UP's Double Punch: Yogi Govt Cracks Down on Gutkha Machines & Boosts Village Vet Services!
In a decisive move, the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has approved an ordinance amendment for the registration of gutkha and pan masala manufacturing machines under the state's GST framework. The ordinance is aimed at curbing GST evasion among manufacturers of sensitive products like tobacco and gutkha by mandating machine registration. The state Cabinet, on Monday, passed a new regulation that grants the tax department the right to collect a penalty of ₹1 lakh per unregistered machine. Furthermore, the sealing of unregistered machines shall continue till the time their respective fines are paid along with getting them registered formally.
The amendment is the Uttar Pradesh Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Ordinance 2024. Within this amendment, a new section has been introduced as Section 122(c). It has defined penalties for companies which violate this directive. It's in line with the central government, which is making all the states introduce the machine registration so that proper taxation can be done according to the production volumes. Once a company pays for the penalty and registers itself, its machines will be opened in three days.
Rural UP to Get Veterinery Services Boost
In addition, the Yogi government has made an important beginning at the diploma and certificate level in animal husbandry and paraveterinary training. Sensing the requirement of vets UP lacks up till date: The count stands as low as 8,193 while the nationwide count stands about 34,500 up to date—the Cabinet approved the policy in question.
A few paraveterinary workers, popularly known as paravets, have been given basic training by the new policy in issues of vaccination, first-aid, wound care and other critical veterinary services to be provided. The major reason for the need to paravets is to fill the skill gap required in rural areas, particularly because of the lack of professionally qualified veterinarians. Minister of Animal Husbandry to the state, Dharampal Singh, opines that such training programs for filling the skill gap lead to better veterinary care facilities in rural areas.
The state has entered into alliance with important veterinary institutions under the new policy.
In this connection, the state has constituted a four-member expert committee to frame standards for private institutions that are willing to undertake such diploma and certificate courses. Key institutions such as Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Veterinary University and Gaushala Research Institute, Mathura, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, will prepare standards for the affiliated private institutions.
The Yogi government expects better compliance in the manufacturing sector through stricter regulation on the registration of GST in gutkha machines and increased veterinary training programs for proper health care of livestock at the village level.