Cabinet extends date for ST subsidy

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 23.

The Delhi Cabinet today extended the last date for providing interest subsidy on financial assistance and waiver of sales tax to the pre-1990 and post-1990 commercial vehicles till September 30 in view of the inability of all vehicle owners to convert to CNG mode. It was also decided to relax conditions relating to providing Rs. 1,000 relief assistance to the widows and aged of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims.

At a meeting of the Cabinet held under the leadership of the acting Chief Minister, Mr. Mahinder Singh Saathi, the Cabinet decided that all taxis and auto-rickshaws replacing their old units with the new CNG run vehicles would be entitled to four per cent interest subsidy on loan availed through the Delhi Financial Corporation. This subsidy would also be available for installation of conversion kits. Taxis too would be liable to pay eight per cent interest as against the prevailing 12 per cent.

In another significant decision, the Delhi Cabinet decided to continue with the relief pension of Rs. 1,000 per month to the persons above 60 years and widows of the anti-Sikh riots. The government has relaxed the condition that even if the kin of these victims are earning a livelihood, these people would be entitled to the assistance which was not the case earlier.

Previously, the ad hoc relief was given till a family member started earning. It was found that in many cases, children had abandoned their parents after becoming earning members of the family. ``This has been done to remove the difficulties faced by the elderly and widows who are subjected to misery and harassment by their own children,'' Mr. Saathi stated.

The government also decided to reduce the assessment period of sales tax cases from 24 months to 21. It was felt that in view of the work required for the introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT) system from April 1, 2002, it was necessary that the last three months of the financial year 20001-2002 would be totally devoted to introduction of VAT.

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