Bihar slashes VAT on aviation turbine fuel to 4% to boost air connectivity
The
Bihar Cabinet
on Tuesday approved the proposal for reduction of value-added tax (VAT) on aviation turbine fuel (
ATF
) from 29 per cent to 4 per cent.
The state Cabinet meeting, chaired by
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
, approved the proposal of the Commercial Tax department to reduce VAT on ATF to attract more commercial flights.
Bihar DyCM Samrat Choudhary in a statement issued after the cabinet meeting said, "The Cabinet approved the reduction of VAT on ATF from 29 per cent to 4 per cent under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). With this decision of the government, the air ticket prices will further reduce and it will also attract more commercial fights in the state....it will further enhance state's revenue and will also generate employment.".
Earlier, 4 per cent VAT on ATF was applicable at Gaya airport only, Choudhary who also holds the Finance portfolio said, adding now the reduced rate will be applicable at all airports in the state.
"This was also done with the objective of promoting tourism in the state. Bihar is home to many tourist destinations and is visited by a large number of tourists from all over the world. The decision has been taken following the request of the Central government. The
Ministry of Civil Aviation
had requested the state government to reduce VAT to 4 per cent on ATF," said the DyCM.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
Bihar panel seeks more welfare measures for poor upper castes
(You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Just last week, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar revived the defunct ' Savarna Ayog ' by appointing new president, vice president and members. On Wednesday, the new members held their first meeting and pressed for more benefits for the poor upper caste in the commission was formed in the state in 2011 to identify the deprived and underprivileged families among upper castes. In December 2014, then chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi expressed displeasure over the commission failing to file any report and spending almost Rs 15 crores. Since then, the commission was almost redundant till last week. However, the current team feels that the commission is relevant now."Earlier there was no scientific data to find out or estimate what is the status of upper caste population in Bihar and how many of them are poor. Post the socio-economic survey done by the Bihar government in 2023, we have robust data and we know the actual condition of the upper caste families in the state. Now we can recommend steps which could help the upper caste families in the state," Rajeev Ranjan, vice president of the Savaran Ayog, tells the first meeting the commission formed three different sub-committees with a mandate to work on the possibilities including age relaxation in government jobs and free coaching and hostel for poor students. These sub-committees will submit a report in one month and some of the recommendations could become part of the government agenda ahead of elections.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
Suraj Narayan Singh's birth anniv function to also be held in D'bhanga: CM
Patna/Darbhanga: CM Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced that the state function to celebrate the birth anniversary of freedom fighter and social activist Suraj Narayan Singh would also be held in Darbhanga, besides being celebrated in capital Patna. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The CM made the announcement after paying floral tributes to Singh at a function held in the Polo block of Laheriasarai subdivision in Darbhanga district. "Every year, a state function is held in Patna to celebrate the birth anniversary of Suraj Narayan. Now a similar function will also be held in Darbhanga. I have instructed the district magistrate to install his life-size statue in Darbhanga and construct a memorial as well," the CM said, adding that Singh had also organised farmers' movements, besides leading a socialist movement in the post-Independence period. Among those who also participated in the function were deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary, ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Maheshwar Hazari, Madan Sahani, Sanjay Saraogi and Hari Sahani, as well as MP Gopaljee Thakur, Lovely Anand and former MP Anand Mohan, besides several MLAs. Senior divisional and district officials, along with CM's secretary Anupam Kumar, were also present.
The Hindu
18 hours ago
- The Hindu
Bihar sanctions compensation, pension for family of Dalit minor rape victim
The Bihar government on Thursday (June 5, 2025) sanctioned compensation of ₹8.25 lakh under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, to the family members of the 11-year-old Dalit girl who was raped and brutally assaulted with a knife, and later succumbed to her injuries at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on June 1. The State also announced a monthly pension of ₹7,700 for the victim's family, in addition to the allotment of a house under the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana. According to officials, the girl, who was transferred from Muzaffarpur, had to wait in an ambulance for nearly five hours before being admitted to PMCH, as a bed was not allotted promptly. Also Read | Dalit minor rape case: Bihar government takes action against two medical officials Muzaffarpur District Magistrate Subrat Kumar Sen made the announcement at a press briefing at the Muzaffarpur Collectorate. 'There is a provision under the SC/ST Atrocities Act that if any murder of an SC/ST person takes place, then a compensation of ₹8.25 lakh is given. Based on the FIR and post-mortem report, we have given the first instalment of ₹4,12,500 to the mother of the girl,' Mr. Sen said. The opposition, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, Left parties, and the Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP), has been consistently attacking the State government over the incident. On Tuesday (June 3, 2025), the RJD's women's wing held a protest march against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Health Minister Mangal Pandey in Patna, while Congress leaders staged a demonstration outside Mr. Pandey's official residence. Also Read | Double-engine government in Bihar failed to save a 11-year-old Dalit rape victim, says Congress Congress MP Rahul Gandhi lent support to the protests, writing on X: 'The brutality against a minor Dalit girl in Muzaffarpur and subsequent negligence in her treatment is extremely shameful. If she had received timely treatment, her life could have been saved. But the 'double-engine' government was negligent not only in providing security but in saving her life.' Mr. Sen also announced additional welfare measures. 'Apart from the pension, a house under Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana has been sanctioned for the family. I have instructed the Block Development Officer to ensure the house is built. In 2011-12, the family received a house under the Indira Awas Yojana but could not construct it. In this special case, we have taken the decision to provide ₹1.20 lakh for house construction and ₹12,000 for a toilet,' he said. He added that the second instalment of ₹4,12,500 would be disbursed once the chargesheet is filed by the police. According to the police, the minor was raped and found with around 20 knife wounds on and around her neck in a pit at a brick kiln in Muzaffarpur on May 26. The accused was arrested the same evening. Union Minister and ruling party leader Chirag Paswan wrote to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday, calling the incident 'a failure of the state's law and order and public health infrastructure', and demanded strict action against those responsible. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati also criticised the State government, describing the incident as evidence of Bihar's poor law and health systems. Amid mounting outrage, the State Health Department, on June 3, took disciplinary action against two senior medical officials of PMCH and Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), Muzaffarpur, for dereliction of duty.
