Technoglitch
Core Member
Two days after the Maharashtra government signed a memorandum of understanding with yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth, handing over more than 600 acres of land in Nagpur for an orange processing plant, the Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday cancelled a lease of 28 acres to the same company.
The Himachal Pradesh plot, granted to Patanajali Yogpeeth Trust in 2010 by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government for Rs 17 lakh for 99 years, came under the scanner for irregularities after the Congress came into power in 2012. Meanwhile, opposition leaders in Maharashtra are protesting Monday’s memorandum, claiming the land has been given to Ramdev at concessional rates.
It is easy to laugh at Baba Ramdev for his often absurd statements, but he is an economic force to reckon with in the fast-moving consumer goods market and he also has great influence with the BJP. After all, cabinet ministers don’t often offer people land in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as shipping minister Nitin Gadkari did in November, when he said that the centre was keen to give Ramdev an island there to establish a yoga resort.
Minor perks
Last year was fruitful for Ramdev. Not only did his venture into FMCG through Patanjali give serious competition to established industry players, he also got a major incidental tax break when prime minister Narendra Modi announced in February 2015 that the income of yoga-related charitable trusts would be exempted from service tax.
In October 2014, the ministry of home affairs granted him Z-category security, which entitles Ramdev to have 20 CRPF personnel when travelling in the country, and the protection of as many from the Delhi police when in the national capital. This was not enough for Ramdev. In September, he requested that he be added to the no-frisk list at airports as well. This request is still pending with the civil aviation ministry.
Ramdev has had other proposals for the centre. In a meeting with the minister for micro, small and medium enterprises towards the end of 2014, Ramdev suggested that Patanjali Yogapeeth take full control over khadi marketing and management across the country. In December that year, the ministry rejected the proposal, saying that it would consider it only as advice.
First Andaman island, now 600 acres in Maharashtra for Baba Ramdev
The Himachal Pradesh plot, granted to Patanajali Yogpeeth Trust in 2010 by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government for Rs 17 lakh for 99 years, came under the scanner for irregularities after the Congress came into power in 2012. Meanwhile, opposition leaders in Maharashtra are protesting Monday’s memorandum, claiming the land has been given to Ramdev at concessional rates.
It is easy to laugh at Baba Ramdev for his often absurd statements, but he is an economic force to reckon with in the fast-moving consumer goods market and he also has great influence with the BJP. After all, cabinet ministers don’t often offer people land in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as shipping minister Nitin Gadkari did in November, when he said that the centre was keen to give Ramdev an island there to establish a yoga resort.
Minor perks
Last year was fruitful for Ramdev. Not only did his venture into FMCG through Patanjali give serious competition to established industry players, he also got a major incidental tax break when prime minister Narendra Modi announced in February 2015 that the income of yoga-related charitable trusts would be exempted from service tax.
In October 2014, the ministry of home affairs granted him Z-category security, which entitles Ramdev to have 20 CRPF personnel when travelling in the country, and the protection of as many from the Delhi police when in the national capital. This was not enough for Ramdev. In September, he requested that he be added to the no-frisk list at airports as well. This request is still pending with the civil aviation ministry.
Ramdev has had other proposals for the centre. In a meeting with the minister for micro, small and medium enterprises towards the end of 2014, Ramdev suggested that Patanjali Yogapeeth take full control over khadi marketing and management across the country. In December that year, the ministry rejected the proposal, saying that it would consider it only as advice.
First Andaman island, now 600 acres in Maharashtra for Baba Ramdev
