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The Hindu : Ownership through private trustsN.C.S. RAGHAVAN ARVIND RAGHAVANA trust can be created and declared on an immovable property of a value of Rs.100 or moreMatters relating to instruments of trust, their execution, registration, stamp duty and registration fee are discussed below, followed by a discussion on tax incidence on private trusts under the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961.A private trust under the provisions of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, can belong to any one of the following categories:A trust can be created orally in respect of movable property or money declared as trust property. Such trusts are termed as “oral trusts.”However, a trust can be created and declared on an immovable property of a value of Rs. 100 or more only through a written instrument of trust, executed and registered under the Indian Registration Act, 1908. Stamp duty and registration fee on such instruments of trust are covered by the provisions of the Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957, read with the Karnataka Stamp Rules, 1958.Trust propertyWhere the author of the trust owning an immovable property (of a value of Rs.100 or more) declares the same as trust property through an instrument duly executed and registered and the author of the trust himself is made the sole trustee, the stamp duty payable on the instrument of trust will be a nominal sum of Rs.500 only (vide Article No.54{ii} in the Schedule to the Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957). However, the registration fee payable on such an instrument will be one per cent on the fair market value of the property (guideline value).This is a substantial concession under the law in respect of stamp duty and it can be made use of by making the author of the trust himself as the sole trustee.In such a case, in respect of day-to-day management of the administration and other affairs of the trust, the sole trustee can appoint administrative executives…More

The Hindu : Have you seen a round modular kitchen? If you think that is unique, consider the other product of Acrysil Limited, ‘Carysil Quartz Kitchen Sink’ made of silica quartz, the second hardest stone after diamond. Kitchen sinks in various sizes, colours and shapes are available in the stone.Costing between Rs. 5,000 and 15, 000, the sinks are produced in 10 colours at the company’s Gujarat plant. “We are one amongst the four companies in the world manufacturing quartz sinks in technical collaboration with Shock & Co., of West Germany,” says Kiran, Marketing Manager, Acrysil Limited.Quartz is a natural stone but as it is available as granules, the production of sinks has to undergo a long procedure. The granules are crushed into a powder form, mixed with acrylic and then cast into the required shapes. The use of acrylic is for making the end-product non-porous and to get the malleability for the right shape. As quartz by nature has a natural sheen, the product itself has a demure glimmer throughout.Advantages“Apart from looks, see the advantages of the natural stone which are endless,” says Kiran. “The product is scratch-proof, it doesn’t react to chemicals or acids, no stain sticks to it, it is non-porous, impact resistant and can withstand heat up to 180 degrees C. If you want to try spilling some turmeric or sauce on it, go on!” says Kiran. The sinks are quite light compared to granite and according to some of the users, they last long and don’t chip too.(Carysil sinks are now at display at The Kitchen Show, Koramangala Indoor Stadium. Contact: 080-65378333.www.carysil.com)…More

The Hindu : The creation of Special Residential Zones (SRZs) has been mooted as a possible solution to meeting the rising demand for affordable mass housing in the country.The concept, mooted by Kumar Gera, Chairman of Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India, envisages the creation of special tax-free zones where only mass housing of a certain kind will be permitted.“A Special Residential Zone is a notified geographical region that is free of domestic taxes, levies and duties (both for the creation, operation and maintenance of the SRZ) with special development rules to promote large-scale affordable housing projects for the country’s masses.”Ceiling“The SRZ will have a prescribed minimum number of dwelling units with a maximum prescribed size, and each SRZ will require adequate social infrastructure, including schools, medical facilities, etc.,” is how he describes it in a recent concept paper.The National Housing and Habitat Policy, 2007, has referred to the need to develop new integrated townships as half of India’s population will be living in urban areas by 2041. The concept of SRZs will have to be promoted to help the country meet the massive upsurge in housing demand, he says.But with the takeover of land for the Special Economic Zones becoming a contentious issue in some parts of the country, will the creation of any kind of a zone involving land acquisition prove viable?No land acquisitionMr. Gera is very clear that the creation of residential zones should not involve land acquisition by the government. “This proposal does not suggest any acquisition effort by the government — all the land should be purchased by the developer at fair market values, without any government intervention in the acquisition process,” he told The Hindu PropertyPlus.“It should just be a transaction between a willing buyer and a willing seller without any compulsion, force, or threat of an acquisition law supported by a State or local authority.”Under no circumstances should there…More

The Hindu : The relevance of greenery is most often presumed to be outside the home. Nowadays, the concept is undergoing a sea change with the scarcity of space becoming the hallmark of our ever-expanding-but-never-accommodative city. Indoor plants were the first invitees into the home environs. Close on their heels were the Bonsai, terrace gardens and rock gardens.Another option of home greenery which has not received much attention pertains to flower arrangement.Flower arrangement is most often associated with boardrooms and five-star hotels simply because those commercially grown bunches of roses and gladioli just refuse to fit in the middle class wallet.An effective alternative is in Ikebana, the Japanese art of recreating flower wealth world in dainty containers.Ikebana is very much different from the conventional western arrangements as it is not based on the massing of flowers and foliage in symmetrical fashion. A freshly picked twig entwined to a straight rod of dried wood can as well make a pleasant Ikebana arrangement that will sure steal hearts and stay in them too.Cardinal principles“Based on the three precepts of minimalism, asymmetry and imitation of nature, Ikebana nevertheless makes it a point to imbibe all the principles of aesthetics such as harmony, balance, rhythm and depth,” says Ohryu Rekha Reddy, the 2nd Master of Ohara Ikebana (Ph: 23608187) from Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. She recently conducted a workshop at the Agri Horticultural Society inside Public Gardens for Ikebana enthusiasts. Ikebana may use all natural products such as twigs, branches, wines, leaves, grass, berries, fruits and seeds apart from flowers as also artificial substances such as glass, metal and plastic at times.Dried and wilted plants are not taboo either. They add beauty by creating an apt replication of nature.Baskets, glass bowls, ceramics, plastics or bottles or for that matter anything which can hold water may be used for the arrangements. Pin holders or sponges may be used to hold the stems as per…More

The Hindu : Home is where the heart is…Interior designer Supraja Rao believes Indianness should be at the core of all décor, writes M.L. Melly MaitreyiSupraja RaoWhat is it that first strikes one about a house or a commercial complex? It’s the architecture and elevation, of course!But there is something more than that which impacts and captivates one as one steps into a house. It is the décor, selection of material, furniture, its placement, artefacts and little knick-knacks that add character and style, in short it’s interior designing. But then it is easier said than done. While some homes look appealing even with their minimalist furniture, others with all their ornate décor fail to exude that aesthetic appeal. What is the secret that makes some homes just stand out and make a statement?Dos and don’tsThis is one question for which every one would love to seek an exact answer. There is no set pattern or formula, says Hyderabad-based interior designer Supraja Rao of ‘Designer House’ who had decked up residential homes and designed commercial spaces across the country.Every one need not be endowed with an artistic insight or an aptitude to transform interiors. One simple tip is not to buy anything and everything just because it is in fashion, emphasises Ms. Rao.The design and décor should be in tune with the personality of the owner and thesize of the house, she insists. The services of an interior designer are sought for aesthetics, utilising every inch of space and to know about the latest material and furniture trends. Interior designing as a concept grew in popularity only in the recent years.In the past, one rarely thought of discarding old furniture while moving into a newly built house but now the preference is to buy everything new, including kitchenware that suits the house, one’s taste and style — contemporary, ethnic or fusion of both.Global exposureThe change has been mainly due…More

The Hindu : Prevent those pesky predatorsRapid action rotund can empty your garden in no time, writesSwathi V.Here is an unbelievable fact. Only 75 per cent of the agricultural produce is actually consumed by human beings in India. The rest goes to rats… literally! If not for rodents, the agricultural produce, profits and also margins could have increased by one-third. Despite wearing an innocuous façade, these little creatures have the capability of multiplying at a rapid rate.Two rodents, if left to themselves, can produce more than a thousand of their kind in a year. The gang is big enough to gobble up acres of crop, not to think of your tiny garden patch.Apart from rodents, there are also other reptiles and insects which are harmful, if not to plants, to human beings. Hence, it is absolutely necessary for the health of the garden and also the gardener to keep the surroundings clear of rodents and snakes. The issue of rodents and reptiles assumes even more currency now than ever before as the city is expanding into its peripheries in the process of becoming ‘greater’.As the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. Mice have to be cleared before any plant sets its root in the yard. Pest management, if integrated with ground preparation, will go a long way in controlling those unwanted creepy crawlies in the garden.The procedure“One measure of Phorate granules mixed with five measures of Ovis granules and ten measures of neem cake, when applied at the rate of 16 grams per square foot of soil, effectively keeps rodents, scorpions, centipedes, termites and small snakes at bay,” says M.A.A. Ansari, a reputed agri consultant and landscapist from Integrated Farm Services (Ph. 098480 55878). He warns that there could be a possibility of reptile eggs being brought hidden in wet soil and getting hatched there.The impact of Phorate mixture will not leave the soil for a…More

The Hindu : Managing wasteThe Union Government will soon announce amendments to the municipal solid waste management regulations aiming to lay down practicable guidelines and time frames for waste reduction, a senior official said. Inaugurating the “FICCI Environment Conclave 2008,” Meena Gupta, Secretary of Environment Ministry, said “the government is engaged in revisiting the waste management regulations to look at suitable amendments. The amendments would be announced soon.”She said urban local bodies and the private sector needed to explore projects that could become eligible for Clean Development Mechanism.“Today, there are only a handful of projects from the waste management sector under the CDM. But there is a huge untapped potential in the urban areas, where projects can not only be developed in waste management but can also be bundled together with other municipal services that have an emission reduction potential.”The official stressed on private sector participation as well on recycling to address the issue of solid waste. - PTI…More

The Hindu : There is nothing like a pond or some such water body in your house. You feel closer to Nature, the place looks aesthetic and peace of mind prevails. Large modern houses, hotels, palaces and mansions look dull without a water body. Architects even suggest that every home should have one within or outside.Architects as well as vaasthu experts feel that the water bodies should have a certain dimension and shape and use only certain types of material. Square, rectangle, star and pentagon shapes are the most preferred while black unpolished granite, non-porous sandstone and marble are the best materials.Unpolished black marble is ideal for outdoor ponds while the other two are good for indoor ponds. But they can suit only high-budget constructions. Ordinary mortals can still have their water bodies with mortar and brick lined with cement. They can hide the cement with landscaping and green grass.Ever thought of having a fish pond/lily pond? Fill the base of the pond with mud mixed with organic material, spread a layer of fine sand and some pebbles and plant aquarium plants including fox tail and Amazon grass and water lily, and what you have is a joy forever.Mini ecosystemIntroduce some coloured fish and your pond is ready. With plants and fish co-existing in the pond it is a self-sustaining mini ecosystem. All one has to do is to keep the pond replenished with water. The pond can be a natural mosquito trap. The mosquitoes lay their eggs in the pond water but when the eggs hatch into larvae the fish devour them.Ponds attract various types of birds. Mahaveer Jain, owner of a beautiful pond built in black granite in his farm in Bajegoli on the Moodbidri-Karkala State Highway, says “My front yard has suddenly become a hub of activity. Birds I had never seen in my farm suddenly were there almost every morning. It is as if…More

The Hindu : For better infrastructureThe role of Government-sponsored corporations in public works needs a relook, says K. SukumaranThe cornerstone of Indian economic development has been ‘mixed economy’ with the objective of evolving a socialistic pattern of society. Private initiatives for growth and progress came as a post-script to this approach.In this process, foodgrains production and core industries were the major concerns, initially.The role of infrastructure in development came to the forefront only in recent days. Again, the Public-Private Participation (PPP) model got its due as a result of the push from the private sector, for accelerating growth. Let us trace the much treaded path and chart the possible future journeys in this initiative.Policy and planningThe preamble to the Five Year Plans often underscores the government policy for growth in different sectors. The first plan was fully devoted to the twin objectives of agriculture and heavy industries.The subsequent plans contained a diversified approach. However, infrastructure, as we now understand like development of national highways, quadrilaterals, metro rails and ring roads, was not in the scheme of many plans.Not that the steel industry, hydro power, dams and irrigation projects are not a sort of infrastructure. Certainly, they are.However, intensive development of highways, building of aeroplanes, ships, new airports, high speed railway systems, mass transportation facilities and similar plans went up the development ladder only during the last 10-15 years.The starting pointThe establishment of the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) can be considered the forerunner in setting up Government agencies for carrying out construction activities by the State.The first steps towards infrastructure development were taken with the setting up of Hindustan Shipyard, Hindustan Aeronautics, Hindustan Machine Tools and similar companies in the public sector.SPVsDesign and development of these core sectors rested solely with the Central Government whereas building of roads, irrigation facilities and city-centric mass transport facilities were within the realm of the State Government through its Public Works Department.It…More

The Hindu : With a vast majority of houses not connected to the main sewage lines in Bangalore the only recourse is to build septic tanks to receive waste water. Apartments on the outskirts too have septic tanks. Some house do away with this and build large soak pits, simple holes in the ground which receive the waste water and collect the solids but allow the liquids to leach away.These septic tanks and soak pits are highly polluting, transferring the nitrates and pathogens into the groundwater aquifer and contaminating it severely. Most borewells in Bangalore report high nitrate even to the depth of 600 feet. All the nitrate contamination comes from domestic sewage primarily.AlternativesBut there are many good alternatives emerging for the septic tank. One of them is called the DEWATS or the decentralised waste water treatment system. This in a broad sense is a major improvement on the septic tank with several up-flow chambers to promote anaerobic digestion. The treated waste water then comes to a reed bed chamber which makes use of sand filtration and reed bed treatment which takes up the nutrient load from the liquid effluent. Ultimately the remaining liquid is collected in a polishing pond and can be used for landscape use.Eco-san or ecological sanitation systems is another alternative. Here the liquid and solid waste in a toilet are collected separately. The liquid which has a major component of nutrients and very little pathogens is often used as a soil nutrient or fertilizer. The solids which have a high degree of pathogens is collected separately and carefully composted to eliminate all the pathogens before being used as a soil fertilizer.Waste water recycling plants are also coming into the market at an apartment scale and not yet at a domestic scale. These generally digest the organic load in the wastewater through a process of anaerobic digestion. After filtration and further treatment such as UV…More