Approval process for additional borrowing by states simplified
New Delhi, June 25: The government on Monday simplified the process for granting additional fiscal deficit limit to eligible states over and above the three per cent limit of the state GDP.
An official statement said that from now on, the government will process each proposal independently, as and when it is received, as opposed to the earlier process of bunching all state proposals into a single proposal.
During the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting held June 17, some states had pointed out that the permission accorded by the Finance Ministry to eligible states was sometimes delayed due to bunching of proposals received from different states at different intervals into one consolidated approval.
"The government, keeping in view its policy for cooperative federalism, has henceforth decided to simplify the process of approval of such additional borrowing limits requested by states. It will process each proposal along with complete information independently as and when it is received in contrast to the earlier process of bunching all proposals into a single proposal," the statement said.
"It is expected that this will further enhance transparency and predictability in the borrowing calendar and boost capital expenditure in eligible states," it added.
States can borrow up to three per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and are eligible for flexibility of 0.25 per cent over and above this if their debt-GSDP ratio is less than or equal to 25 per cent in the preceding year.
They are further eligible for an additional borrowing limit of 0.25 per cent of GSDP in a given year for which the borrowing limits are to be fixed if the interest payments are less than or equal to 10 per cent of the revenue receipts in the preceding year, the statement said.
"The flexibility in availing the additional limit under either of the two options or both will be available to a state only if there is no revenue deficit in the year in which borrowing limits are to be fixed and the immediately preceding year," it added.
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Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
