CITIES
Liquor makers seek WPI-linked price hike, urge Telangana govt to release Rs 2800 Cr pending dues | Hyderabad News – The Times of India
CIABC has also asked the Telangana govt to release the total overdue amount of Rs 2,800 crore (exceeding 45 days) as well as a cumulative interest burden of Rs 400 on the outstanding amount.
Pointing to the sharp increase in production costs across the operational and manufacturing chain since the last price revision in May 2023, CIABC Director General Anant S Iyer said input costs saw a substantial rise, from extra neutral alcohol (ENA), malt spirit, packaging materials to labour, transportation, and other services.
Iyer pointed out that the revenue share disparity severely hit the bottom lines of companies, with the govt taking interim tax increases, which is inhibiting stable organic growth. “Currently, the govt retains over 70% of the maximum retail price (MRP) of alcoholic beverages. In contrast, manufacturers receive only 12-15%, and retailers about 15-18%. While the govt income goes up, supplier companies have to absorb the cost escalation in the absence of an annual review mechanism,” Iyer said.
On the tax burden and impact of the industry being under GST exclusion, he said as the alcoholic beverage sector is outside the scope of GST, companies are not able to claim input Tax Credit (ITC) on GST paid for raw materials, resulting in an additional 3-5% increase in production costs. “The entire Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) industry seeks a kind consideration of a price revision request of ₹100–₹200 per case for IMFL and a 5% hike for wine products. This would translate to a modest increase of just ₹2.50 to ₹5 per 180 ml bottle,” the CIABC Chief said.
“While the beer industry already received approval for a price hike, spirit and wine manufacturers are yet to receive similar relief, despite facing identical cost pressures,” he added.
Emphasising that the financial viability of the industry is at risk, Iyer said that any further taxation without supply price adjustments could jeopardise the operations of liquor companies.
CITIES
Air France Flight Announcement: Bengaluru Flyer Praises Warm Welcome in Kannada | Bengaluru News – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: A Bengaluru-based traveller flying with Air France from Paris to Bengaluru was left surprised when boarding announcements were made not just in French and English, but also in Kannada, the regional language of Karnataka.
Taking to X, Sangam Manjunath shared a clip of the announcement and thanked the airline for the gesture. “Such a warm welcome before I reached home! Thank you, Air France, for recognising one of the oldest regional languages of the Indian Union and upholding diversity,” he wrote.
The post quickly gained traction online, sparking a wider conversation about the use of regional languages in aviation. While several users lauded the airline for acknowledging the local language, others dismissed it as routine practice. “It is common sense to know international airlines do announcements in the specific regional language while touching down at that specific location in India,” one user wrote.
Others, however, saw the gesture as an example for Indian carriers. “Please ensure all Indian airlines follow this model in their respective state languages and don’t push Hindi in its place,” a user said, tagging DGCA. Some even criticised domestic airlines, saying they fail to show similar sensitivity to regional identities.
Reactions ranged from appreciation to scepticism. “Respect for the territory that they are flying to,” a user said. Another remarked, “British Airways also did it when I travelled from Hyderabad to London. It’s common. Nothing special to celebrate.”
Still, for many, the inclusion of Kannada on an international flight stood out. “Air France was indeed very good in terms of service and food and respect for one of the oldest native languages in India,” a user commented.
CITIES
2002 Godhra train burning case: SC rejects plea for 3-judge bench, begins hearing appeals against conviction | Delhi News – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed objections raised by some convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case, who argued that a two-judge bench could not hear their appeals since the matter involved death penalty.
Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing two convicts, cited the Red Fort terror attack case where a three-judge bench had heard the matter, to argue that a similar procedure should be followed in the Godhra case.
“Suppose this bench of two judges decides to award the death penalty to some accused, then it has to be re-argued before another bench of three judges,” Hegde submitted, citing a 2014 Constitution bench ruling that all death penalty cases confirmed by high courts must be heard by a three-judge SC bench.
However, a bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Aravind Kumar rejected the plea, stating that the Gujarat High Court had not awarded or confirmed any death penalty but had instead commuted the trial court’s capital punishment to life imprisonment for 11 convicts.
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“The Gujarat High Court commuted the death penalty of 11 convicts into life imprisonment and did not award the death penalty. Therefore, a two-judge bench can hear the case under the rules,” Justice Maheshwari said.
“The objection is repelled,” the bench ruled, as it began the final hearing on the appeals.
On April 24, the apex court had said it would begin the final hearing on May 6 and 7 on multiple appeals—filed by the Gujarat government challenging the commutation of death sentences, and by several convicts challenging the high court’s verdict upholding their convictions.
On February 27, 2002, 59 people died when coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express was set on fire near Godhra, triggering statewide riots.
The Gujarat High Court in 2017 had upheld the convictions of 31 people and commuted the death penalties awarded to 11 of them by the trial court.
CITIES
Borivali hit-and-run: 23-year-old biker killed on Western Express Highway | – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: A 23-year-old biker, Akshat Singh, died after being hit by an unidentified vehicle in a hit-and-run incident in Mumbai’s Borivali area on May 4, police said on Tuesday.
The accident occurred while Singh was returning home to Mira Road via the Western Express Highway. The vehicle that struck him fled the spot without stopping to help.
Kasturba Marg police said a case has been registered under sections 106 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 281 (rash driving) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with sections 134(A) and 134(B) of the Motor Vehicles Act, which deal with failing to report and assist in an accident.
Police said efforts are on to trace the vehicle and the driver.
Earlier in the day, several people were feared injured after a bus overturned near Karnala on the Mumbai-Goa highway in Raigad district.
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