JK govt waives input tax credit demand against 1,573 flood-hit businesses

In a major relief to flood-hit businesses, the Jammu and Kashmir government has approved waiving the demands raised by assessing authorities of the commercial taxes department against 1,573 flood-hit dealers by rejecting their input tax credit claim for the stocks destroyed in the floods of September 2014.

The decision to this effect was taken at the 19th State Administrative Council (SAC) which met here yesterday under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik, an official spokesman said Thursday.

The Trade Associations and Chambers (TAC) had been demanding waiver of demands raised by the assessing authorities against the flood-affected dealers, by rejecting their input tax credit claim for the stocks destroyed in the floods of September 2014, in view of the fact that the goods had got destroyed.

Taking into consideration the magnitude of the 2014 floods, the misery it brought to all the sections of the society, traders included and the fact that the stocks got destroyed in the flood, the SAC settled the long pending demand of the traders, the spokesman said.

In another decision, the spokesman said the SAC approved the launch of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in the state with effect from December 1.

The scheme will provide health insurance coverage to about 6.13 lakh families figuring in socio-economic caste census database to the tune of Rs five lakh per family per year with secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

"There will be no cap on family size and all families included in the socio-economic and caste census will be entitled to claim the benefits. The scheme offers treatment in any of the 13,000 empanelled hospitals in the country under 1,350 medical packages," the spokesman said.

He said institutional mechanism has already been put in place with the constitution of state health agency, district implementation units and grievance redressal mechanism.

Around 136 public and private hospitals have been empanelled in the state while 140 'arogya mitras' have been identified and they have undergone orientation and training programme, the spokesman said.

Golden Cards to all the eligible families are targeted to be issued by December 15, the spokesman said adding the golden cards are being given through empanelled hospitals (free of cost) and through Common Service Centres (CSCs) at a cost of Rs 30.

In order to incentivise the beneficiaries, the government has decided to chip in with 50 per cent cost and the beneficiary has to now pay Rs 15 only instead of Rs 30 to the CSCs for registration. Rs 15 on behalf of the beneficiary will be paid by the Government, he said.