National News
TN CM, FM blame Centre for fuel price hike

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Thursday blamed the BJP-led central government for hiking the petrol and diesel prices.
Speaking in the state Assembly, Stalin said as the excise duty has to be shared with the state, the Central government reduced that while hiking the cesses and surcharges which are not shared with the states.
The two Ministers were responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call on Wednesday to states to reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel “in the spirit of cooperative federalism”.
Modi on Wednesday lit the fuse citing the Central government reducing petrol and diesel prices by Rs 5/litre and Rs 10/litre, respectively, while many states have not followed suit.
Stalin said hiking the cesses and surcharges the Central government increased the burden on the common man while earning for itself lakhs of crore of rupees.
As per the figures of Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), the total contribution of the petroleum sector to the central exchequer galloped from Rs 172,065 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 419,884 crore in 2020-21 and for the nine month period in FY22, it was Rs 310,155 crore.
On the other hand, the state’s revenue went up from Rs 160,554 crore in FY15 to Rs 217,650 crore in FY21 and Rs 207,658 crore for the nine month period in FY22.
“While both, the Central and the state governments, say that they get the revenue for investments in infrastructure, the PPAC figures show that the Central government has further leeway to reduce the rates,” an industry official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.
According to Stalin, owing to some state elections, the central government reduced the oil prices and after winning the polls, the prices were hiked fast.
Meanwhile Rajan urged the Centre to remove cesses and surcharges on petrol and diesel revert to the 2014 rates, an act which is fair and simple.
“We have repeatedly urged the Union government to reduce the cesses and surcharges being levied and merge them with the basic tax rates so that states get their rightful share from the proceeds of the Union taxes,” Rajan said.
According to Rajan, since Tamil Nadu levies ‘ad valorem’ taxes which are applied after Central taxes, this move by the Centre will cause an additional loss of about Rs 1,050 crore in annual revenue to the state.
“Given that the Union Government’s taxes continue to be exorbitant, it is neither fair nor feasible for the State Government to further reduce taxes.”
He hoped that the Central government would heed to this reasonable request in the “true spirit of cooperative federalism”.
He said the Centre’s levies on petrol have gone up substantially in the past seven years since Modi took charge for the first time in 2014.
Listing out the basic points and the tax rates on petrol and diesel, Rajan said on August 1, 2014, the basic price was Rs 48.55 per litre for petrol and Rs.47.27 per litre for diesel.
On November 4, 2021, the basic price of petrol was Rs 48.36 per litre while that of diesel was Rs 49.69 per litre.
On August 1, 2014, the Centre’s taxes were Rs 9.48 per litre on petrol and Rs 3.57 per litre on diesel. At that time, the state government taxes were at Rs 15.67 per litre on petrol and Rs 10.25 per litre on diesel.
“Prior to the reduction of taxes on petrol and diesel by Union Government, the levy of tax, including cesses and surcharges by Union Government on petrol was Rs 32.90 per litre and Rs 31.80 per litre on diesel,” he said.
“This has been reduced to Rs 27.90 per litre for petrol and Rs 21.80 per litre for diesel after the cut. So, when compared to 2014 (when basic price was roughly the same), the Union government still levies an additional tax of Rs 18.42 per litre for petrol (an increase of roughly 200 per cent) and Rs 18.23 per litre for diesel (an increase of over 500 per cent) compared to the taxes in effect when it took office in 2014.
“Though the revenue to the Union government has increased manifold, there has not been a matching increase in the revenues to States. This is because the Union government has increased the cess and surcharge on petrol and diesel while reducing the basic excise duty that is shareable with the states.
“In 2020-21, the revenue to the Union government from levies on petrol and diesel was Rs 3,89,622 crore which was 63 per cent higher than the revenue of Rs 2,39,452 crore in 2019-20. On the other hand, the government of Tamil Nadu in 2020-21 received only Rs 837.75 crore as share of the tax devolution from the Union Excise Duties on petrol and diesel as against the Rs 1,163.13 crore received in 2019-20,” the Minister added.
According to Rajan, after the advent of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, the states have lost substantial powers to levy their own taxes and raise revenue.
“Further, the GST compensation regime comes to an end on June 30 and most states including Tamil Nadu have already requested the compensation to be extended considering the strain caused by the pandemic on state finances. However, there is no clarity from the Union government on whether the compensation will continue or not after June 30.”
On bringing petrol and diesel under the GST regime, Rajan had earlier said it can be done provided the Central government scraps the cess and surcharge levied on them.
On the other hand, AIADMK’s late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was a strong advocate for changing the fuel pricing formula.
She had argued that the fuel rates should be determined based on import costs and refining charges and rates of domestic crude oil and the refining charges for the same instead of basing it on trade parity Price.
National News
Delhi CM’s heat action plan: 3000 water ATMs, cooling shelters, ‘Aapda Mitras’

New Delhi, April 21: Activating the disaster management machinery and proposing 3,000 cold water ATMs, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday unveiled Heat Action Plan (2025), promising to collectively offer respite to people in sweltering heat.
Apart from involving 1,800 National and Delhi Disaster Response volunteers or ‘Aapda Mitras’, the plan talks of setting up shaded, cooling shelters, opening 3,000-4,000 large water RO units attached to boundary walls of Delhi government schools and office buildings to dispense cold water round-the-clock for five lakh citizens.
It also proposes setting up 3,000 water ATMs for the public on PWD roads — near bus stops and traffic intersections.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the national capital’s seasons are often associated with civic woes — water shortage in summer, pollution in winter and waterlogging in monsoon — but her government would ensure citizens can enjoy every season without trouble.
Repeating her government’s commitment to offer relief to heat-struck people, CM Gupta said under the Heat Action Plan, 3000 water coolers or ATMs would be installed — 1,000 on public roads, 1000 in government buildings and 1,000 in the rural belt.
“We will also seek help from private entities under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives,” she said.
The Chief Minister said the Delhi government will regularly issue heat alerts through SMS and social media for the public to take precautions.
Besides special heatwave wards in hospitals, Aapda Mitras will also be deputed for anti-heat actions in slums.
“Every life is precious for the nation and the city, and we are committed to saving it,” she said, suggesting measures to help even animals.
Earlier, PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said the Delhi government is going to prove its commitment to public welfare through its actions and not just announcements.
He said the Delhi government has already launched GPS-linked water tankers to meet the summer crisis and initiated the introduction of new heat-resistant, cool roofs for government buildings, and the experiment will be expanded gradually.
National News
Civil servants’ role crucial in achieving Viksit Bharat, says PM Modi on Civil Services Day

New Delhi, April 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed the 17th Civil Services Day programme in the national capital, lauding the relentless efforts of India’s civil servants and underlining their key role in realising the dream of a ‘Viksit Bharat.’
Speaking at Vigyan Bhawan, PM Modi paid rich tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, recalling his iconic 1947 address in which he called civil servants the “steel frame” of India.
“This Civil Services Day is special for several reasons. We are celebrating 75 years of our Constitution and the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. On April 21, 1947, he had described you (civil servants) as the steel frame of India,” he said.
Reflecting on Patel’s vision, the Prime Minister said, “He laid out the ideals of a civil servant — one who serves the nation with honesty, discipline, democratic spirit, and dedication. These lessons of Sardar Patel become even more relevant as we move towards the resolution of Viksit Bharat.”
PM Modi said that achieving the dream of a Viksit Bharat will require every arm of progress to work in synergy.
“Our bureaucracy and policy-making cannot function with outdated methods when the world is evolving so quickly. Our young generation is growing up with rapid technological changes, new gadgets every two to three years. We must match this pace,” he stated.
Highlighting areas where India must grow — from clean energy to sports and space — the Prime Minister stressed, “Everyone is looking towards you (civil servants). You have a big responsibility to help India become the world’s third-largest economy. We must work together to ensure this goal is achieved.”
This year’s theme for Civil Services Day is ‘Holistic Development of India,’ which the Prime Minister explained as “no village left behind, no family left behind.”
He also presented the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration, recognising top-performing officials behind initiatives like PM Vishwakarma, Poshan Tracker, Siksha Setu Axom, and Sugamya Pustakalaya.
“Good governance is not defined by the number of schemes but by the impact it creates on the ground,” he said. Citing examples, he mentioned districts where solar power and improved attendance systems have shown positive results and praised the efforts of public administrators across the country.
He added that in the last decade, India has moved beyond incremental progress to transformative change.
“Today, India’s governance model focuses on next-generation reforms. Through technology and innovation, we’re bridging the gap between government and citizens. These changes are visible not only in urban and rural areas but also in remote corners of the country,” he said.
PM Modi cited Bhagalpur in Bihar, where the registration of pregnant women in Jagdishpur block rose from 25 per cent to over 90 per cent. In Marwah block of Jammu and Kashmir, institutional deliveries increased from 30 per cent to 100 per cent, reflecting improved healthcare access.
Touching upon India’s global leadership, the Prime Minister highlighted the scale of its G20 presidency. “For the first time in G20 history, more than 200 meetings took place across over 60 cities, creating a wide and inclusive footprint. This is the holistic approach of today’s India,” he said, adding, “India is not just participating — India is leading.”
He noted that while many now talk about government efficiency, India is already ahead of other countries by a decade. “We have eliminated delays and are creating new processes. Over 40,000 compliances have been removed to boost ease of doing business,” he said.
The Prime Minister recalled early opposition to reforms, including compliance reduction and decriminalisation of business errors.
He said that the foundation laid over the past decade has greatly strengthened the path towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
“We cannot evaluate our work or performance by comparing it to previous governments…We must set our own benchmarks. We need to measure how far we still are from the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat by 2047’. The time for tallying up what we have achieved so far is over.
“India is now the most populous country in the world. Ensuring saturation of basic facilities should be our top priority,” the Prime Minister added.
“In the last ten years, we built 4 crore (40 million) permanent houses for the poor, but now we have a target of building 3 crore more. We have provided tap water connections to 12 crore homes in 5–6 years. Now, we must ensure every household has access to tap water as soon as possible. In ten years, we have built over 11 crore toilets for the poor. Now, we need to quickly achieve new targets related to waste management,” he mentioned.
He also launched two e-books — Holistic Development of Districts and Select Innovations — and honoured top-performing districts in schemes like Ayushman Bharat Yojana, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, Har Ghar Jal, and PM Awas Yojana.
Awarded districts included Rajkot in Gujarat, Gomti in Tripura, Tinsukia in Assam, Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir, and Koraput in Odisha.
Blocks recognised under the Aspirational Block Programme included Gamharia (Jharkhand), Parappa (Kerala), Narnoor (Telangana), Ganganagar (Tripura), and Rama (Madhya Pradesh).
Crime
Karni Sena national vice president shot dead in Jamshedpur, supporters block highway in protest

Jamshedpur, April 21: Vinay Kumar Singh, the national vice president of Karni Sena and Jharkhand state president, was shot dead in Jamshedpur late Sunday night, triggering widespread outrage among his supporters, police officials said on Monday.
Singh, 46, was a resident of Aastha Space Township in Mango, Jamshedpur.
According to his family, he had left home on Sunday afternoon for work related to land dealings but did not return by evening. A search was launched, and around 11 p.m., his body was found in a bush off a dirt road, approximately 500 meters from NH-33 (Tata-Ranchi Road).
He had bullet wounds to the head and multiple injuries on his body, police said.
Police reached the spot shortly after receiving information. A scooty, a mobile phone, and a pistol were recovered from the scene.
Family members have alleged that the pistol was planted near his hand to mislead investigators, insisting Singh had no criminal background or links to weapons.
Singh also owned a tile shop near the Ulidih police station and was said to be active in land-related business. Sources said he had received threats a few months ago.
News of the murder spread rapidly, prompting Karni Sena members and supporters to block Dimna Chowk and NH-33 in protest. They demanded immediate arrest of those responsible and threatened a larger agitation if swift action was not taken.
Protesters also slammed the police for the delay in dispatching an ambulance to transport Singh’s body.
The blockade was lifted around 1 a.m. in the night after the ambulance arrived and the body was sent for post-mortem.
Police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the murder. DSP Bachan Deo Kujur said all angles are being examined and assured that the perpetrators will be brought to justice soon.
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