Show big heart, slash taxes on fuel: Ajit Pawar tells Centre
Pune, Jul 9: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said the Centre should show a "big heart" and reduce taxes on fuel to provide relief to common citizens who are reeling under high prices of petrol and diesel.
Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has not increased state taxes on petrol and diesel after coming to power in November 2019.
He was talking to reporters after a review meeting here.
Speaking about BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis's claim about the state government levying "tax on tax", which has led to petrol retailing at around Rs 105 per litre in Maharashtra, Pawar said it was a complete lie.
"We did not increase any taxes in consecutive budgets. Whatever taxes are there, they are from their (BJP's) tenure. The Centre takes a big share (of revenue) in the form of taxes, so the Centre should show a big heart and reduce the taxes...it (reducing levies) is not in our hands," he said.
Asked why the MVA government is not reducing state-level taxes on fuel, he said in the current situation, when Maharashtra is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, it has incurred income loss of Rs 1.25 lakh crore." "The income of the state in the form of tax has been reduced by Rs 1.25 lakh crore. On the other hand, we have to fund health, food and other sectors in the current times and if we reduce taxes (on fuel), it will impact all these departments," Pawar said.
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Primary accused in 96.6 pc POCSO cases were close acquaintances: NCRB
New Delhi (PTI): In 96.6 per cent of 44,126 cases of sexual abuse of minors, close acquaintances have emerged as the primary offenders, according to the latest data released by the NCRB.
In its report 'Crime in India 2024' released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 44,126 total cases have been registered under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act under Sections 4 and 6 which pertain to penetrative sexual assault on minors during the year across the country.
The figures present a grim picture as close acquaintances emerged as primary accused in 42,634 (around 96.6 per cent) of the 44,126 total cases falling in that category, according to the latest NCRB data.
The data shows that family members were involved in 3,658 cases, while family friends, neighbours, employers or other known persons were named in 16,668 cases.
The largest share came from friends, online friends or live-in partners acting on the pretext of marriage, with 22,308 cases.
Cases where the offender was unknown or not identified stood at mere 1,492, or 3.4 per cent of the total.
Among states, Tamil Nadu reported the highest number of POCSO cases at 5,320, followed by Maharashtra at 4,829 and Madhya Pradesh at 3,721. Uttar Pradesh was next with 3,671 cases.
In Union territories, Delhi accounted for the highest number of cases at 1,038, followed by Jammu and Kashmir at 228 and Puducherry at 82. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported 77 cases.
The data also shows that Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Tripura and several Union territories, including Chandigarh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Ladakh and Puducherry, reported 100 per cent of cases involving known offenders.
