Kate Hudson Preity picture: THE TIMES OF INDIA wants to give Bachchan fulfils Tuesday, April 15, 2003 peace a chance Zinta’s Armaan Page 5 Page 8 TO D AY S LUCKY 883 W orld cup victory W orking days 85 825 Silver Jubilee A flea in heaven 837 Your Dambola Ticket available in Delhi Times on 13th April, 2003 OF INDIA Numbers already announced : 72, 9, 23, 85, 78, 75, 42, 54 MANOJ KESHARWANI Sarees pay the price for taxing times The Delhi Govt plans to impose sales tax to the tune of 12 per cent on silk sarees and 4 per cent on other sarees ARUN KUMAR DAS Delhi market on a daily to make up lost ground as saree- garment. In this context, state govern- Times News Network basis,’’ says Sandip traders not paying the ments are empowered to levy sales tax Vij of the Delhi Mer- sarkar what is its due. on saree sales,’’ elaborates Saathi. new stitch has just been added cantile Association, ‘‘While there are roughly Offering a different point of view is to the six-yard wonder. Blame it ‘‘Besides, Delhi’s sa- 40,000 saree-traders in Silk and Textile Merchants Association Aon these taxing times. In an at- ree market also caters Delhi, only 2 per cent of president TR Kapur,who terms the gov- tempt to give its flagging financial mus- to the requirements of them are actually reg- ernment’s decision to impose sales tax cles a shot in the arm, the Delhi gove- other states. Consequently, istered with the gov- on sarees as an ‘‘excessive’’ reaction. rnment has hit upon what it believes is the imposition of sales tax ernment. The fact is ‘‘So far, sales tax has never been im- a master-stroke —while sales tax to the on sarees, that with retro- that most saree-traders posed on sarees. But now that the gov- tune of 12 per cent will be imposed on spective effect from Ap- are tax-evaders,’’ ernment plans to do so, the move will silk sarees, the corresponding figure for ril 1, will affect the saree maintains a senior result in buyers having to pay more. We other sarees has been pegged at 4 per business adversely.’’ sales-tax officer, ‘‘Us- are against the decision and will appeal cent. The powers-that-be hope to net At the same time, the ed to not paying sales tax to the government to reconsider it.’’ atleast Rs 30 crore in the current finan- city government is cur- on saree sales, traders However, it is unlikely that the gov- cial year through this measure. rently facing the pinch af- have taken to opposing ernment will soften its stand. And this Going by the black and white of the ter a Rs 400-crore deficit the government’s insis- contention is corroborated by what government’s decision, each saree store in sales-tax collections tence on their maintain- Saathi has to say: ‘‘This year, the gov- in the Capital will be required to main- during the last financial ing a register and being ernment has already lowered stamp tain a register wherein records of all sa- year. While the estimat- more accountable.’’ duty and slashed entertainment tax on rees sold will be maintained. While 12 ed target for sales-tax Delhi finance mi- cinema tickets. In this regard, the deci- per cent sales tax will be levied on each collections had initial- NEELABH nister MS Saathi, on sion to levy sales tax on sarees is cer- silk saree sold, a corresponding figure ly been fixed at Rs 4,300 COSTLY AFFAIR his part, says the gov- tainly justified.’’ Of course, if official- of 4 per cent will be attendant on sarees crore, the figure was ernment has only gone dom has its way, the saree will soon made of other materials. What’s more, later revised to Rs 3,900 crore when it by the Supreme Court judgment while have a new story to tell. If it’s already turning the clock back, the government became apparent that it would not be bringing saree-traders under the tax become more chic than ever before, it’s wants the decision to be implemented possible to meet the original target. net. ‘‘Until recently, the saree was con- ready to act pricier now. At the cus- with effect from April 1, 2001. The official version, however, is not sidered to be a fabric. However,the apex tomer’s expense. ‘‘Atleast 5 lakh sarees are sold in the so much about the government trying court has interpreted it as a ready-made [email protected] The rites and rungs Bingo! Bribery has its lingo Times News Network ‘‘I am into the iron trade and visit various of young criminals... government offices rather frequently,’’ relates icture this. A businessman, seeking to CP Kalra, an industrialist, ‘‘On one occasion, DIVYA VASISHT So, what exactly breeds the make an alteration to his restaurant, is I was told that important documents were Times News Network criminal in today’s young- P seated at the office of a Delhi government de- missing from my file! Later, I discovered that sters? ‘‘The inability to handle partment. The officer concerned is in the the important documents stood for a bribe.’’ ut to the recent past. The frustration leads to anger. And mood to talk and both get down to While adding ‘masala’ to a fi- arrest of a five-member in- this is manifested by the des- C business. ‘‘File ko pahiya lagana le means that one is required to ter-state gang of car-jackers peration to break the law,’’ padega (you’ll have to fix wheels spice things up, one can use ei- helps the special cell of the Del- analyses psychiatrist Samir to the file, only then will it move ther ‘hare patte’ (Rs 500 notes) or hi Police solve 152 cases of car Parikh, MD, ‘‘The Maslow’s forward,’’ says the sarkari babu. ‘lal patte’ (Rs 1000 notes) for the pur- theft. So much for the facts on Pyramid indicates that physi- For those not tuned in, a bribe pose. And while the transaction is the crime. For,the profile of the cal needs take precedence over has just been asked for. taking place, the process is desc- criminals throws up a few social needs. The psychology of Welcome to the world of cor- ribed as ‘muthhi garam karna’. thought-provoking inferences. these criminals seems to work ruption. In today’s day and age, According to an MTNL ins- All five members are less than on the these lines: I might be when the CBI’s sleuths are work- ider, ‘‘Since one can’t use the 30 years of comfortable ing overtime and senior DDA of- word ‘bribe’ openly, it is always age. One is an driving a ficials have been arrested for ac- better to use decoy words such engineer; one small car cepting bribes, sarkari lingo as ‘prasad’, or terms such as has passed but, just be- has undergone a makeover. ‘suvidha shulk’ or ‘extra char- out from a cause I Of course, each official depa- ges’. Any which way, the mess- leading boar- can’t afford IN GOOD STANDING: Delhi Times unplugs the picture-perfect poise of Shabana rtment has its own vocabulary. age is put across loud and clear. ding school; a luxury Azmi as the actress and Rajya Sabha MP courts the colours of a Ruchika Modi In the case of the De- Now that you have one is the son car doesn’t creation (To send this photograph to a friend, log on to www.timescity.com/delhi/) lhi Police, ‘fateek la- mastered the lingo, of a retired en- mean I can’t gana’, for the unini- CORRUPT CONVERSATION the next step is to en- gineer who wo- get one. Such tiated, means greasing the palm of a cop. sure that ghoos reaches the right destination. rked with a pro- a line of In the case of the income-tax department, Psst... ‘the files are ready’. Once upon a time, minent public- thinking, as the DDA, the NDMC and the MCD, ‘peti’ (Rs makhan lagana meant buttering the boss. In sector under- also peer- 1,00,000) is the most commonly used term. today’s time, nothing is more utterly butterly taking; one pressure and Deewar II has Bachchan too! Other terms in circulation include ‘chandi ka palm-greasing than makhan in its new avatar. is the son of the desire to joota’ (silver shoe); and ‘file mein wazan dalo’ Food for thought? an IA emp- show off PANKAJ KAPOOR in the Yash Chopra-directed on the other hand, Sanjay (add weight to the file). [email protected] Times News Network film) has now been replaced Dutt, who is also a PoW can loyee; one is leads young- by a deewar between two help Bachchan, but doesn’t the brother sters to shed t’s been 28 long years. But neighbouring nations. want to. ‘‘It’s not a war film,’’ of a software their inhibi- Ithe Yash Chopra-directed Apart from the Big B, the maintains Doshi, ‘‘Rather, it professional. tions and classic Deewar — the film new Deewar features Sanjay deals with post-war issues More often take on which established Amitabh Dutt and Akshaye Khanna. and the impact of war on hu- than not, neces- NEELABH crime.’’ Bachchan’s reel image as that The film is being produced by man emotions.’’ Deewar will sity breeds Psychia- of the angry young man — Aankhen-maker Gurang be shot in Rajasthan, Bhuj, crime such ALARMING TREND trist Sunil has lost none of its Madhya Pradesh and as theft.