Reconstructed Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus in Puducherry to be inaugurated on May 2
The reconstruction of the bus terminus was taken up at a cost of around ₹34 crore under the Smart Cities Mission. The foundation of the project was laid by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy in June 2023. For facilitation of the reconstruction work by NBCC (India) Limited, a Central public sector undertaking, the Municipality had temporarily shifted bus operations to AFT ground.
'We will be inaugurating the new bus station on Friday morning and by midnight, we will close the AFT ground. Thereafter, all buses, including town buses, will be operated from the new facility. The newly constructed 31 stalls inside the bus terminus will start functioning only after some time. However, the Pondicherry Tourism Department Corporation and Ponlait will have their outlets, so that commuters can have nourishments inside the terminus,' said an official.
Around 46 buses could be parked at a time at the new bus terminus, the official said, adding that all other passenger amenities have been made available at the complex.
Future plans
The government has worked out a plan to further develop the terminus under Public Private Partnership model in the coming years. 'A tender will be floated, inviting private parties to take up additional constructions. We want to develop the terminal on similar lines of the new bus station at Kilambakkam in Chennai. The plan is to have a commercial complex, convention-cum-marriage hall, a multiplex, and a multi-level two-wheeler and car parking area,' said another official.
Unlike the Kilambakkam bus terminal, the official said the chosen private player would make the investment for the development of buildings. 'The private player will invest, design, construct, operate, and maintain the terminal, and give a share of the revenue to the Municipality,' the official said.
A frequent commuter said the government, having spent so much money on the reconstruction of the terminal, should take extra care to ensure its proper upkeep. 'The old bus stand was not properly maintained. From day one, the Municipality should concentrate on the new bus stand's proper maintenance. The presence of police should be increased so as to prevent the premises from getting misused by miscreants,' he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
State-of-the-art fisheries processing cluster coming up in Karaikal
Karaikal, an enclave of the Union Territory of Puducherry, will soon have its first-of-its kind state-of-the-art fisheries processing cluster. It is one of the 34 fisheries production and processing clusters approved across the country under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Official sources said the Union government had sanctioned the cluster for Karaikal and a tender would soon be floated. The total project cost is ₹348.89 crore, including ₹298.34 crore in Central grant. The Union government has notified the Thengaithittu fishing harbour in Puducherry as a partnering harbour for the Karaikal fishing harbour. The decision is aimed at augmenting the socio-economic development of the fisher community in the Union Territory. By having two major fishing harbours in the proposed cluster, Puducherry's entire fisheries economy is expected to gain immense benefits, an official said. The cluster-based approach will increase the competitiveness of fisheries, facilitate economies of scale, generate higher incomes, and accelerate the growth and expansion of fisheries and aquaculture in an organised manner. According to D. Manikandan, Secretary, Fisheries, 'The initiative is aimed at transforming the selected regions into integrated fisheries clusters with strong backward and forward linkages. The inclusion of Puducherry's fishing harbour in this initiative will lead to modernisation of fisheries infrastructure, development of value-added facilities, and greater market access for marine and inland fish products from the Union Territory.' He added, 'The initiative is expected to bring wide-ranging benefits to Puducherry's fisherfolk, including enhanced income opportunities through better handling, processing, and marketing systems. With the establishment of integrated value chain infrastructure, such as cold chains, ice plants, processing units, and transport logistics, the fishers of Puducherry will gain access to larger markets... In addition, the cluster will help in employment generation, skill development, and entrepreneurship among coastal communities, especially youth and women.' The development of the cluster will be further reinforced by the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samrudhi-Sah Yojana (PM-MKSSY) in the Union Territory. Under this scheme, 15 Primary Fisheries Cooperative Societies (PFCS) in Puducherry will be supported by the Pondicherry State Fishermen Cooperative Federation Limited (PSFCFL) with mentorship, financial assistance of ₹2 lakh per PFCS, and support for business-planning and capacity-building. The convergence of both initiatives is poised to make Puducherry a model for sustainable co-operative-led fisheries development. According to an official, the National Fisheries Development Board will be the nodal agency for overall coordination and implementation.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Assessee must comply with summons issued by tax authority: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has held that an assessee must comply with a summons and furnish a response to a show cause notice when it is issued by the central or the state tax authority. "Assessee" under the Income Tax Act of 1961 refers to any individual or entity that holds the legal liability of tax payment or any other financial commitments as specified by the Act. Thus, laying down guidelines to prevent duplication of adjudication by central and state GST authorities, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said that mere issuance of a summons does not enable either the issuing authority or the recipient to ascertain that proceedings have been initiated. "Where a summons or a show cause notice is issued by either the Central or the State tax authority to an assessee, the assessee is, in the first instance, obliged to comply by appearing and furnishing the requisite response, as the case may be. The top court said the respective tax authorities shall communicate with each other to verify the veracity of the assessee's claim after receipt of such intimation. "We say, so as this course of action would obviate needless duplication of proceedings and ensure optimal utilisation of the Department's time, effort, and resources, bearing in mind that action initiated by one authority enures to the benefit of all. "If the claim of the taxable person regarding the overlap of inquiries is found untenable, and the investigations of the two authorities pertain to different 'subject matters,' an intimation to this effect, along with the reasons and a specification of the distinct subject matters, shall be immediately conveyed in writing to the taxable person," the bench added. The apex court said the taxing authorities are well within their rights to conduct an inquiry or investigation until it is ascertained that both authorities are examining the identical liability. Any show cause notice issued in respect of a liability already covered by an existing show cause notice shall be quashed, it said. "However, if the Central or the State tax authority, as the case may be, finds that the matter being inquired into or investigated by it is already the subject of inquiry or investigation by another authority, both authorities shall decide inter se which of them shall continue with the inquiry or investigation. "In such a scenario, the other authority shall duly forward all material and information relating to its inquiry or investigation into the matter to the authority designated to carry the inquiry or investigation to its logical conclusion," the bench said in its August 14 judgement. The judgement came on a plea by Armour Security, a public limited company providing security services and registered with the Delhi GST authorities, involved in a dispute concerning tax demands and investigations. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Assessee must comply with summons issued by tax authority: SC
New Delhi, The Supreme Court has held that an assessee must comply with a summons and furnish a response to a show cause notice when it is issued by the central or the state tax authority. Assessee must comply with summons issued by tax authority: SC "Assessee" under the Income Tax Act of 1961 refers to any individual or entity that holds the legal liability of tax payment or any other financial commitments as specified by the Act. Thus, laying down guidelines to prevent duplication of adjudication by central and state GST authorities, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said that mere issuance of a summons does not enable either the issuing authority or the recipient to ascertain that proceedings have been initiated. "Where a summons or a show cause notice is issued by either the Central or the State tax authority to an assessee, the assessee is, in the first instance, obliged to comply by appearing and furnishing the requisite response, as the case may be. "Where an assessee becomes aware that the matter being inquired into or investigated is already the subject of an inquiry or investigation by another authority, the assessee shall forthwith inform, in writing, the authority that has initiated the subsequent inquiry or investigation," the bench said. The top court said the respective tax authorities shall communicate with each other to verify the veracity of the assessee's claim after receipt of such intimation. "We say, so as this course of action would obviate needless duplication of proceedings and ensure optimal utilisation of the Department's time, effort, and resources, bearing in mind that action initiated by one authority enures to the benefit of all. "If the claim of the taxable person regarding the overlap of inquiries is found untenable, and the investigations of the two authorities pertain to different 'subject matters,' an intimation to this effect, along with the reasons and a specification of the distinct subject matters, shall be immediately conveyed in writing to the taxable person," the bench added. The apex court said the taxing authorities are well within their rights to conduct an inquiry or investigation until it is ascertained that both authorities are examining the identical liability. Any show cause notice issued in respect of a liability already covered by an existing show cause notice shall be quashed, it said. "However, if the Central or the State tax authority, as the case may be, finds that the matter being inquired into or investigated by it is already the subject of inquiry or investigation by another authority, both authorities shall decide inter se which of them shall continue with the inquiry or investigation. "In such a scenario, the other authority shall duly forward all material and information relating to its inquiry or investigation into the matter to the authority designated to carry the inquiry or investigation to its logical conclusion," the bench said in its August 14 judgement. The judgement came on a plea by Armour Security, a public limited company providing security services and registered with the Delhi GST authorities, involved in a dispute concerning tax demands and investigations. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
