Additional Deduction of Interest upto Rs.1 Lakh on Home Loan for First Home Buyer.

   The Finance Bill 2013-14 proposes additional tax benefit to the first – home buyer who takes a loan for an amount not exceeding Rs.25 lakh. Presenting the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha today, the Finance Minister Shri P.Chidambaram proposed that a person taking a loan for his first home from a bank or a housing finance corporation upto Rs.25 lakh during the period 1.4.2013 to 31.3.2014 will be entitled to an additional deduction of interest of Rs.1 lakh.

   The Finance Minister hoped that this will promote home-ownership and give a filip to a number of industries like steel, cement, brick, wood, glass etc besides jobs to thousands of construction workers.

   This deduction will be over and above the deduction of Rs.1.50 lakh allowed for self-occupied properties under Section 24 of the Income Tax Act. If the limit is not exhausted, the balance may be claimed in AY 2015-16.

Regarding tests / investigations at private hospitals / diagnostic laboratories / imaging centres empanelled under CGHS.

S-11045/40/2012/CGHS/HEC/CGHS (P)
Government of India
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
Department of Health & Family Welfare

Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi
Dated the 22nd February, 2013

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Regarding tests / investigations at private hospitals / diagnostic laboratories / imaging centres empanelled under CGHS

   The undersigned is directed to refer to the Office Memorandum of even no. dated 1st January, 2013 on the above subject wherein it has been provided under Para 3 that the serving government employees / CGHS beneficiaries shall submit medical prescription in original while claiming reimbursement of expenses incurred on diagnostic tests and investigations, from their office. Keeping in view the inconvenience and difficulties faced by the serving employees / CGHS beneficiaries in submission of prescription in original, it has been decided to relax the above condition and to allow a self attested photocopy of the medical prescription to claim reimbursement of medical expenses incurred on getting diagnostic tests / investigations carried out from a CGHS empanelled hospital / diagnostic laboratory / imaging centre on a valid prescription issued by a CGHS Medical Officer / Govt. Specialist, without a permission letter issued from the Department concerned.

   2. The Serving beneficiaries will not require any permission from their Department for getting the diagnostic tests / investigations carried out in a CGHS empanelled private hospital /diagnostic laboratory / imaging centre in respect of investigations for which CGHS rates are available. They will get the prescribed tests done on payment basis and claim reimbursement from their Office. However, the serving employees of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are eligible for credit facility from the CGHS empanelled private hospitals / diagnostic laboratories and imaging centres in terms of this Ministry’s OM No. Rec. 1-2008/Gr./CGHS/Delhi/CGHS (P) dated 10.06.2008.

   3. The medical prescription issued by a CGHS Medical Officer / Government Specialist prescribing diagnostic tests / investigations shall be treated as valid for a single use within a period of two weeks from the date of prescription. However the medical prescription shall remain valid beyond two weeks for undertaking diagnostic tests / investigations if specifically prescribed by the CGHS doctor / Government Specialist about the date or period by which the prescribed tests are to be conducted for a routine check up or follow up treatment. The medical prescription would require revalidation or issue of a fresh prescription from the prescribing CGHS doctor/Government Specialist for getting the prescribed tests done after expiry of the validity period of two weeks or as prescribed by the CGHS doctor / Govt. Specialist, as the case may be.

sd/-
[V.P.Singh]
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India

Source:http://msotransparent.nic.in/writereaddata/cghsdata/mainlinkfile/File578.pdf

Highlights of Railway Budget 2013-14

 

·        67 new Express trains to be introduced

·        26 new passenger services, 8 DEMU services and 5 MEMU services to be introduced

·        Run of 57 trains to be extended

·        Frequency of 24 trains to be increased

·        First AC EMU rake to be introduced  on Mumbai suburban network in 2013-14

·        72 additional services to be introduced in Mumbai and 18 in Kolkata

·        Rake length increased from 9 cars to 12 cars for 80 services in Kolkata and 30 services in Chennai

·        500 km new lines, 750 km doubling, 450 km gauge conversion targeted in 2013-14
 
·        First ever rail link to connect Arunachal Pradesh

·        Some Railway related activities to come under MGNREGA

·        For the first time 347 ongoing projects identified as priority projects with the committed funding

 
·        Highest ever plan outlay of Rs. 63,363 crore

·        Loan of Rs. 3000 crore repaid fully.

·         A new fund-Debt Service Fund set up to meet committed liabilities.

·        Freight loading of 1047 MT, 40 MT more than 2012-13

·        Passenger growth 5.2% in 2013-14

·        Gross Traffic Receipts – Rs. 1,43,742 crore i.e. an increase of 18,062 crore over RE, 2012-13

·        Dividend payment estimated at Rs. 6,249 crore

·        Operating Ratio to be 87.8% in 2013-14
 
·        Supplementary charges for super fast trains, reservation fee, clerkage charge, cancellation charge and tatkal charge marginally increased

·        Fuel Adjustment Component linked revision for freight tariff to be implemented from 1st April 2013

·        Enhanced reservation fee abolished

·        Elimination of 10797 Level Crossings (LC) during the 12th Plan and no addition of new LCs henceforth

·        Introduction of 160/200 kmph Self Propelled Accident Relief Trains

·        ‘Aadhar’ to be used for various passenger and staff related services

·        Internet ticketing from 0030 hours to 2330 hours

·        E-ticketing through mobile phones

·        Project of SMS alerts to passengers providing updates on reservation status

·        Next –Gen e-ticketing system to be rolled out : capable of handling 7200 tickets per minute against 2000 now,  1.20 lakh users simultaneously against 40,000 now

·        Introduction of executive lounge at 7 more stations: Bilaspur, Visakhapatnam, Patna, Nagpur, Agra, Jaipur and Bengaluru

·        Introduction of ‘Azadi Express’ to connect places associated with freedom movement

·        Four companies of women RPF personnel set up and another 8 to be set up to strengthen the security of rain passengers, especially women passengers

·        10% RPF vacancies being reserved for women

·        1.52 lakh vacancies being filled up this year out of which 47000 vacancies have been earmarked for weaker sections and physically challenged

·        Railways to impart skills to the youth in railway related trades in 25 locations

·        Provision of portable fire extinguishers in Guard-cum-Brake Vans, AC Coaches and Pantry Cars in all trains

·        Pilot project on select trains to facilitate passengers to contact on board staff through SMS/phone call/e-mail for coach cleanliness and real time feedback

·        Provision of announcement facility and electronic display boards in trains

·        Providing free Wi-Fi facilities on several trains

·        Upgrading 60 stations as Adarsh Stations in addition to 980 already selected

·        Introduction of an ‘Anubhuti’ coach in select trains to provide excellent ambience and latest facilities and services

·        179 escalators and 400 lifts at A-1 and other major stations to be installed facilitating elderly and differently-abled

·         Affixing Braille stickers with layout of coaches including toilets, provision of wheel chairs and battery operated vehicles at more stations and making coaches wheel-chair friendly

·        Centralized Catering Services Monitoring Cell set up with a toll free number (1800 111 321)

·        Complimentary card passes to recipients of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna & Dhyan Chand Awards to be valid for travel by 1st Class/2nd AC

·        Complimentary card passes to Olympic Medalists and Dronacharya Awardees for travel in Rajdhani/Shatabadi Trains

·        Travel by Duronoto Trains permitted on all card passes issued to sportspersons having facility of travel by Rajdhani/Shatabadi Trains

·        Facility of complimentary card passes valid in 1st class/2nd AC extended to parents of posthumous unmarried awardees of Mahavir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra, President’s Police Medal for Gallantry and policy medal for Gallantry

·         Policy Gallantry awardees to be granted one complimentary pass every year for travel along with one companion in 2nd AC in Rajdhani/Shatabadi Trains

·        Passes for freedom fighters to be renewed once in three years instead of every year.

·        Setting up of six more Rail Neer bottling plants at Vijayawada, Nagpur, Lalitpur, Bilaspur, Jaipur and Ahmedabad

·        Setting up of a multi-disciplinary training institute at Nagpur for training in rail related electronics technologies

·        Setting up of a centralized training institute at Secunderabad--Indian Railways Institute of Financial Management

·        Five fellowships in national universities to be instituted to motivate students to study and undertake research on Railway related issues at M.Phil and Ph.D. levels

·        Fund allocation for staff quarters enhanced to Rs. 300 crore

·        Provision of hostel facilities for single women railway employees at all divisional headquarters

·        Provision of water closets and air conditioners in the locomotive cabs to avoid stress being faced by loco pilots