Assam government introduces Electricity Duty (Amendment) Bill

Guwahati, Sep. 24 (PTI): Assam Government Monday proposed to replace fixed “electricity duty” of 20 paise per unit with an ad-valorem rate of five per cent on overall energy charge, having a scope to further increase it to 10 per cent.
Introducing the Assam Electricity Duty (Amendment) Bill, 2018, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government plans to have the electricity duty at an ad-valorem duty of five per cent.
“… to empower the state government to enhance electricity duty in future with a upper ceiling of 10 percentum of the aggregate value of energy charges and fixed charges,” he added.

Currently, “electricity duty” is charged at 20 paise per unit and there is no scope to raise it beyond this amount.
Once the bill is passed by the Assembly and notified by the government, this step will effectively increase the electricity bill of the consumers.
12,750 cases of crime against women in Assam in 2017-2018

The Assam government Monday told the Assembly that 12,750 cases of crime against women were registered in the state in the year 2017-18.
In a written reply to a query by Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said in Assam 1,751 cases of rapes, 539 murders and 10,460 dowry crimes took place across the state in 2017-18.

Replying on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who holds the Home portfolio, Patowary informed that in the previous financial year 1,571 rapes, 490 murders and 9,629 dowry related crimes were registered in the state.

In 2016, the total number of crimes recorded in Assam was 1,07,022, which went up to 1,11,118 in 2017, the minister said.
To a separate question of AGP MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Patowary said the state has witnessed a total of 84,540 crimes related to theft, dacoity, kidnapping, sexual harassment, rape, dowry, accident and superstition till August 2018 from the time alliance government came to power in 2016.

In this period, 56 extremists have been killed, while seven security personnel also lost their lives in addition to injuries to 14 other security persons, he added.
Govt. deported only 29,795 foreigners

The Foreigners’ Tribunals in Assam have so far declared 91,609 persons as illegal foreigners while the state government could deport only 29,795 persons till August this year.

This was revealed by Assam Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary while replying to a question in the ongoing session of the Assam Legislative Assembly on Monday. Patowary was replying on behalf of Chief Minister and Home Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

The Minister revealed that there were a total of 1,037 declared foreigners including 31 children in six detention camps of Assam.
“The foreigners’ tribunals have declared 91,609 persons as foreigners till March 31, 2018. While 128 of them have been deported till August 31, four others have been expelled.

Prior to this, the government has pushed back a total of 29,663 declared foreigners and convicted persons to Bangladesh till December 31, 2017,” said Patowary while replying to a question by Congress legislator, Nazrul Haque.