Latest news with #Manesar
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bids of Rs 63cr and Rs 62cr make Gurgaon's DLF-3, Shankar Chowk Haryana's top excise grossers so far
Gurgaon: The inaugural auction of liquor vends under the new excise policy for the city's west zone has raked in 10% higher revenue than the base price set by the govt. The highest bids, not just in the city but across Haryana in this round, were Rs 63 crore for the DLF 3 zone and Rs 62 crore for the Shankar Chowk zone. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the west zone, which includes upscale areas like Cyber Hub and Udyog Vihar, 62 of 83 zones were auctioned on Tuesday. Total bids in the zone reached Rs 1,270 crore. The reserve price was Rs 1,152 crore. Manesar demonstrated robust competitive bidding, with closing amounts that were 20-30% higher than the opening price. Deputy commissioner Ajay Kumar said new tenders for the remaining zones in the west will be invited in the first week of June. Shankar Chowk zone, which extends till IFFCO Chowk netted almost the same bid as the reserve price while the DLF-3 zone netted Rs 3 core more than the opening price. Udyog Vihar-5, the third highest, went for Rs 38.6 crore, which too was almost the same as the reserve price. Several zones beyond the central business districts of the city received bids 20- 50% higher than the opening price. The highest bidding was witnessed in Gadauli, which went for Rs 28.13 crore against a reserve price of Rs 18.5 crore, an increase of around 52%. Minda Chowk was auctioned for Rs 21.6 crore against an opening price of Rs 17 crore, an increase of 25%. The Sector 17A zone was allocated for Rs 19.37 crore against a reserve price of Rs 15.5 crore, a 25% rise. The Sanjay Gram zone went for Rs 18 crore against the reserve price of Rs 15 crore, a rise of around 20%. The Maruti Udyog zone was auctioned for Rs 20.32 crore against an opening price of Rs 16.85 crore, an increase of 21%. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Basai Chowk went for Rs 22.7 crore against a reserve price of Rs 19.4 crore, marking an increase of 17%. Three zones in Manesar received bids that were 20% more than the reserve price. Manesar Sector 7 bus stand went for Rs 22.8 crore against Rs 17 crore, an increase of 32%. Pataudi Road (IMT Manesar) went for Rs 25.13 crore, while the reserve price was Rs 19 crore. The bidding saw an increase of 32%. Bass Harai Dhana Road in Manesar went for Rs 18 crore against a reserve price of Rs 14.86 crore, recording an increase of 21%.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Manesar land scam: HC dismisses former officer's plea against prosecution
Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court has made it clear that the role of the principal secretary to CM encompasses the responsibility of actively engaging with matters under consideration, eliciting relevant facts, exploring available alternatives, and presenting the same to the CM for an informed decision. The court made these observations while dismissing a plea filed by M L Tayal, former principal secretary to the then Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda , against prosecution in Manesar land scam. Tayal had claimed that being PS to CM, his role was limited to assisting the CM in decision-making and to faithfully record and convey the decisions of the CM. Referring to the statement made as prosecution witness by a senior Haryana IAS officer, who had served as principal secretary recently, the HC observed: "If the staff officer does not wish to record CM's order, then in such event the CM may record his own directive." The IAS officer, as a prosecution witness, had explained the role of PS to CM. Pointing towards the role of Tayal in the Manesar land scam, the HC observed that in the present case, the order abandoning the award of land in question was signed by Tayal himself. "In such circumstances, the question as to whether the petitioner (Tayal) merely acted as a scribe or had a more substantial role in the formulation and communication of the said decision, is a matter that requires adjudication during trial. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Additionally, it would be incumbent upon the special CBI court, Panchkula, to assess, in light of evidence led, whether the petitioner discharged his duty by adequately apprising the CM of all relevant considerations, or whether he failed to do so, and whether he aided in the alleged conspiracy or not. Such determinations, however, fall outside the scope of consideration at the stage of framing charges," the HC has held while refusing to quash the framing of charges against Tayal in the case. In his plea before the HC, Tayal had mainly argued that he was merely transmitting the decision of the CM and had no independent role or discretion in the formulation of the said decision. CBI, however, contended that being PS to CM, Tayal's role was not merely a passive bureaucrat, but played an active and deliberate role in the criminal conspiracy to derail lawful land acquisition proceedings concerning approximately 912 acres of land in Manesar, Naurangpur, and Lakhanaula. HC refuses to comment on DA by Tayal and his family During the hearing, CBI counsel drew the attention to ab FIR registered for alleged accumulation of disproportionate assets by M L Tayal and his family during the relevant period. CBI claimed that prior to the commencement of the check period from Jan 1, 2006 to Dec 31, 2014, the petitioner and his family held no immovable assets and had movable assets worth Rs 32,04,920. At the end of the check period, however, the value of immovable assets reportedly soared to Rs 17.64 crore, while movable assets increased to Rs 9,82 crore. CBI submitted that this abnormal increase in wealth substantiates the case of prosecution that the petitioner was an active participant and a beneficiary of the conspiracy surrounding the abandonment of the land acquisition process. Counsel for Tayal denied the allegations and claimed false implication. "This Court would refrain from delving into these assertions at this stage, as they are to be tested by the special court after appreciation of the evidence brought on record," HC has observed.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Manesar land scam: Trial court can summon additional accused on prima facie evidence: HC
Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana high court has made it clear that if the material placed on record, taken cumulatively and in its entirety, gives rise to a strong suspicion of involvement of a person in the commission of the offence, the trial court is empowered to summon such person as an additional accused to face the trial. "Once such a prima facie view is formed, the trial must be allowed to proceed in accordance with law, thereby granting the prosecution the legitimate opportunity to prove its case through due process," the HC has held. Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul of the HC has passed these orders while dismissing several petitions filed by former bureaucrats and former officials of Haryana govt challenging the decision of special CBI court Panchkula summoning them in connection with the Manesar land scam . Justice Kaul has also clarified that barring former IAS officer Rajeev Arora, no sanction under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act would be required for all other officers summoned as additional accused by CBI court in the case. On the argument that the petitioners were summoned on an application moved by co-accused Murari Lal Tayal, the HC has clarified that the said application was dismissed by the court. "The court may exercise this power suo motu on the basis of its own appreciation of the material on record," held the court. On Arora, the judge observed in its detailed order: "The mere act of forwarding such material, cannot, by any standard, be construed as a judicial mandate to accord prosecution sanction. Any inference that the court has directed the grant of sanction is plainly untenable and stems from a misreading of the order.". On Dec 1, 2020, the then special CBI judge, Jagdeep Singh, had summoned Arora, who had served as MD, HSIIDC, Surjeet Singh, chief town planner, HSIIDC, Dhare Singh, chief town planner, Kulwant Singh Lamba, deputy superintendent (town and country planning) and D R Dhingra. The main allegations in the case are that hundreds of acres of land acquired from farmers of Manesar and adjoining villages in Gurugram district at a low rate for "public purpose" was later licensed to real estate companies/builders/colonizers after bestowing out-of-term favours and concessions. Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh and several others are also accused in this case.
India Today
05-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
'To save crores in taxes': Investment banker on why rich are buying farmhouses
Ever wondered why so many rich Indians are suddenly buying farmhouses outside big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore? It's not just for peace, fresh air, or growing vegetables, but to save big on banker Sarthak Ahuja recently shared on LinkedIn how farmland is becoming the new favourite of wealthy investors. Not because they love farming, but because it helps them legally avoid paying high wrote, 'Why are Wealthy Indians Suddenly Buying so many Farmhouses? Have you ever thought about why the rich are so interested in getting a farmhouse? It's not just for organic vegetables and a big lawn, but to save crores in taxes.' 'There is a reason why there is a farmhouse boom starting in India suddenly you're seeing people from Mumbai wanting to get one in Karjat or Alibaug those from Delhi wanting to get one ahead of Manesar and people from Bangalore thinking of investing in Coonoor,' he added. advertisement NO TAX ON FARM INCOMEIn India, any income from farming is completely tax-free. That means if someone says they earned money by selling vegetables, fruits, or milk from their farmland, they don't have to pay income tax on also very little or no GST (Goods and Services Tax) on farm goods. So, those who have unaccounted cash can say it's income from farming and quietly deposit it in the bank. This way, they save on both income tax and further wrote, 'The first thing is that agricultural income is tax-free so any businessman who has undisclosed cash coming in, can easily tell the tax authorities that they sold vegetables grown at the farm or milk from their farm animals and keep depositing cash in their bank accounts, also saving GST on it because most farm produce has either zero tax, or a minimal rate of 5%. So both the Income Tax and GST saving can add up to almost +40% tax saving on the amount while making it tax-free.'HOW THE LOOPHOLE WORKSAccording to Ahuja, rich individuals use farmhouses to show large cash deposits as income from farming. Even cash deposits below Rs 2 lakh (which don't need a PAN number) can be explained away by saying many local buyers paid in cash for fruits and not all. Buying farmland also comes with other perks. He said, 'Buying a piece of agricultural land also has nil or negligible stamp duty expenses depending on the state, so just tax benefits in itself can go into over a crore for someone who owns a couple of acres.''Then there's using the place for private parties, and then putting it on AirBnB for 6-7 days a month to recover the actual cost of maintenance for the month," he wrote. 'Oh, and that's not all, if you sell the piece of land, the capital gains are tax-free under section 54B, and you can invest that money in a bigger piece of agricultural land.'He concluded the post by pointing out that while middle-class families are still trying to save enough for a flat in the city, the wealthy are quietly turning farmland into a smart financial tool. It is no longer just about weekend getaways, but about using legal gaps to retain more Watch
