce ; report submitted; revenue likely to be generated – no estimate. No supplementaries
4
923
29.4.2016
Uniform Tax on Agricultural Products
uniform tax on agricultural products – no proposals; customs duty on agricultural goods not uniform since rates of duty on various agricultural goods are fixed depending on factors such as domestic production, demand, supply, price situation etc. with a view to balance the interests of domestic farmers and consumers.
5
924
29.4.2016
Tax on Cement   (construction material)
rates of duty applicable and amount of revenue realized against each item of construction material during each of the last three years, State/UT/zone/ commissionerate-wise- annexure given (which is of course missing in the website as on Monday the 6th June, 2016); representations examined as part of budgetary exercise.
6
942
29.4.2016
Implementation of GAAR
The Government’s commitment to implement GAAR from next financial year- from 1.4.2017 -Provisions relating to GAAR are contained in Chapter XA and section 144BA of the ITA, 1961- Necessary rules for implementing GAAR have also been notified. Government constituting panel as mandated by Law and provide for the guidelines on practical aspects relating to implementation of GAAR in due course
6
1003
29.4.2016
Informers of Tax Evasion 
schemes run by the Government to get information about tax evasion – started in direct tax since 2007 and indirect tax in 2015; informers details kept confidential and protected; whether the system has scared away potential informers - no
7
1072
29.4.2016
Grievances of Taxpayers
Setting up of dedicated structure for delivery and monitoring of taxpayer services- YES; further steps taken/being taken by the Government to address taxpayer grievances in a time bound manner- 250ASKS?
8
1085
29.4.2016
Duplicate PAN Cards
circulation of duplicate PAN cards in the country, in circulation till date, State/UT-wise, reasons and action taken by the Government against such individual holding duplicate PAN cards-11,56,894 deactivated as on 22.4.2016; ambitious electronic smart platform called the Income Tax Business Application Permanent Account Number to help taxman and PAN issuing intermediaries identify such duplicate numbers and if so, the details thereof, likely time of operation – ITBA-PAN; other corrective steps to check the menace of duplicate PAN Cards in the country- aadhar seeding in PAN database on voluntary basis started
9
1105
29.4.2016
Taxing Urban Development Bodies
relief from Income Tax obligation to Urban Development Authorities; approach to Government of Gujarat on the issue- The issue of exemption to UDAs was examined during budgetary exercise, 2016 and was not found feasible in view of the stated policy of the Government to do away with the exemptions and deductions in a moderate tax regime
10
196
6.5.2016
IT Paying Senior Citizens and Women
the commissionerate-wise details of number of senior citizens and women in the country paying Income Tax - Assessment Year 2015-16, 35,84,971 senior citizens ( individuals of the age of 60 years or more) and 91,90,718 women ( regardless of age) have filed their Income Tax Returns (ITRs) till 05.04.2016; rebates provided to senior citizens and women under the Income Tax Act - given; suggestions – considered as part of budgetary exercise. No supplementaries
11
2120
6.5.2016
Outstanding Direct Tax
over 96 per cent of the outstanding direct tax dues at the end of 2014-15 are difficult to recover; details of the outstanding amount of direct taxes at the end of  2014-15 along with the reasons for not recovering the same; steps taken by the Government to recover the outstanding direct tax expeditiously – continuous process
12
2139
6.5.2016
Tax Collection
estimate and collection of direct and indirect taxes, head-wise during each of the last three financial years; date-wise, name-wise details of the taxes, duties, surcharges levied and recovered during the last year along with the goods on which these taxes have been imposed; various steps taken or proposed to be taken to improve the tax collection and boost the economy of the country- standard data and banal reply
13
2144
6.5.2016
Evasion of Capital Gains Tax
demand made to take legal action besides imposing follow-up interest and monetary penalty on the companies which have not paid due capital gains tax and if so, the details of the last three financial years; data regarding imposing interest and penalty on such defaulting companies;  revenue losses suffered by the Government worth crores of rupee  - separate data for liability on account of tax, interest and penalty attributable to evasion of tax on capital gains is not maintained. Further, disclosure of information regarding specific taxpayers is prohibited except as provided in section 138 of the Income-tax Act, 1961; corrective steps in this regard
14
2159
Gold Monetisation
temples, religious bodies deposited gold under the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) so far, State-wise; steps being taken by the Government to attract temples that have huge gold reserves to deposit in the scheme - Eight (08) temples have deposited gold under Gold Monetisation Scheme, 2015 so far and the State-wise details are as under: Tamil Nadu 04, Maharashtra 02, Andhra Pradesh 01, Jammu and Kashmir 01; whether the Government intends to make it mandatory for temples to deposit in the scheme at any point of time in the future, if so, the details thereof- no; steps taken by the Government to persuade such religious bodies to opt for GMS - Government allowed redemption of long term and medium term deposits in the form of gold and the guidelines to this effect has been issued by RBI on 31st March, 2016.?
15
2202
6.5.2016
GSKVN
corporations working for Safai Karmacharis in India as State Channelizing Agency (SCA) of the National Safai Karmachari Finance Development Corporation (NSKFDC) and paying Income Tax - not centrally maintained; exemption of NSKFDC under Section 10 (26B) IT Act; demand to add GSKVN aN SCA of NSKFDC, in Section 10(26B) of ITA tax exemption; the response of the Government- not acceded to
16
2228
6.5.2016
Taxing Foreign Artists
Pakistani and other who come to India for work - taxed in as per DTAA with concerned countries or the domestic tax laws, whichever is beneficial to them;  names of persons who paid taxes during each of the last three years – not maintained
17
2230
6.5.2016
Tax on Digital Services
Recommendation for the levy of a 6-7 per cent tax on digital services by committee of CBDT - six to eight percent, on any consideration of more than one lakh rupees received by a non resident from a resident in India or from a permanent establishment in India for certain specified digital services, including online advertising, any services for online advertising and digital advertising space; assessment of its impact on consumers - he proposed levy will have no direct impact on consumers as it is applicable only to business to business transactions
18
2275
6.5.2016
Non-Publishing of IT Statistics
since the year 2000, reasons - data published in the “All India Income Tax Statistics” is based on the estimates being made on relatively small sample size, not representative of the population of tax payers/assesses for different categories;  Government proposes restore the publication in the revised format in public domain
BLACK MONEY
1
942
29.4.2016
Implementation of GAAR 
Implementation of GAAR in the country from next financial year, reasons for the delay, if any- from 1.4.2017 i.e. assessment year 2018-19, also reflected in budget 2016; steps to overcome the hurdles and implement the GAAR in the country- contained in Chapter XA and section 144BA of IT Act, 1961, necessary rules notified
2
1077
29.4.2016
Investigation of Offshore Accounts 
modalities by which black/ unaccounted money taken out of the country-overvaluation of imports and undervaluation of exports, remitting foreign exchange on the strength of forged import documents, etc; 'Panama Papers', steps taken to ascertain authenticity - icij made revelations put a caveat that it should not be assumed that everyone who appears in the Panama Papers in involved in tax avoidance or evasion.  also measures taken through enhanced international cooperation; team/agency/body set up to investigate suspected tax evasion by individuals named in the Panama Papers Leak case; findings; action taken or proposed - constituted a multi-agency group on 4.4.2016, further course of action depends on outcome of investigation
3
SQ 189
6.5.2016
Over valuation of Coal Imports
Mechanism to monitor and track cases of under/over valued imports along with major cases investigated -12 major under valuation cases (of duty involving more than Rs. 1 crore in each case) involving a total duty amount of about Rs. 135.70 crores; nationwide alerts- yes; power generating companies and traders- under investigation. No supplementaries
4
2293
6.5.2016
Export of Basmati Rice 
Modus operandi in export of high quality Basmati rice; instead of the consignment reaching Iranian shores, it was diverted midsea to Dubai allegedly with the connivance of cargo ship operators carrying the goods; payments - - consignments of rice meant for Iran diverted to Dubai with payments for the said goods received in Rupees instead of freely convertible foreign currency, by misusing the facilities granted to the goods actually exported to Iran; agency identified; action taken
5
2246
6.5.2016
Offshore Tax Evasion
difficulties in unearthing black money action taken- constitution of SIT; plans to announce another window under the disclosure scheme of black money- no; progress made so far to resolve these disputes; countries agreed to set up competent authorities engaging in bilateral dialogue to move toward cooperation in tackling offshore tax evasion and avoidance; tax haven countries agreed to collaborate in tackling offshore tax evasion and the avoidance including the joint tax audits- over 90 jurisdictions, including several no-tax or low-tax offshore jurisdictions, have expressed their commitment for putting in place the common reporting standards (CRS)
INDIRECT TAXES AND GOLD
1
SQ 96
29.4.2016
Education Cess
Modus operandi of allocation and amount collected on IT since inception- figures both income tax and indirect tax given;  education cess on IT introduced on Finance (No. 2) Act, 2004 for the first time, levied as NCMP mandate.Secondary and higher education cess though finance act, 2007. No supplementaries
2
SQ 98
29.4.2016
Taxation of E-Commerce
Committee to examine taxation from e-commerce in the country, composition and terms of reference-8 members comprising JSs in CBDT, one CIT(IT), one industry rep nominated by CII, one nominated by the ICAOI and one expert in international taxation; report- already submitted;  recommendations and action- given; no estimate of revenue from equalization levy. No supplementaries
3
924
29.4.2016
Tax on Cement   (construction material)
rates of duty applicable and amount of revenue realized against each item of construction material during each of the last three years, State/UT/zone/ commissionerate-wise- annexure given (which is of course missing in the website as on Monday the 6th June, 2016); representations examined as part of budgetary exercise.
4
949
29.4.2016
Gold Deposit by Religious Institutions 
under the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS), 2015- Approximately 1512 Kilograms of gold have so far been deposited by Temple/Trusts; there is increase in the availability of gold domestically has resulted in a reduction in the quantum of gold imports in the last six months
5
982
29.4.2016
Duty Free Shops 
details of the duty free shops running at different airports in the country as on date, airport-wise; item-wise duty relaxed last three years, airport-wise; complaints from public representatives regarding non-exemptions of duty on products bought from duty free shops running at airports in the country; action taken- assurance given
6
1014
29.4.2016
Revenue Earned Through Export 
sector-wise revenue earned through export during each of the last three years and the reasons for reduction, if any- iron ore & concentrate, chromium ore & concentrate, mica, coir, animal feed, leather and other items in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 was Rs. 2821.29 cr. Rs. 607.65 cr and Rs 901.93 cr (provisional) respectively- revenue depends upon factors such as, inter alia, export duty structure, value of dutiable exports and regulatory framework; (b) whether the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Foreign Exchange Reserves and Current Account Deficit are affected by export, if so, the details thereof; and (c) the steps taken or proposed to be taken to stabilize the economy of the country- fiscal deficit projected at 3.5 % of GDP I 2016-17 as against 3.9% in 2015-16(RE) which testifies the Govt’s commitment.
7
1067
29.4.2016
Anti-Dumping Duty
whether the Government recognize that many countries impose anti-dumping duty on solar panels from China whereas India doesn't impose such duties; result of absence of antidumping duty on import of solar panels from China -no anti-dumping duty is applicable on solar panels imported from China. On the basis of a petition for imposition of anti–dumping duty on solar panels from various countries including China PR was received in the Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties on 18.09.2015, the domestic industry was asked to give complete information in the prescribed format which has not been complied with till date; reaction - given
8
1055
29.4.2016
Mobile App About Customs Rules 
Launch of mobile App to inform traders/ exporters/importers about customs rules – launched by CBEC namely Indian Customs-Guide to Travellers; details thereof- developed by Bangaluru Customs the app is available on Android Play store, Apple Store and Windows Store; benefits - serves as a ready beckoner of Customs Baggage Rules, 2016 and entitlements to International passengers, user friendly and serves as a useful tool for quick and effective dissemination of information about baggage rules and entitlements and thus serves to clarify doubts and concern of
International passengers and ensure better compliance.
9
1087
29.4.2016
Linking of PAN Card with Jewellery Transactions
mandatory display and recording of PAN cards for purchases of jewellery above a certain purchase value threshold and details and increase or decrease in the retail sale of jewellery over the last three years, State-wise – 5 lakh 2011 revised to 2 lakh w.e.f 1.1.2016; reasons for the percentage increase or decrease sale and impact of the PAN card rule on gold sales; leading of the rule for gold to ascertainment of tax evaders – it may not be feasible to assess; plans to discontinue the rule – no plan
10
1102
29.4.2016
Smuggling of Coral
seizure of 15450 kilograms of banned coral - valued at Rs.185.40 lakh as per the Indian market, imported illegally from China in February, 2016; steps taken by the Government – customs formations sensitized
11
*189
6.5.2016
Over Valuation of Coal Imports
mechanism in place to monitor and track cases of under/over valued imports, along with major cases investigated - Risk Management System (RMS) interdicts import consignments on the basis of risk parameters, 2 major undervaluation cases (wherein duty involved is more than Rs.1 crore in each case) involving a total duty amount of about Rs.135.70 crore investigated; issue of Nationwide alert to its customs formations to scrutinize coal imports for overvaluation by DRI – time to time; inflation of value of coal imported by traders beyond prevailing market price - ,matter under investigation; investigation of modus-operandi of this suspected scam; other steps – DGRI, DG of Valuation and field formations keep vigil and based on investigations action taken. No Supplementaries
12
2071
6.5.2016
EDI System
Coverage of Ports and Customs points are yet to be covered by Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Trade Facilitation System - 135 sites generate more than 90% of the Custom’s Revenue and account for more than 98% of import-export declarations; action plan to adopt paperless platform - CBEC, Ministry of Finance, Government of India has launched Single Window project as part of an action-plan to adopt paperless platform for regulatory clearance of import-export.
13
2093
6.5.2016
Gold Monetization Scheme
initiatives/steps/schemes for implementation of Gold Monetization Scheme - launched the scheme on 5th November, 2015; extent of success - 2820 Kilograms
14
2236
6.5.2016
Service Tax on Lotteries
Imposition of service tax on lotteries, realization therefrom, Zone and Commissionerate-wise; representation; response – no does not arise
15
2256
6.5.2016
Online Assessment of Export of Gems
online assessments of export of gems and jewellery and if so, the details thereof; reasons and motive behind the proposals - to bring all assessments of imports and exports under the online procedure to minimize human interface for speedier clearance and greater transparency; time for implementation -  already been implemented in Mumbai and Delhi.;
16
2257
6.5.2016
Account of Gold
account with RBI of the total quantity and value of gold in Government's procession and in markets for domestic consumption as well as in public possession as on date; quantity and value of gold in Government's possession; total quantity and value of gold imported and exported last three years - RBI 557.75 metric tons of gold having value of Rs. 1334.3 billion on April 22, 2016. There are stocks of over 20,000 tons of gold in India. ; measures taken to control and steady the gold in Government's possession, in markets for domestic consumption and in public possession – launch of Gold Monetisation Scheme and Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme
17
2293
6.5.2016
Export of Basmati Rice 
Unearthing of massive scam in export of high quality Basmati rice; modus operandi adopted by the agencies involved therein; instead of the consignment reaching Iranian shores, it was diverted midsea to Dubai allegedly with the connivance of cargo ship operators carrying the goods; payments were also made from Iran to these exporters in India - consignments of rice meant for Iran were diverted to Dubai. The payments for the said goods were received in Indian Rupees instead of freely convertible foreign currency, by misusing the facilities granted to the goods actually exported to Iran; agency involved in the said scam has so far been identified; action taken against these agencies- no
ECONOMIC GROWTH
1
933
29.4.2016
Foreign Exchange Reserve
total foreign exchange reserve in the country at present - US$ 360.3 billion as on 15th April, 2016; names of the countries whose currency is included in the country's foreign exchange reserves; amount invested by the RBI out of the said reserves during the last three years - portfolio of reserves invested largely in major currencies like US dollar, Great Britain pound, euro and Japanese yen; likely impact on prices as a result of not using the said reserves for production of work - level of FER/FCA not affecting prices directly
2
939
29.4.2016
ECB Norms
whether the Government has asked the RBI to reconsider its External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) norms to allow foreign currency debt to infrastructure for medium term also and if so, the details thereof- minimum average maturity period of 5 years, subject to 100% hedging from March, 2016; whether in the event of the ECB being allowed under medium term, the Government expects good investments in infrastructure projects; and if so, the details thereof - It has been decided to allow companies in infrastructure sector, Non-Banking Financial Companies-Infrastructure Finance Companies (NBFC-IFCs), NBFCs-Asset Finance Companies (NBFC-AFCs), Holding Companies and Core Investment Companies (CICs) to raise foreign currency denominated External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) with minimum average maturity period of 5 years subject to 100 per cent hedging
3
944
29.4.2016
Loan Restructure 
whether a number of private companies have not been able to service their debt for the last three years, if so, the details thereof; whether the Government has issued any guidelines wherein the companies have to offload their shares or sell some assets and repay some part of loan before banks do restructuring, if so, the details thereof- as per RBI circular on Joint Lenders’ Forum (JLF) dated February 26, 2014, the general principle of restructuring mandates shareholders to bear the first loss rather than the debt holders to ensure more ‘skin in the game’ of promoters. Accordingly, the JLF/Corporate Debt Restructuring (CDR) may consider any of the following options when a loan is restructured:• Transfer of equity of the borrower company by promoters to lenders for compensation of their sacrifice;• Infusion of more funds by the promoters; • Transfer of promoters’ holdings to a security trustee or an escrow arrangement till turnaround of the company. Further, a clause for sale of non-core assets may be stipulated as a condition for restructuring of account by the JLF/CDR.; and concentration of 60 per cent of stressed assets in metals and infrastructure companies which account for three forth of banks corporate loans- The advances and NPAs towards metal and infrastructure companies accounts for 44.55% and 38.27% of corporate advances and corporate NPAs of PSBs, details given
4
997
29.4.2016
Assistance from World Bank
details of World Bank funded projects approved/amount received and assistance provided during each of the last three years, State-wise; amount spent on various projects during the said period? Annexures not accompanied in reply in website
5
1011
29.4.2016
Value of Rupee 
continuous depreciation in value of Indian rupee in the recent years  against US dollar, UK pound and Euro with reasons last three years; depletion of country's foreign exchange reserves significantly details of in 2014-15, Indian rupee depreciated against US dollar and UK pound by 1.0 per cent and 2.3 per cent respectively. Effective measures taken by the Government to arrest the depreciation in rupee value- the exchange rate of the rupee is market determined and is impacted by both domestic as well as external developments. The exchange rate policy is aimed at managing excessive volatility and maintaining orderly conditions without having any fixed target or band for the exchange rate. The Government and RBI are closely monitoring the emerging external position.
6
†1058
29.4.2016
Debt of the Country 
per capita internal and external debt of the country during each of the last three years and the current year till date; growth in the domestic and foreign debt disproportionate to the growth in GDP for the same period and if so, the details thereof and reaction of the Government- its within manageable level, in 2015-16 and 2016-17 growth in debt and gdp estimated at 10.4 and 8.6% 7.9 and 11% respectively; and measures taken or proposed to be taken to improve the scenario- adopted the path of fiscal consolidation with gradual exit from the fiscall unsupported expansionary measures in a calibrated manner.
7
1080
29.4.2016
Utilization of Funds
imbalance between funds allocation and utilization by various Ministries under their various welfare schemes, reasons therefor with the reaction thereto, Ministry/ Department-wise during each of the last three years; measures being taken by the Government to ensure administrative efficacy in executing the plans/schemes of various Ministries - Administrative efficacy in implementation of various Schemes has been ensured through rationalization of programs and schemes, minimizing the number of CSSs to avoid too thin spread of resources, strict enforcement of provisions related to Utilization Certificates, Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), efforts to minimize idle parking of funds, midyear Budget review, etc.
8
†1106
29.4.2016
Loans from Industrial Financial Institutions
details of outstanding loan of Government towards each of the Industrial Financial Institutions such as WB, ADB etc.- adb 660 million; wb- 615 million; ida 1637 million and ifad 21 million (approximately); amount of the loan during the last three years, year-wise and institution-wise along with the reasons therefor- adb 4263cr, 6580 cr and 7176.90 crs; ibrd 3402 cr, 5634.81 cr and 5782.39 cr; wb(da) 6738.90 cr, 8015.20 cr and 9439.71 cr and ifad 210.29 cr, 191.74 cr and 220.05 cr for 2013-14, 2014-15 amd 2015-16 respectively; steps taken by the Government in this regard
9
1107
29.4.2016
ADB Growth Forecast
Lowering of India's growth forecast ADB to 7.4 per cent for 2016-17; details and reasons/factors cited by the ADB behind its forecast about India's growth rate - The details and reasons cited by ADB for lower growth rate during 2016-17 are as under :-
• Public investment will continue to be an important driver of growth, as the government is expected to use savings from oil to further boost government investment. However, the finances available to ramp up investment in 2016-17 will be smaller than in 2015-16, given the government’s commitment to fiscal consolidation and increased outgo on account of a higher public sector wage bill. 
• Anemic growth in advanced economies including the United States and Euro area, lower export commodity prices, and weaker currencies in some major trading partners vis-à-vis the Indian rupee are likely to hit merchandise exports and financial, telecom, business, and other tradable services. Lower net exports would thus impinge on growth.
10
1132
29.4.2019
Violation Cases of FDI Norms
FDI inflows during each of the last three years and the current year along with the details of the present norms prescribed by the Government for FDI by companies into the country; cases of violation of FDI norms by many companies have been reported and forwarded to the Directorate of Enforcement (DoE) for investigation during the said period; company-wise- 1012-13 34,298; 2013-14 36,046; 2014-15 44,291 and 2015-16 till Feb ’16 51,636 crore
11
*181
6.5.2016
Direct Benefit Transfer
details of schemes and subsidy outgo channelised under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) regime in the country, scheme and State/UT-wise; extent to which leakages plugged and subsidy fine tuned thereunder in the aftermath of DBT MGNREGS, NSAP(IGNOAPS, IGNWPS&IGNDPS) oF and ministries of RD, PNG,HRD, Mo Labour; TA, SJE, H&FW, Finance(LIC), Culture, Defence (Kendiya Sainik Board), S&T. Total of 61,824.30 crore in 2015-2016 transferred; assessment of achievements and benefits accrued under these schemes; proposals to cover all schemes of the Union Government under DBT; steps taken/being taken by the Government
Points emerged during Question Hour:-number of bank mitras increased, possibility of making payment through mobile phones. 50% of the Indians who did not have access to bank account were able to have a bank account, ensuring that every citizen has a bank account and can easily access the bank account by equipping each post office with an ATM, micro-ATM by building out the Bank Mitra and so on, major benefits are NREGA payments as well as PAHAL, direct subsidy cash transfer and scholarships. For future pilot programmes, such as for example the health insurance programme as well as other social security benefits like pension that we may be able to offer
12
SQ 190
6.5.2016
National Infrastructure Investment Fund
initial corpus and current level of NIIF set up to reduce the financial gap for infrastructure projects in the country – Rs. 40000 crore, may be raised from time to time; investment made last three years, sector and year-wise; MoU signed between India, UAE for long term investment in NIIF – February 11, 2016; terms of conditions, principles and other criteria laid down jointly by both the countries to take forward the cooperation as envisaged in the MoU – the MoU is designed to establish a transparent and high level framework and collaboration platform. No supplementaries
13
2077
6.5.2016
Direct Cash Transfer
Iinitiation of Direct Cash Transfer system to millions of poor beneficiaries under various Government schemes and if so, the details thereof –In  2015-16, Rs. 61,824.32 crore has been disbursed to 30.78 crore accounts in 59 schemes of 14 Ministries/ Departments.; - The roles and responsibility of State/UT Government in enumerating and identifying of the beneficiaries as under:
(i) To accurately identify beneficiary as per the eligibility norms of the scheme.
(ii) To capture the details of the beneficiaries with Aadhaar and bank account.
(iii) To digitise and upload the beneficiary’s details on IT portal.
(iv) To update the beneficiary details regularly
14
2086
6.5.2016
Hiring Professionals from Abroad
To run signature programmes in various Ministries/Departments of the Government; assessment of the works done/achievements made under the services of these hired professionals - Long Term concessional loans and Official Development Assistance is accepted by the Government of India in the form of loans, credits and grants from bilateral partner countries and Multilateral Institutions; the stand of the Government with regard to connection of this process of hiring foreign professionals - outcome of utilising the services of such professionals and achievements under specific projects are monitored/assessed by respective Ministries/Departments on a regular basis.
15
2116
6.5.2016
Austerity Measures
data pertaining to public expenditure, last three years - from Consolidated Fund of India 2012-13 5029810.80; 2013-14 5286232.27; 2014-15 5616843.05; austerity measures to contain rising public expenditure has helped save funds; last two years - No accounts specifically on saving of funds maintained
16
2158
6.5.2016
Effect of Devaluation of Yuan
Affect on India's exports and manufacturing industry of recent devaluation of Yuan steps taken to protect manufacturing sector and boost the export sector; Government objection for including Yuan in the basket of currencies which determines Special Drawing Rights of IMF; receipt of report or complaints from Indian industries including steel and tyre industries regarding dumping by China; steps taken to protect domestic industries ­- On the basis of petitions filed by the domestic industry, Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties (DGAD) has recently initiated investigations on imports of steel and tyres from China and some other countries. Safeguard duty @20% has been imposed on HR coils for a period of two and a half years w.e.f 14.09.2015
17
2167
6.5.2016
CSR Spending for Swachh Bharat Programme
Swachh Bharat cess introduced in November 2015 to mop Rs. 10,000 crores in 2016-17; Indian corporates to set aside 30% of their CSR spend for Swachh Bharat to help the Centre to raise over Rs. 2 lakh crores over the next three years for Swachh Bharat programme; response thereof; further stand taken - no proposal to mandate Corporates to set aside 30% of their CSR spending for Swachh Bharat under consideration of the Government.
18
2177
6.5.2016
Moody's Rating of 'Make in India' Initiative
Call of international credit rating agencies including Moody's of 'Make in India' initiative a success; reaction of the Government; FDI inflows hitting more than financing the CAD for the first time since 2004; the foreign reserves during each of the last three years - Moody’s Investors Service in its Report titled “Government of India: Rising Foreign Direct Investment Provides Stable Financing of Current Account Deficit, a Credit Positive” which was released on 7th April, 2016 has observed, “The rise in FDI points to stronger investor interest in India on the back of robust economic growth. Higher inflows also suggest that recent government policies, such as efforts to liberalize foreign investment limits in several sectors and the ''Make in India'' initiative, are bearing fruit.”
This report is a reflection of growing international recognition of the Government’s policy of giving a boost to the manufacturing sector through the ‘Make in India’ initiative
19
2222
6.5.2016
Expenditure Management Commission
Submission of Bimal Jalan headed Expenditure Management Commission suggesting a slew of measures to stream Government spendings and plug the leakage of subsidies, action taken ;call of the report calls for using direct benefit transfers for scholarships, pensions and subsidies as well and also for streamlining of expenditure and review grants made to autonomous bodies; other major recommendations made by the Commission; follow-up action - The Expenditure Management Commission has submitted its final report and the report is under examination
20
2243
6.5.2016
MoU with IMF
MoU with IMF to establish SARTTAC in the national capital; the objective behind this move – to give a fillip to capacity development efforts, It will provide training to government and public sector employees, enhance their technical and analytical skills and improve the quality of their inputs into policy. It will also provide technical assistance to governments and public institutions in various areas such as macroeconomic policy, macro- and micro-prudential regulation, financial sector supervision as well as national accounts, statistics and forecasting. ; terms and conditions of the MoU; number of courses being offered for policy makers and other Government agencies; time by which centre is likely to be established and made functional - during 2016-17 and will become fully operational in 2017-18  
21
2247
6.5.2016
FRBMA
steps taken by the Government to move on the path of reduction in revenue deficit and fiscal deficit as per the mandate of the FRBM Act and achievement thereon during each of the last three years - Government is committed to carry forward the process of fiscal consolidation as per targets assigned by the FRBM Act / rules. Fiscal consolidation has been designed with judicious mix of rationalization in total expenditure as a percentage of GDP and improvement in gross tax and non-tax revenues as a percentage of GDP with improved balance between revenue and capital expenditure. 2015-16 FD 3.9% and 2.5% ; 2014-15 4.1% and 2.9% ; 2013-14 4.4% and 3.2% of FD and RD of GDP; shortfall in the FRBM and action taken or proposed - FRBM Act, 2003 was amended in the year 2015 and the FRBM (amendment) rules, 2015 were notified, timeframe to achieve deficit targets extended to 31st March, 2018; sources through which the Government has attempted to raise additional funds- augmenting all sources of revenue; quantum of funds used for payment of interest on borrowings by the Government – interest payment in RE 2015-16 4,42,620 crore and BE 2016-17 4,92,670 crore; near term fiscal deficit target for the country and steps taken or proposed to taken to achieve the same target 3.5% of GDP

22

2260
6.5.2016

Indian’s Current Account Deficit
assessment/study on CAD, to increase sharply by 2021 – 1.3 % of GDP; outcome thereof; WEO and IMF projecting the increase in country's CAD - in billion US dollar and as % of GDP- 2016 -34.5 -1.5 2017 -51.8 -2.1; 2018 -58.7 -2.2; 2019 -69.8 -2.3;  2020 -82.2 -2.5; 2021 -94.7 -2.6 Source: WEO database, April 2016, IMF; reaction of the Government
23
2262
6.5.2016
REER of Rupee
method and reason behind calculating the REER of the Indian Rupee - REER index constructed using CPI for both India and trade partner countries would ensure a higher degree of comparability of former’s international competitiveness vis-à-vis trading partner countries, three parameters (i) exchange rate of respective countries, (ii) trade weights and (iii) relative prices; weight age assigned to various currencies- while calculating the index and reasons; details of REER of the Indian Rupee between 2004-2015
24
2280
6.5.2016
Crisis in China
assessment of the recent crisis in China and its possible impact on the Indian economy; sectors/areas of the economy likely to be affected - the WEO and IMF (April 2016)indicated that economic activity in some Asian advanced economies closely integrated with China weakened sharply during the first half of 2015, owing in part to steep decline in exports; steps to protect and boost the Indian economy and to maintain the credibility of FIIs - The new FPI Regulations that came into effect from 1st June 2014 have adopted a risk-based approach towards customer identity verification of FPIs
25
2290
6.5.2016
Stand-up Schemes
approval to ‘Stand-up India’ Schemes for promoting entrepreneurship among the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women; schemes - manufacturing, services or the trading sector.; amount of funds earmarked/ provided under the said schemes - loans to be extended by banks, a credit guarantee fund of Rs 5,000 crore for providing guarantee cover for such loans approved, initial capital of Rs 500 crores to the corpus in FY 2016-17 made; targeted jobs provision under the said schemes in the next three years - 2.5 lakh borrowers based on two new enterprises by a bank branch. Each enterprise will provide jobs depending on the nature of its operations.
26
2295
6.5.2016
Indebtedness of India
Increase in external debt in 2015-16 - total external debt stock stood at US$480.2 billion at end-December 2015, recording an increase of US$ 4.9 billion (1.0 per cent) over the level at end-March 2015 and US$ 21.4 billion (4.7 per cent) over end-December 2014. However, on a sequential basis, total external debt at end-December 2015 declined by US$ 1.2 billion from the end-September 2015 level. ; quarter-wise details of the Government and non-Government external debt in 2015-16 along with the reasons for this increase in external debt; value of foreign exchange paid as interest on such loans/debts during each of the last three financial years – interest payment (US$ million)as at end of end-March 2012-13 10,944; 2013-14 11,175; 2014-15 PR 12,602; efforts to reduce the burden of the said interest along with the outcome - As a result, India’s external debt to GDP ratio remained at a comfortable level of 23.8 per cent in 2014-15
27
2296
6.5.2016
Internationalization of Rupee
advantages of having Rupee as an international currency- greater degree of integration with the world economy, reduced foreign exchange exposure for Indian corporates, reduction in dependence on forex reserves for balance of payments stability, etc.; challenges; requirements for evolving Rupee as an international currency; stand of the Government - one of the important drivers is the country’s share in global merchandise and commercial services trade which India has on the lower side. Recently a framework for issuance of Rupee dominated bonds overseas by Indian corporate was put in place
STATES
1
940
29.4.2016
Industrial Package to Uttar Pradesh
request from Uttar Pradesh for providing an industrial package to areas bordering the districts of Uttarakhand such as Saharanpur; action taken by the Union Government thereon- No does not arise
2
967
29.4.2016
Funds in Andhra Pradesh
funds disbursed to AP under CSS and Central Sector Schemes (CS) for the last two years; release of funds deducted from plan funds earmarked for AP- released by the respective line Ministries. State-wise details annexed
3
2087
6.5.2016
Funds for Odisha
Cutting of differential cost from the developmental funds of Odisha- yes; plans to establish a Inter-State council as a consultative mechanism between the Union and States on this issue- no proposal
4
2088
6.5.2016
SIDF to Arunachal Pradesh
amount provided from the SIDF for Arunachal Pradesh; the amount when sanctioned; total amount paid in the last financial year till March of 2016 – no such fund
5
2104
6.5.2016
Release of Funds to States
amount released to States under various heads as recommended by the Central Finance Commissions during each of the last three years – given in annexure (not in website though); amount of cesses and surcharges collected and appropriated for these purposes, during the same period - not shareable with the States; differential costs to be made to States on account of pay revision of employees – no proposal
6
2107
6.5.2016
Proposal of Andhra Pradesh
proposal sent by the Government of Andhra Pradesh regarding the release of Rs. 12106.64 crore to make up for the revenue deficit of the State; action taken; timeline in mind the proposed implementation of the same – the state being adjudged revenue deficit by the FFC will receive Rs. 22,133 crore during the award period 2015-20 from the year 2015-16.
7
2147
6.5.2016
Work in Amravati
request with regard to concession in excise duty, income tax and capital investment in Amravati; response of the Union Government thereon- proposal for wb assistance of Rs.5073 crore for Amravati capital city development project with a total financial outlay of 7247 crore, accorded in-principle approval by the screening committee of DOE in its 59th meeting held on 18.3.2016
8
2157
6.5.2016
Central Assistance to States
Allocation of 42% of the Central Tax share to State Governments as per the FFC; amount released to various States during the above period, year-wise- FFC releases made upto May, 2016 annexed; expression of concern over reduction in central assistance to States compare to previous years; steps taken to redress their grievances- on account of 32% to 42% UG has delinked various plan schemes for block grants However during FFC period, Tax Devolution and Finance Commission recommended Grants-in-aid to states is estimated to be 44,72,472 crore as against the actual transfers of 14,45,942 crore during 13 FC showing an increase of 209%. Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Bihar expressed their concern over discontinuation of block grants. Decided to provide spl assistance for developmental needs during 2015-16 & 2016-17
9
2161
6.5.2016
Allocation to States
Cut in allocation due to change in the allocation of the net proceeds of taxes and duties between the Union Government and the States; schemes cut or transferred to the States; status of the schemes transferred to the States and which schemes are yet to be transferred along with the reasons
10
2172
6.5.2016
Allocation of Funds
Introduction of single window system for communicating annual allocation and fund sharing pattern of Centrally Sponsored Schemes to the States - Assistance to states for projects sanctioned under CSS and CS are released y the respective line Ministries. Ministry has apprised all about the list of CS schemes through the statement 16-A of Expenditure Budget Vol. I 2016-17; amount released to States including Odisha under the various area specific development programmes - statement of ACA released under demand no 37 opened by DoE under specific development programmes, funds released towards special plan for Bihar, special plan of KBK districts of odisha, special plan for west Bengal, Bundelkhand, package for MP and UP covered under BRGF(state component, BADP and LWE districts- formerly IAP, etc. annexed; continuation with Central Assistance for the Area Specific Development Programmes like Special Plan for KBK, BRGF and IAP under the Central Assistance to State Plans-; steps proposed - the UG taking into account problems faced by the various state governments, has created a new budget line in 2016-17 in the name of Special Assistance for providing assistance to states for specific needs, an amount of Rs. 10890 crore was released as Central assistance to the states, further an amount of 9000 crore under special assistance has been provided in 2016-17 in BE