Latest news with #BhartruhariMahtab
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Mahtab raises concerns over AI Delhi flight
Cuttack: Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab on Friday met Union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu in New Delhi to raise concerns over persistent issues faced by passengers on Air India Bhubaneswar–Delhi route and sought immediate steps for redressal of the issue. Mahtab, accompanied by fellow MPs, highlighted that within the past two weeks, the flight was delayed thrice and even cancelled once due to technical reasons, including a case of cabin overheating when the air-conditioning system failed. The MP pointed out that such recurring problems cause inconvenience and distress to passengers, particularly those travelling for urgent work or medical purposes. "The Bhubaneswar–Delhi route is one of the most important air links for Odisha, connecting the state capital with the national capital. Repeated delays and cancellations, especially for technical faults like non-functional air-conditioning, are unacceptable and reflect poorly on operational management," said Mahtab. The Union minister assured Mahtab that he would take up the matter with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and instruct for a detailed review to ensure passenger safety and comfort. He also assured steps to prevent the recurrence of such issues in the future. Mahtab further said, "The people of Odisha deserve reliable and safe air travel. I have urged the minister to intervene urgently so that Air India addresses these chronic technical issues and maintains punctuality." The MP expressed hope that prompt intervention from the ministry would bring much-needed relief to air travellers on this busy sector. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Cattle slaughter must be banned at national level to boost milk production': Odisha BJP MP
Amid the continuing logjam in Parliament with the Opposition protesting the Election Commission (EC)'s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar and demanding a discussion on it, veteran Lok Sabha MP from Odisha's Cuttack, Bhartruhari Mahtab, sought to introduce a private member's Bill to ban cow slaughter across India. However, Mahtab, who joined the BJP in March 2024 after quitting the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), was unable to introduce the Bill for discussion due to disruption in the House. In an interview with The Indian Express, Mahtab spoke about his Bill and related issues including the parliamentary standoff. Excerpts: Yes, I sought leave to introduce three private members' Bills, including one to prohibit the slaughter of cattle. Many states of India legislated Acts against cow slaughter in the late 1950s and 1960s. I want a law to ban cattle slaughter at the all-India level. The reason is that we need more and better milk production, for which the preservation of cattle wealth is important. It is not necessary. We don't need a Constitutional amendment when a majority of states have already implemented it. To bring uniformity to the law it is necessary because a large cattle population is traded from one state to another. Especially in the case of Odisha, it is necessary because a large number of cattle are traded from Odisha to other states. Trading is not stopped but killing of cattle needs to be stopped. For that society has to take charge with some support from the government. Stray cows, which have been abandoned by owners or are left to fend for themselves, need shelter. They have to be looked after through the construction of gaushalas (cow shelters). Not only on highways, but also in cities, we find a large number of cows outside and that is a nuisance too. That is why a large number of gaushalas need to be constructed and adequate funding needs to be given. We need better cows but the stray cow menace has to be stopped. It is only by taking care of them that we can stop this, and not by killing them. That will not be a problem. There will be some opposition but the main thing is that you need to take care of animals, especially domestic animals… Society also has to take care. There was a time when large numbers of unethical things were being done in society but they have been stopped. I don't understand why the Opposition is doing it. The window is open so if there is some mistake that they allege, the correction can be done (in Bihar's electoral rolls)… Stalling the functioning of Parliament is unacceptable. Secondly, the EC is a constitutional body. If you discuss it in the House, who is going to reply to the questions that will arise during the discussion? If you are discussing something in the absence of the EC, there is a specific rule in Parliament that you should not say something against someone who is not present in the House… I think the Opposition is deliberately doing it because it has an agenda not to allow the House to function.
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Parl panel urges FinMin to expedite full enforcement of GSTAT benches
A parliamentary committee has asked the finance ministry to adopt a "time-bound" approach and "actively pursue and coordinate" with all states to make Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) benches fully functional across the country. GSTAT is a crucial body for resolving Goods and Services Tax (GST) related disputes and significantly reducing the burden on higher courts. The government has notified the principal bench, to be located at New Delhi, and 31 state benches at various locations across the country. In May last year, the government had appointed Justice (Retd) Sanjaya Kumar Mishra as the first President of the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT). The government shall appoint the members in GSTAT on the recommendations of a search-cum-selection committee. The Standing Committee on Finance, chaired by BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, in its report expressed 'concern' over GSTAT benches not being fully operational nationwide. Significant delays persist in appointment of Members, particularly Technical Members (State), with recommendations received from only a few States, namely Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat, Bihar, and Maharashtra/Goa. "The Committee... urge the Ministry to actively pursue and coordinate with the remaining State Governments to expedite the constitution of Search-cum-Selection Committees and the forwarding of recommendations, to make benches functional without further delay," said the Action Taken Report of the Standing Committee on Finance. Emphasising on the need for "regular recruitment for long-term stability and efficiency", the committee noted that while temporary operations have begun from an interim facility, the committee desires that concerted efforts are needed for its early development to realise GSTAT's full benefit. It also said the persistent delays in GSTAT's full functionality adversely impacts the larger GST ecosystem, resulting in prolonged litigation, overburdening of High Courts, and denial of timely relief to taxpayers. "The Committee, therefore, desire that the Ministry should adopt a time-bound approach to complete all remaining formalities," the report said.
Economic Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Amend Companies Act to bolster ESG initiatives, set up oversight body: House panel tells MCA
A House panel has underscored the need to amend the Companies Act, 2013, to explicitly enshrine environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives as integral components of directors' fiduciary duties. The Parliamentary standing committee on finance, in a report submitted with the Lok Sabha on Monday, also urged the corporate affairs ministry to set up a dedicated ESG oversight body to combat greenwashing through specialized forensic expertise. Such a body should also formulate sector-specific guidelines, extend support to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and to ensure expeditious and deterrent application of penal provisions against fraudulent ESG claims, the panel under senior BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said. 'The Committee are of the view that while Section 166(2) (of the Companies Act) provides a broad stroke, a direct and unambiguous legislative mandate will elevate ESG considerations to a non-negotiable strategic imperative for (company) boards, providing a clear legal bedrock for accountability in integrating sustainability into core business strategies, thereby transitioning from mere disclosure to fundamental corporate responsibility,' the panel said in the report. SFIO, NFRA performance The panel has asked the ministry to firm up a multi-pronged strategy to stamp out financial crimes at their genesis while improving the Serious Fraud Investigation Office's (SFIO's) efficiency. The panel called on the ministry to submit a comprehensive, evidence-based report detailing the impact of SFIO's referrals to other agencies and a judicial analysis of prosecutions. The committee called for swift filling of vacancies at the National Financial Reporting Authority As for the National Financial Reporting Authority, the panel flagged that only 32 out of 69 posts were filled in FY25, pushing for drawing up a road map to establish a dedicated, permanent cadre of skilled professionals for the audit has stressed the need to significantly accelerate the recruitment process to fill all vacant positions within a defined road map to fill in the NFRA vacancies, the panel said, should also address current recruitment bottlenecks by potentially reviewing and revising recruitment rules for higher echelons, where appropriate, to reduce the over-reliance on deputation. CSR oversight system The committee has urged the ministry to build a transparent and results-oriented oversight system for corporate social responsibility. Companies would then be required to submit, and the ministry to publish, analytical reports detailing the actual socio-economic impact of CSR projects, and not just the amount of such wants the ministry to create a public system to transparently track all unspent CSR funds and provide exhaustive data on all enforcement actions, including the type of non-compliance, penalties collected, and their panel flagged that the ministry's assertion that the extant CSR framework provides accurate mechanism of reporting, monitoring, penalty for noncompliance and proper utilization 'remains an unquantified claim, devoid of empirical substantiation, or performance metrics on project outcomes, utilization of all unspent funds, or specific, impactful enforcement actions'.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Amend Companies Act to bolster ESG initiatives, set up oversight body: House panel tells MCA
A parliamentary panel urges amending the Companies Act to integrate ESG objectives into directors' duties and establish an ESG oversight body to combat greenwashing. The committee also calls for improved efficiency at the SFIO, swift filling of vacancies at the NFRA, and a transparent oversight system for CSR, emphasizing the need for empirical data on project outcomes and enforcement actions. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A House panel has underscored the need to amend the Companies Act, 2013, to explicitly enshrine environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives as integral components of directors' fiduciary duties The Parliamentary standing committee on finance, in a report submitted with the Lok Sabha on Monday, also urged the corporate affairs ministry to set up a dedicated ESG oversight body to combat greenwashing through specialized forensic a body should also formulate sector-specific guidelines, extend support to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and to ensure expeditious and deterrent application of penal provisions against fraudulent ESG claims, the panel under senior BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said.'The Committee are of the view that while Section 166(2) (of the Companies Act) provides a broad stroke, a direct and unambiguous legislative mandate will elevate ESG considerations to a non-negotiable strategic imperative for (company) boards, providing a clear legal bedrock for accountability in integrating sustainability into core business strategies, thereby transitioning from mere disclosure to fundamental corporate responsibility,' the panel said in the panel has asked the ministry to firm up a multi-pronged strategy to stamp out financial crimes at their genesis while improving the Serious Fraud Investigation Office 's (SFIO's) panel called on the ministry to submit a comprehensive, evidence-based report detailing the impact of SFIO's referrals to other agencies and a judicial analysis of committee called for swift filling of vacancies at the National Financial Reporting Authority As for the National Financial Reporting Authority, the panel flagged that only 32 out of 69 posts were filled in FY25, pushing for drawing up a road map to establish a dedicated, permanent cadre of skilled professionals for the audit has stressed the need to significantly accelerate the recruitment process to fill all vacant positions within a defined road map to fill in the NFRA vacancies, the panel said, should also address current recruitment bottlenecks by potentially reviewing and revising recruitment rules for higher echelons, where appropriate, to reduce the over-reliance on committee has urged the ministry to build a transparent and results-oriented oversight system for corporate social responsibility . Companies would then be required to submit, and the ministry to publish, analytical reports detailing the actual socio-economic impact of CSR projects, and not just the amount of such wants the ministry to create a public system to transparently track all unspent CSR funds and provide exhaustive data on all enforcement actions, including the type of non-compliance, penalties collected, and their panel flagged that the ministry's assertion that the extant CSR framework provides accurate mechanism of reporting, monitoring, penalty for noncompliance and proper utilization 'remains an unquantified claim, devoid of empirical substantiation, or performance metrics on project outcomes, utilization of all unspent funds, or specific, impactful enforcement actions'.
