OFF THE RECORD review on some of the headlines….

OFF THE RECORD review on some of the headlines….

Wishing you a very Happy Gudi Padwa and A Very Happy New Year..

1. Ajoy Mehta slated to become the new CS.

I’m sure BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta is having a smile on his face whilst reading this….Now if sources are to be believed (most of my predictions never go wrong) Ajoy Mehta will become the new Chief Secretary after the Lok Sabha elections conclude and the current CS UPS Madan will move to the MPSC. Not many, but few transfers of officers who have completed 4 years at one position will happen but that too it depends only on CM Devendra Fadnavis. Most of his insiders and he himself had confided into me once, I wouldn’t like to disturb the bureaucracy as we have limited time on hand and moving top guns here and there will disturb the machinery. By the way, blame it on my laziness, I knew about Ashwini Joshi being considered for a plum assignment at the BMC, but surely not in place of efficient Idris Kundan. First Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee and now Idris Kundan…Ajoy Mehta’s efficient team of the BMC is taken down by someone with wrong intentions. People might argue that they have completed their 3 years, but hello…Ajoy Mehta is one heck of a bureaucrat who stands by his team come what may…But suddenly the team getting disturbed is not a good sign, and getting Pravin Darade and Ashwini Joshi below him…hmmm…..everyone knows everything here readers…That was a surprise in real sense. By the way how’s the high profile Sonia Sethi doing at the MMRDA….Had heard her husband Sanjay wanted her at the BMC…Anyways, time for making my sources alive in the MMRDA! 

2. MIDC wins the case against Income Tax Department against demand of Rs. 9000 crore.

Income Tax Department had slapped a demand notice of exactly Rs. 9300 crores on the MIDC department assessment years being from 2007-08 to 2015-16. Good news is, MIDC has won the battle at the appellate stage. The demand was in relation to the various ‘transactions’ done by the MIDC in lieu of land selling and buying and not disclosing their income. The IT department had attached their account too. But the credit to fight against this has to be accredited to the legal team and the CEO beginning from Bhushan Gagrani, Sanjay Sethi and now ultimately  Dr. Anbalgan in whose tenure as the CEO, MIDC has won the case. The contention was simple. The MIDC is an agent to the government and the business of all these years is not to be treated as an income to the MIDC. The grounds of appeal were made that MIDC was not given the benefit u/s 11 of the IT act, lease premium collected for and on behalf of the GOM has to be treated as deposits and is disclosed as premium payable to the GOM. Credit was not allowed for TDS as claimed by the MIDC, then as per the act also the carried forward deficit was not being allowed, including the depreciation too..These contentions were enough to waive off Rs. 9300 crore demand notice. What other agencies such as Mhada, SRA, BMC or the MMRDA do, is that whatever the demand has been raised, rather than fighting the system and understanding the nitigrities, they get pushed by the IT department and pay 20% of the penalty and let the case linger on…Last heard, SRA is also facing the IT heat. Time for everyone to visit Mrs. Smita Chawre -GM(Law & DCM) of the MIDC and Dr. P Anbalgan for some advice…

3. NaMO TV

Yesterday at my Bandra coffee shop met the famous music director duo Vishal-Shekhar. They are regulars there and my fans…yes, you read it correct. They love what I write….Since Vishal is an active AAP supporter and me being a Journalist, the conversation lasted for good 2 hours on Politics. Out of all, he asked me which DTH operator services do I use? I retorted, Tata Sky. He immediately asked me if I had seen the latest sensation– NaMo TV? “No” was my answer..  I rushed home only to see my kids enjoying their TV time…But had to switch on the channel and guess what? I was floored by the sly way this channel was being aired. I hope the satellite rights the distribution cost to run an “advertorial” channel is being followed. Just giving a heads-up BJP guys…Anyways, Election Commission –aap to rehene hi dijiye….But please, now PM Modi is our leader and he is entertainment with result oriented guts. Now I can’t digest if my regular channels are replaced by Athavale TV, RaGA TV, Raj Thackrey TV or even a Sharad Pawar TV…Gosh …these BJP guys have all their verticals covered in advertising, don’t you feel that?

Vikrant Hemant Joshi