Taxes to be levied on casinos, horse racing and online gaming: IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge
Belagavi: IT Minister Priyank Kharge declared in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Wednesday the imposition of the Karnataka Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill-2023 to levy taxes on casinos, horse racing and online gaming.
The GST Council Ministry had said on August 11 that amendments in the Goods and Services Tax Act-2017 will be implemented from October 1 of the current year. It had also stressed on the need to make necessary amendments in the Act prior to the implementation.
As the matter of extreme urgency and neither of the Houses of the Karnataka Legislature was in session, the Karnataka Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Ordinance-2023 was enacted to achieve this. The amendments under the Ordinance would not affect other legal provisions currently in force that provide for the prohibition, restriction or regulation on betting, casino, gambling, horse racing, lottery or online gaming, the ministry clarified.
It added that, in spite of this, imposition of tax on casinos, horse racing and online gaming would not regularize the business. Any illegal act committed in the business would not be immune to criminal action, as the new Bill is a replacement for the Ordinance.
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Separate nodal officer in all districts to prevent female foeticides in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (PTI): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.
The minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a "social evil".
He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.
The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council.
"Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening," Rao said.
"Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government," he said.
In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the minister said.
"Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation."
Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.
Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said, the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this.
"Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years....advanced technology and the internet is being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.
We need to look into bringing legislation to control them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented."
The minister also said that measures are also being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.
