Centre approves ₹72.42 crore for Ameenabad harbour in A.P.

Image used for representational purposes only | 83% economic growth rate in real terms for 2025-26, has, however, registered only a modest growth rate with respect to the State’s Own Tax Revenue (SOTR). Based on unaudited provisional figures put out by the office of the Principal Accountant General (Accounts and Entitlements), Tamil Nadu, the growth rate worked out for SOTR in 2025-26 vis-à-vis 2024-25 was 6.8%. In absolute terms, the revenue went up to about ₹1.92 lakh crore from ₹1.80 lakh crore.As for SOTR, there are two broad components – the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) and Taxes on Sales & Trade. In respect of the SGST, the collections increased to ₹72,008.47 crore for 2025-26 from ₹70,886.77 crore for 2024-25, marking a rise of only 1.6%. For the previous year, the State government scaled down the collections of SGST to about ₹79,449 crore from ₹93,620 crore, following the rationalisation of GST rates. In fact, in February, then Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, in his interim Budget speech, observed that the GST rate rationalisation was approved by the GST Council without considering the apprehensions and opposition recorded by several States. He had anticipated a revenue shortfall of around ₹9,600 crore for 2025-26. As for the total revenue receipts, the figure rose to ₹2.91 lakh crore from ₹2.83 lakh crore, showing a rise of about 3%. During 2024-25 too, the rate of increase in SOTR did not reflect the economic growth rate. The State had recorded a double-digit economic growth of 11.19% but the growth rate of SOTR was only 7.74%. Ordinarily, higher economic growth rate paves the way for tax buoyancy. However, a veteran policymaker points out that there may not be much reflection on tax collections when economic growth is driven by exports or not broad-based. GST rationalisationBut in the case of Tamil Nadu, two reasons are attributed – rate rationalisation of the Goods and Services Tax which came into effect in September last year and the below-par compliance of the GST among traders. As for the first reason, an economist says that initially, States such as Tamil Nadu suffer erosion in tax revenue collections but, once consumption picks up, they will benefit.As for the second, the compliance aspect was not given much importance because the State was keen on getting compensation. Due to a combination of factors, it was well known by 2022 – five years after the launch of the GST – that over 3.25 lakh, representing around 30% of the registered dealers, had not paid a single rupee towards the tax. Besides, about 1.94 lakh dealers had paid less than ₹1,000 in 2021-22 [as of February 28 this year, the strength of normal taxpayers was 11.4 lakh]. In the last four years, the authorities have not declared that the problem of poor tax compliance has been resolved once and for all, even though there have been reports of improved taxpayer compliance. Unless loopholes in this regard are plugged, there will not be much improvement in tax collection, the policymaker says. He also points to instances of “willful” hikes in assessment rates that were later rectified. Tackling this issue should be a top priority for the present government, he adds. Published - June 06, 2026 11:57 am IST

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bengaluru Zonal Office, has arrested Karuturi Venkateshwara Rao, managing director of Deepak Cables (India) Limited, in connection with an alleged ₹899.35 crore bank fraud involving a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI).Following his arrest on June 2 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, a special court in Bengaluru remanded him to 10 days of ED custody.The ED alleged that Mr. Rao generated proceeds of crime and subsequently layered and integrated the funds through multiple bank accounts linked to entities operated and controlled by him.The money laundering probe stems from a CBI case registered against Deepak Cables India Ltd., Rao and others for allegedly cheating a consortium of banks to the tune of ₹899.35 crore. According to the agency, the company obtained substantial credit facilities from banks and diverted the funds while submitting falsified financial statements and manipulating its books of accounts to secure and continue availing loans.The ED claimed that the investigation revealed that the accused allegedly used a network of entities to create fictitious sales and purchases, engage in circular trading and issue fake corporate guarantees. These transactions were allegedly used to inflate turnover, enhance drawing power from banks, evergreen existing loans and divert funds through related companies and personal accounts to conceal their origin.Investigators also found that large amounts of loan funds were transferred to entities allegedly controlled by Rao without any legitimate business rationale. The diverted funds were allegedly routed through various channels in an attempt to disguise their illicit nature.Earlier searches conducted in the case resulted in the seizure of gold jewellery and cash worth ₹1.27 crore, while bank accounts holding balances of about ₹18 crore were frozen. Published - June 04, 2026 07:57 pm IST

South Central Railway consists of Secunderabad, Nanded and Hyderabad divisions. | However, the SCR will continue to play a significant role for a few more months until the division of assets and functions is fully completed.Senior officials familiar with the transition said that while train operations were clearly demarcated from midnight on May 31 with the launch of the new zone, several administrative and operational aspects such as budget allocation, ongoing project execution, tender management, etc., will be resolved gradually.“It is the divisions within a zone that carry out most operational work. Except for a few sections that have been reassigned between the SCR and the SCoR, there is clarity in responsibilities like the - Kondapalli-Motumari section has been moved from Secunderabad to Vijayawada division, while the Raichur-Wadi section has shifted from Guntakal to Secunderabad division - department heads from both zones are coordinating closely to ensure seamless functioning,” they explained.Network length of SCR after reorganisationDivisionLength in kmsSecunderabad1,835Hyderabad782Nanded986Total3,603Operating controllers of both the SCR and the SCoR have already assumed charge of their respective divisions and established direct communication channels with station masters for smooth coordination from June 1. “The SCoR is now fully responsible for all railway activities within its divisions. Some overlapping matters such as crew management, ongoing works, and previously finalised tenders will be addressed in the coming days,” said senior officials.In certain areas, interim arrangements have been worked out. For instance, the sharing of ballast material from the Raichur depot, now under the Secunderabad division, is being managed through mutual agreements between departments.Network length of SCoRDivisionLengthVijayawada1,117Guntakal1,344Guntur630Visakhapatnam410Total3,501The SCR has been allocated a record ₹13,026 crore for infrastructure development in the 2026-27 Union Budget, including ₹5,454 crore for Telangana and ₹10,134 crore for Andhra Pradesh. Planned works include line doubling, tripling, and quadrupling, alongside new lines, electrification, yard modernisation, and station upgrades. The plan covers around 284 projects exceeding ₹50 crore each, along with approximately 2,700 smaller works and nearly 150 surveys to be completed during the financial year.SCR employees strengthThe SCR headquarters in Secunderabad now has 152 officers, down from 234, with around 80 posts shifted to the SCoR. The number of non-gazetted staff has also decreased from 2,900 to 1,941 after nearly 1,000 employees were transferred. A few internal adjustments have been carried like Peddapalli-Nizamabad section moved to the Hyderabad division, Latur Road-Parli Vaijnath and Mudkhed-Karkheli sections have been reassigned to the Nanded division.SCR and SCoR network lengthThe SCR’s network length now stands at 3,603 km down from 6,645 km earlier - comprising Secunderabad (1,835 km), Hyderabad (782 km), and Nanded (986 km) divisions. In contrast, the SCoR spans 3,501 km across Vijayawada, Guntur, Guntakal, and Visakhapatnam divisions. With the SCoR infrastructure such as office buildings and staff accommodation still under construction, the SCR will continue to provide support and handholding during the transition, said Chief Public Relations Officer A. Sridhar. Published - June 02, 2026 06:53 pm IST

Image used for representational purpose only. | 64 crore.The Gujarat ACB arrested A.B. Chaudhary, a Class-I officer serving as Chief Electrical Inspector at Udyog Bhavan in Gandhinagar, in a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act for alleged possession of disproportionate assets, officials said on Monday (June 1, 2026).According to officials, inputs indicated that Mr. Chaudhary was allegedly issuing no-objection certificates (NOCs) for solar projects without conducting mandatory site inspections, in exchange for bribes from applicants and businessmen. He was also suspected of collecting illicit payments while returning home in his official vehicle after office hours.Based on specific intelligence, ACB teams intercepted his government vehicle on Saturday evening. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of ₹5.51 lakh in cash and gift vouchers, which he reportedly failed to account for satisfactorily, officials said.Follow-up searches at his residences in Gandhinagar and Surat resulted in the seizure of assets worth ₹2.64 crore, including ₹1.76 crore in cash and gold and silver items valued at around ₹88.82 lakh.Officials said the recovery suggests assets disproportionate to his known income sources, and a deeper investigation has been initiated into his financial transactions and the solar project approval process. Published - June 02, 2026 05:33 pm IST

Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel's son Chaitanya Baghel. File | “The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Raipur Zonal Office, issued three Provisional Attachment Orders (PAOs) on 28.05.2026 under the PMLA, 2002, provisionally attaching the properties,” the ED said.The attached properties include a hotel in Goa for which ₹110 crore was paid in unaccounted cash sourced from the liquor scam and physically transported at the instance of Chaitanya Baghel, son of senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the agency claimed. Mr. Chaitanya Baghel is one of the accused in the case and is currently out on bail.“The second PAO, attaches Hotel Westinn Goa [Village Anjuna, North Goa], a premium hotel property standing in the name of M/s Pacifica Hotels India Private Limited, whose directors include Rahul Agrawal and Vijay Kumar Agrawal [both accused in the liquor scam]. The hotel was acquired entirely out of Proceeds of Crime for a total consideration of approximately ₹110 crore,” the ED stated.The agency is probing the money laundering angle in the scam that surfaced in the State between 2019 and 2023 when Mr. Bhupesh Baghel was the Chief Minister. So far 85 accused have been named in the case, including Mr. Chaitanya Baghel.Of the two other PAOs, one was issued for assets worth ₹30 crore and includes immovable properties — multiple plots and land parcels — linked to co-accused Vikas Agrawal and Anwar Dhebar.Financial manager“Vikas Agrawal functioned as the ground-level financial manager of the syndicate, collecting commissions from distilleries and FL-10A licensees and routing funds directly to Anwar Dhebar. Properties standing in the names of Shri Vikas Agrawal’s family members are attached as value equivalent to his Proceeds of Crime. Further, benami properties of Anwar Dhebar — comprising multiple plots in Dhebar City Homes, Raipur [held through M/s A. Dhebar Buildcon, a firm under his beneficial control] and five land parcels in Raipur [held through shell entities M/s Shining Star Buildcon, M/s Moonlight Real Estate, M/s Swarn Infrabuild, and M/s Jai Gurudev Infrastructure] — are also attached as direct Proceeds of Crime laundered through the liquor scam. The total attachment under this PAO is approximately ₹30 Crore,” the ED further stated.An ED official said that the third PAO attaches bank accounts, shares, and mutual funds of the three FL-10A licensee companies and aggregate to ₹51 crore. These three companies — M/s Om Sai Beverages Pvt. Ltd., M/s Dishita Ventures Pvt. Ltd., and M/s Nexgen Power Engitech Pvt. Ltd. — were compelled to remit 50–60% of their profits to the syndicate, the official added.The ED’s statement also revealed that it has also filed its Sixth Supplementary Prosecution Complaint (chargesheet) before the Special Court (PMLA), Raipur, arraigning four more accused: Vijay Bhatia (businessman with close links to the syndicate who had a 52.5% benami stake in M/s Om Sai Beverages transferred to him under coercion), T. Bhuneshwar Rao, Probir Sharma (who physically transported crores of rupees in cash on behalf of the syndicate), and Nikhil Chandrakar. Published - June 01, 2026 10:53 pm IST

In one of Gujarat’s largest maritime anti-narcotics operations in recent years, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), in coordination with the Indian Coast Guard, seized approximately 115 kg of cocaine valued at nearly ₹1,150 crore from a cargo vessel anchored off Mundra port and detained three foreign nationals allegedly linked to an international drug trafficking syndicate.Officials said the operation was launched following intelligence inputs indicating that a large cocaine consignment originating in Brazil was being moved through an international maritime route before reaching Indian waters.According to Director General of Police KLN Rao, the cargo vessel Europe was intercepted during the early hours of May 26 near the outer anchorage off Mundra in Kutch district after ATS teams moved in coordination with the Coast Guard.During searches onboard, security agencies recovered five bags floating in the sea after crew members allegedly attempted to dispose of the consignment upon spotting enforcement teams. One additional bag could not be recovered. Preliminary examination confirmed the seized substance to be cocaine.Investigators recovered nearly 115 packets weighing around 115 kg in total. Authorities estimate the value of the seized narcotics at about ₹1,150 crore in the international market.Officials said the seizure also yielded electronic tracking and communication equipment, including GPS devices, satellite communication tools and Apple AirTags concealed with the consignment, indicating the shipment may have been remotely monitored during transit.According to investigators, the narcotics had travelled across multiple international transit points, including Latin America, Mexico, the United States and Karachi, before reaching the Gujarat coast.A Tanzanian national identified as Juma Nasir Omar was detained from the vessel, while two alleged receivers — identified as Nigerian national Kelvin Chukwuama and Ugandan national Bairunge James — were traced and apprehended from Delhi’s Dwarka area with assistance from Delhi Police.Authorities said another Tanzanian national allegedly involved in concealing and transporting the cargo escaped by jumping into the sea during the operation. Search efforts involving Coast Guard teams remain underway.Preliminary interrogation suggested that the cocaine had been loaded in Brazil in November 2025 and hidden inside the vessel’s motor room without the knowledge of other crew members. Investigators believe the consignment was intended to be transferred at sea before reaching its next handlers.Officials said further investigation will determine the intended final destination of the narcotics and whether the shipment was meant for domestic circulation or onward international movement.The seized narcotics and electronic equipment have been taken into custody, and a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered.The operation involved personnel from Gujarat ATS, Indian Coast Guard, Special Operations Group (SOG), Coastal Police, Marine Police and Mundra Port authorities.Officials described the seizure as a major breakthrough against organised maritime narcotics trafficking and noted that this was the 15th joint anti-drug operation carried out by the Coast Guard and Gujarat ATS over the last five years. Published - May 28, 2026 10:53 am IST