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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Climate
- Business Standard
Heavy rain brings respite to Delhi; IMD predicts more showers today
Morning showers in Delhi on July 23 improved air quality and brought down temperatures. The IMD has forecast cloudy skies, with below-normal temperatures likely to persist throughout the week Apexa Rai New Delhi Delhi woke up to a pleasant Thursday morning, thanks to the showers that swept across the city on July 23. However, the heavy downpour also led to severe waterlogging and disrupted traffic in several parts of the capital. It helped lower temperatures, offering much-needed relief to residents weary of high humidity. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more showers for the day. Skies are likely to stay partly cloudy, with chances of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. Authorities have urged the public to remain indoors during rainy conditions, avoid unnecessary travel, follow traffic advisories, and stay clear of electric poles and trees. The day's maximum temperature is expected to hover between 30 and 32-degree Celsius, while the minimum may settle between 23 and 25-degree Celsius. Rain improves air quality across the city The rainfall also led to better air quality in the region. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 73 at 10 am on July 24, placing it in the 'satisfactory' category. This marks an improvement from the previous few days when air quality was categorised as 'moderate'. Traffic hit as roads flooded across Delhi The heavy showers led to knee-deep water on several roads, causing traffic congestion and leaving many vehicles stranded. Visuals on social media showed water entering houses and school premises. #WATCH | Traffic snarls at ITO amid heavy rain in the national capital of Delhi — ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2025 Key areas affected included MB Road, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Kailash Colony, ITO, South Extension, NH-8, Nehru Place, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, and East of Kailash. Despite the widespread disruption, no major flooding was reported at the Minto Bridge underpass, a known trouble spot, according to the Public Works Department (PWD). Delhi's weekly forecast shows continued rainfall The IMD has not issued any major weather alerts for the coming days in Delhi. Light to moderate rain with occasional thunder is expected till July 29. Cloudy skies and temperatures below the usual seasonal range are likely to persist throughout the week. Himachal bears the brunt of heavy monsoon rains Himachal Pradesh continues to face heavy monsoon damage, with 137 lives lost so far. The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) stated that 77 deaths were due to incidents such as landslides and flash floods, while 60 people died in road accidents caused by poor visibility and slippery roads. Currently, 344 roads remain blocked, 169 power transformers are out of order, and 230 water supply lines are disrupted. Mandi, Kullu, and Chamba districts have been hit the hardest, with Mandi accounting for the most road blockages. Power and water supply disruptions have also been reported from Kangra and Sirmour. Telangana on alert amid heavy rainfall Several areas in Telangana, including Hyderabad, were hit by heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours, resulting in waterlogging and traffic disruption. The IMD has warned of more rain in the next few days. To tackle the situation, officials have stepped up readiness measures and NDRF and SDRF are on alert. In view of the weather, Cyberabad Police have advised IT companies to permit employees to work from home where possible. Sikkim struggles with 29% rain shortfall Contrary to the situation in the rest of India, Sikkim has received only 561.3 mm of rain between June 1 and July 23, which is 29 per cent less than the normal average of 793.1 mm for the period, as per the IMD. All four districts of the Himalayan state have reported below-average rainfall, with Gyalshing showing the highest deficit at 44 per cent. Gangtok recorded a 35 per cent shortfall, followed by Mangan at 28 per cent and Pakyong at 22 per cent.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- New Indian Express
MCD's dengue crackdown: Mosquito larvae found in 50 govt offices, CBSE HQ among violators
NEW DELHI: The Public Health Department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Wednesday conducted a special inspection drive targeting mosquito breeding in 266 government offices around the ITO area. Officials found mosquito larvae at 50 locations, which were destroyed on the spot. During the campaign, 5,139 containers were checked, and Aedes mosquito breeding was detected in 110, said officials. Following the inspection, the MCD issued 44 notices and initiated 34 prosecutions. Prosecutions were launched against several government buildings including ESI Building (ITO), CBSE Headquarters (DDU Marg), Sanskrit Bharti Bhawan, CR Building (ITO), Vikas Bhawan, and ITPO. Notices were served to Hindi Bhawan, Lok Kalyan Samiti, Rouse Avenue District Court, Prasar Bharati, PWD Building, AGCR, and Dayal Singh Library. Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh urged all government offices to appoint nodal officers responsible for ensuring no stagnant water is left in containers, flower pots, junkyards, or uncovered water tanks. The drive comes days after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta instructed officials to intensify anti-dengue measures. Chairing a review meeting last week, she said the next two months would be critical and directed that fogging operations, which usually begin in September, start immediately.
The Print
6 days ago
- Climate
- The Print
Rains drench Delhi; waterlogging, traffic disruptions in several areas
More showers are likely later in the day, the weather office said. Several areas, including South Delhi, South East Delhi, Central Delhi, National Highway 8, the Delhi-Jaipur stretch, Old Rohtak Road, Peeragarhi, ITO, AIIMS, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, and Madhuban Chowk reported traffic jams. New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) Rains lashed the national capital on Tuesday, leading to waterlogging and traffic snarls in several parts of the city. The minimum temperature was recorded at 26 degrees Celsius, which is normal for this time of the year, while the maximum is likely to settle around 35 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity was 83 per cent at 8.30 am. The air quality in the city was in the moderate category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 103, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'. PTI NSM NSM DV DV DV This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
NZ Herald
7 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Rhiannon Morrell Gisborne's top ‘Young Grower'
'I was planning to head south to university, but I really needed a full-time job in the meantime. Then I found I really enjoyed horticulture, so I stayed,' she said in a release. 'I moved into a few different jobs in horticulture, but apples is what I enjoy the most. 'My job involves a lot of data collection and metrics to help make informed decisions about the trees. It's the nitty-gritty stuff and I really enjoy that there is something new every day.' Morrell has gained the NZ Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Horticulture) Level 2 and NZ Certificate in Horticulture (Fruit Production) Level 3, and is now studying for Level 4 through the Primary ITO. 'There's lots of on-job and off-job training opportunities,' she said. 'My manager is also very supportive and had been encouraging me to enter the Young Grower competition for a couple of years. 'I really had to push myself because I was very nervous about the public speaking part of it. I'm glad I agreed to enter, though. 'The competition was great and everyone is so supportive that it really wasn't bad getting up there and speaking in front of everyone,' she said. 'I think one of the important things about Young Grower is that it stretches young people in the sector and encourages you to push yourself further. 'I had to really push myself out of my comfort zone and I'm glad I did. 'I think it also opens a lot of doors for you. It also helped raise awareness of horticulture to other young people, Morrell said. 'I think there is a perception that it's all just about outdoor work. That's certainly part of it and people really enjoy that. However, if you want to do other things, there are so many other opportunities. 'I would really like to see more high school students coming along to find about the sector and all the different career options that are available. I'd encourage them to because they may very well find something they will enjoy.' Morrell said she hoped to progress to working in pip fruit technical management. 'I want to push myself as far as I can go.' The Young Grower Gisborne regional runner-up was Matt Davies, assistant manager at Davies Contracting, whose job entails vineyard management, machinery operation and crew leadership. Davies completed an apprenticeship with Thompson's Horticulture and has gained levels 3 and 4 in Horticulture Production, studying through Eastern Institute of Technology. The competition celebrates the success of young people in the industry, as well as encouraging others to consider a career in horticulture. Entry is open to commercial fruit and vegetable growers up to the age of 30. HortNZ chief executive Kate Scott said the competitions played an important role in highlighting the wide variety of career opportunities in the industry. The competitions could not happen without the commitment of many industry professionals across the country, she said. 'Thanks to their dedication we can celebrate the skilled young people, like Rhiannon and Matt. 'Their skill, passion for the industry, the qualifications they have gained and the career progression they have achieved are a great example to other young people who may be considering a future in horticulture.'
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Indian engineer wins Rs 69-lakh unexplained investment income tax case in ITAT Mumbai on these technical grounds
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills How did this unexplained investment case under Income Tax Act, 1961 start? FY 2014-15: An engineer working in Dubai, UAE purchased a property in Kerala for Rs 39 lakh (Rs 39,62,714) and booked an FD worth Rs 30 lakh (Rs 30,36,720). An engineer working in Dubai, UAE purchased a property in Kerala for Rs 39 lakh (Rs 39,62,714) and booked an FD worth Rs 30 lakh (Rs 30,36,720). April 20, 2022: The tax assessing officer (AO) issued a notice under Section 148 and re-opened his tax file. The tax assessing officer (AO) issued a notice under Section 148 and re-opened his tax file. May 11, 2022: The engineer filed an income tax return (ITR) in response to notice issued under Section 148 declaring income of Rs 5,85,620. The engineer filed an income tax return (ITR) in response to notice issued under Section 148 declaring income of Rs 5,85,620. March 11, 2023 to April 21 of 2024: The tax department issued him statutory tax notices under Section 142 (1) The tax department issued him statutory tax notices under Section 142 (1) March 15, 2024: The engineer filed part reply to these tax notices and therefore a show cause notice was issued and served upon him. He failed to avail the opportunity of filing submissions/explanations in response to these show cause notices. The engineer filed part reply to these tax notices and therefore a show cause notice was issued and served upon him. He failed to avail the opportunity of filing submissions/explanations in response to these show cause notices. March 31, 2024: The case was getting time barred and since the engineer did not defend his case, a best judgement order under Section 144 imposing Rs 69 lakh income as unexplained investment under Section 69 was added to his income and accordingly penalty proceedings were also initiated against him. What did the taxpayer explain about 'unexplained investments'? The Assessee being non-resident and working in Dubai, UAE from which he had made direct remittance for purchase of property in Kerala and the money transfer receipts and all the relevant documentary details were already provided; Since the income had never accrued or arisen in India the investment in property cannot be termed as unexplained investment u/s 69 of the Act. Fixed deposits of Rs 30,36,720 were made from maturity of old fixed deposits, because, since 1997 the Assessee has been staying in Dubai and working as an engineer and earning salary. The savings in fixed deposits held in India are old and being matured and reinvested during the current year and the bank statements highlighting the same were already provided. These four grounds of appeal were raised in ITAT Mumbai 'On the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the ITO, Ward 34(3)(5), Mumbai was not having the jurisdiction over the appellant as he was a non-resident during the year and, therefore, he has erred in passing the order under Section 148A(d) and also issuing the notice under Section 148.' ' On the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the ITO, Ward 34(3)(5), Mumbai has erred in passing the order under Section 148A(d) and also issuing the notice under Section 148 without appreciating that he was not having the jurisdiction for the same in view of Section 151A and the notification issued thereunder notifying e Assessment of Income Escaping Assessment Scheme, 2022 and, thereby, rendering the said order and the notice as well as the entire assessment proceeding as null and void.' 'On the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the learned Assessing Officer has erred in passing the assessment order under Section 143(3) r.w.s. 144C(3) beyond the time limit provided for completion of the assessment under the provisions of Section 153.' 'On the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the Ld. Assessing Officer erred in adding an amount of 36,12,173 under section 69 of the Act being the purchase price paid by the appellant for acquiring a property at Kerala, without appreciating the fact that the said payment was done in the earlier years and not during the assessment year under consideration.' What did ITAT Mumbai say? Here's what exactly the ITAT Mumbai said: 'We have noticed that in the order under Section 148A clause (d) dated 20.04.2022, the AO has acknowledged the response to the notice by the Assessee that he was NRI for the relevant year. Therefore, it is not the case of the Revenue that the AO who has issued the impugned notice under Section 148 was not aware that the Assessee was NRI for the relevant year.' 'Thus, we are of the considered opinion that in the arguments of the Ld. D.R. (tax department's lawyer) wherein he has tried to invoke Section 292BB, because of the above discussion and the judicial precedent relied on by the Ld. A.R., there is no merit found in the arguments from applicability of section 292BB in the case of the Assessee (engineer).' 'Further, in view of the findings of the High Court in the case of Nimir Kishore Mehta (supra) the AO who had issued the notice under Section 148 was not having jurisdiction on the case of the Assessee.' 'Therefore, the issuance of show cause notice under Section 148A(b), passing of the order under Section 148A(d) and subsequent issuance of notice under Section 148 by the AO in this case are held to be carried out without having jurisdiction over the issue and the said proceedings are bad in law and accordingly liable to be quashed. Accordingly, ground Nos.1 &2 are decided in favour of the Assessee.' What might be some key legal takeaways from this judgement? On June 27, 2025, an Indian engineer , who had been working in Dubai, United Arab Emirates since 1997 won a case of Rs 69-lakh unexplained investment under Income Tax Act, 1961 on technical grounds. The engineer had bought a property in his hometown in Kerala for Rs 39 lakh and also put Rs 30 lakh in fixed deposits (FDs). However, the income tax department claimed that both the property purchase (Rs 39 lakh) and FD investment (Rs 30 lakh) were 'unexplained investments' under Section 69 of the Income Tax Act, a result, the entire Rs 69 lakh (39+30) was added to his income and accordingly he was issued tax notices and penalty proceedings were also initiated against him. To fight against this tax notice and penalty proceedings, this engineer at first filed an appeal in the Dispute Resolution Panel (DRP) of the tax department. He explained that since the time he was working in Dubai, he had been sending remittance money back to his family in India. He also explained that this Rs 30 lakh in FDs were simply old FDs that had matured and were also explained that the funds for the property investment came entirely from his salary in Dubai, meaning the income had never accrued or arisen in India. The DRP accepted the explanation for the FD money but rejected the property investment explanation so he filed an appeal in ITAT Mumbai ITAT Mumbai heard the arguments presented by both the tax department and the engineer's lawyers, and ruled in the engineer's favour because of two technical reasons. Among the two reasons, the first reason was the time when this engineer used his Dubai money to buy this Kerala property, he was a non-resident Indian (NRI). Secondly the benefit of Section 292BB under Income Tax Act, 1961 was not applied to this engineer's find out more about the technical reasons beind ITAT Mumbai's decision not to enforce Section 292BB to this case, which led to the engineer's win and the cancellation of the entire tax notice, keep reading. This article also outlines the four grounds of appeal that were accepted by ITAT Mumbai, contributing to the taxpayer's to the order of ITAT Mumbai dated June 27, 2025, here's the details:The engineer filed an appeal in DRP against this best judgement to the order of the ITAT Mumbai, here's what the engineer taxpayer's lawyers said:(no part of the explanation has been changed or altered, everything is as per what the judgement said)DRP accepted his arguments partially and said that he has successfully explained the source of funds for the Rs 30 lakh said this about the Kerala property investment: 'As regards, the investment in property, the applicant assessee has not been able to explain the sources of investment to the extent of Rs 36,12,173 with proper documentary evidence.'He filed an appeal in Mumbai ITAT against the order of the taxpayer's lawyer raised four grounds of appeal and ground 1 and 2 were accepted by ITAT Mumbai. Since ground 1 and 2 were accepted, ground 3 and 4 were deemed insignificant and four grounds of appeal as presented by the taxpayer's lawyers are as follows:ITAT Mumbai deleted the entire income addition under Section 69 unexplained investment provisions and decided not to apply Section 292BB benefits in this tax notice was issued by the tax AO of Mumbai zone while the engineer was an NRI and hence the international taxation department AO should have issued the notice. If Section 292BB benefits were applied in this case, then this technical issue of AO's jurisdiction would not have been an Mumbai said: ' In view of the decision on ground Nos.1 & 2 in favour of the Assessee wherein the notice issued under Section 148 were held to be issued without any jurisdiction, the decision on ground Nos.3 & 4 pails into insignificance and has been rendered academic and therefore needs no adjudication The appeal of the Assessee is disposed of in favour of the Assessee in above manner. Order pronounced in the open court on 27.06.2025.'ET Wealth Online asked various experts about the key legal takeaways from this judgement. Here's what they said:"The assessee secured relief purely on technical grounds, the ITAT rightly held that the notice under Section 148 was void ab initio, having been issued by an officer without jurisdiction over an NRI. This procedural defect alone rendered the assessment proceedings invalid. That said, even on merits, the taxpayer's position was defensible. The source of funds used to purchase the property i.e. matured fixed deposits—was well-documented; hence, the allegation of unexplained investment was inherently weak."'A jurisdictional defect, whether related to territorial boundaries or the subject matter of a case, undermines the very foundation of legal authority to proceed. Such a flaw is incurable and cannot be rectified. The established legal principles affirm that jurisdiction cannot be conferred by default. Consequently, any notice issued without proper jurisdiction is considered legally void, and this invalidity remains unaffected even by provisions such as Section 292BB. Nonetheless, it remains essential that jurisdictional objections are raised within the prescribed timeframe.''In the current case, the assessee has won on technical grounds i.e. the issuance of the reassessment notices are invalid as the same has been issued by wrong jurisdiction of the tax officer (i.e. notice was issued by domestic tax officer instead of international tax officer).''The tax assessing officer (AO), in his reassessment order, had alleged that the taxpayer has not been able to explain the sources of investment in immovable property with proper documentary evidence.'The ITAT order seems to suggest that the taxpayer had made efforts to submit some documentary evidence, which eventually was not accepted by the tax officer. Since the ITAT decided the matter in favour of the taxpayer on technical grounds, the ITAT has not commented on the merits of the case (i.e. the quality of the documentary evidence).''Where the matter would have been discussed on merits (i.e. in a situation where the notice would have been issued by an International Tax officer), the taxpayer would have had an opportunity to support his claim with respect to documentary evidence as well as he could have argued on the ground that the reassessment notice was issued beyond the prescribed time limits.''This case gives a lesson that whenever an NRI taxpayer receives a notice from the tax officer, apart from adhering to the notice and providing relevant information, the taxpayer should also make efforts to check the veracity of the notice to determine whether the said notice is correct in all respects, as the same could have an overall impact on the validity of the tax proceedings initiated by the tax officer.'The non-resident has succeeded in getting a big relief, but only after years of fighting. Timely replying to the Department's notices, submitting of evidence on sources for contentious investments, such as bank statements, a flawlessly computed income statement, tax paid challan, agreement for purchase of the property, assessing officer's lack of jurisdiction and a Bombay High Court's precedent and all saved the resident taxpayers, non-resident taxpayers are also subject to reassessments. Whenever the tax department feels that there was an income that escaped assessment, it can reopen closed tax returns for reassessments. For instance, a tax return of the assessment year 2024-25 can be reopened and issue reassessment notice up to March 31, 2028, if escaped income is less than Rs. 50 lakh, i.e. within three years and up to March 31, 2030, if escaped income is more than Rs. 50 lakh, i.e. five years from the end of the relevant assessment year (the Union Budget 2024-25 reduced it from ten years to five years).Thus, either non-resident or resident taxpayers should be more cautious, especially regarding tax implications while making the investment calls, accurately filing the return of income within the due date, and keeping all the relevant documentary evidence for a longer period and be prepared to respond timely as and when the Department seek clarifications or to contend the reopening exercise.
