Ex-councillor gives salary to workers

At a time when politicians mostly hit the headlines for their involvement in corruption, here comes a story with a difference. Sushil Raju Thaper, former Congress councillor from ward number 29, distributed his 10-month salary among 150 safai workers of his ward here on Sunday.

A councillor in the previous term, Thaper had got a monthly salary of Rs 12,000 till September 6 this year. He has been distributing it for the past 11 years after keeping Re 1 per month. "Though I am not a councillor now, this custom will continue even in the coming years as well," he said.

His custom has been to withdraw salary out of his bank account only near Diwali and after keeping Rs 12 for 12 months, distribute the rest among the class four workers in his ward.

On Saturday, he distributed blankets and sweets to the sweepers.

Rs 5-cr notice on Ramdev trusts for 'tax evasion'

New Delhi: The government has slapped a notice of Rs 5 crore demand on trusts run by Ramdev in connection with alleged service tax evasion while organising their yoga camps.

Claiming shivirs (camps) undertaken by Patanjali Yoga Peeth and Divya Yoga Trust in Haridwar were commercial activity, the revenue department has raised a demand of Rs 5.14 crore on fees collected from individuals, officials said. The figure was for the period between 2007-08 and 2011-12.

Ramdev's spokesperson S K Tijarawala said the trusts and its activities like conducting yoga shivirs are exempted from service tax net as they are doing charitable activities for medical relief.

"The trusts were taking donations from participants of yoga shivirs. They were also conducting a residential yoga camps through Swami Shankardev Vanprastha Asharam scheme," a Finance Ministry official said.

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