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: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a comprehensive probe into alleged donation irregularities at the famous Siddhivinayak Temple in the city, directing officials to examine the shrine's records of the last five years, an official said on Saturday. The directive comes on the heels of allegations by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray claiming Rs 18 crore was siphoned off annually from the temple, prompting the arrest of nine employees and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's demand for independent inquiries. According to officials, Fadnavis ordered a probe after a delegation from the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust met him and presented a detailed account of the collections between 2023-2026. The chief minister has sought the probe report at the earliest, they said. Last month, Shinde had sought an independent inquiry and instructed officials to begin the process. The controversy came to the fore after Raj Thackeray alleged that nearly Rs 18 crore was
The Maharashtra government has imposed a one-year ban on the manufacture and sale of "analogue" or non-dairy paneer in view of public health concerns and widespread violations of food safety norms, officials said on Wednesday. Offenders could face life imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh, as per a recent government order. Maharashtra is the second state after Chhattisgarh to impose such a ban. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it found that several hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food establishments were using analogue paneer in place of conventional paneer without disclosing the substitution on menus, invoices or display boards. Analogue paneer is a non-dairy substitute made using vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers and other additives instead of milk fat. It is cheaper to produce than conventional paneer and generally contains lower protein levels. A gazette notification issued by Maharashtra Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has prohibited the
At least six persons were killed after a four-storey building collapsed in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi, officials said on Friday, adding that six to seven persons are still trapped under the rubble. A portion of the Kohinoor Building in Balaji Nagar area of the powerloom town in Thane district came crashing down around 11.30 pm on Thursday, the officials said. "At least six persons were killed. All but one are still to be identified. The bodies have been sent to a government hospital for postmortem," said Resident Deputy Collector Sandeep Mane. Six to seven persons are still trapped under the rubble and a search and rescue operation is underway, the official said. An injured minor was rescued and rushed to a nearby medical facility, he said. The structure comprised 48 rooms, 12 on each floor, municipal officials said. The building had been declared dangerous by the civic body. Tragedy struck while repair work was underway on the premises. Around 9 pm on Thursday, residents heard "loud
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has inspected canteens operating within the Bombay High Court premises, an official said on Friday. An FDA official told PTI that a team inspected the canteens at the high court on Thursday and was preparing a report. "Our team did inspect the canteens of the Bombay High Court. We are preparing a report on it. Once we file the report to our higher authorities, a statement will be issued regarding the same," the official said. Ever since IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe took charge as the FDA commissioner in May, the department has inspected several establishments, including several well-known food joints, across the state. The FDA's crackdown on milk adulteration has also led to the closure of several milk collection centres and dairies. Recently, the FDA suspended the food business licences of the Cricket Club of India, the MIG Cricket Club in Bandra East, and three other clubs in Mumbai for alleged violations of food safety and hygiene
Maharashtra FDA has banned the sale of processed and packaged foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt within 50 metres of school compounds, and the order will be implemented strictly, FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said on Wednesday. He said every school kitchen operator and food supplier to schools should have licenses under food safety regulations. He said the sale, advertisement and free distribution of high-fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) food items are prohibited in and around all schools in the state as part of efforts to promote healthy eating habits among children. "Within school premises and up to 50 metres from the school compound, the sale, advertisement and free distribution of high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) food items is completely banned by the FDA. It will be implemented strictly," Mundhe told reporters here. He said the state government had issued a compliance order on July 27 to enforce food safety and nutritional standards across educational institutions, adding
Tata Power on Monday said it has received a Letter of Award (LoA) from the Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI) to supply 324 MW of power from its 1,000 MW Pumped Hydro Storage Project (PSP) at Bhivpuri in Maharashtra. The project was awarded under SECI's tariff-based global competitive bidding for the supply of 1,500 MW / 12,000 MWh of power from pumped hydro storage projects being set up in the country, a company statement said. The project was secured through an e-reverse auction. It has a 40-year Pumped Storage Purchase (PSP) agreement and is scheduled for commissioning by 2029. The project will be developed under the Build, Own, Operate (BOO) model and will provide 8 hours of energy storage, enabling reliable supply of electricity during peak demand periods. It will be connected to the 765/400 kV South Kalamb Central Transmission Utility (CTU) Substation through the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS). The SECI's award further strengthens Tata Power's position in .
Pune district has reported the highest number of complaints about unhygienic food in Maharashtra since the state Food and Drug Administration launched a complaint-reporting portal, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has said. The senior IAS officer was in the city on Saturday to attend a food safety conference organised by the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture. Speaking to reporters, he said the FDA recently launched the portal "complaints.mahafda.in" to allow people to register their complaints concerning food items. "Thousands of complaints poured in after the portal went live and 10 lakh hits were recorded within 24 hours," he said. Asked about the distribution of complaints across the state, he said, "The highest number of complaints has been registered in Pune district, and most of them concern unhygienic food." The new system will bring in accountability and transparency, the official said. The FDA joint commissioner of the region concerned will take ...
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the state government will waive around Rs 48,000 crore in pending electricity dues of farmers to facilitate fresh agricultural power connections. Addressing a function organised to felicitate him over the recently announced farm loan waiver scheme on Wednesday, Fadnavis said the government had already waived electricity bills for agricultural pumps up to 7.5 horsepower. However, many farmers continue to face difficulties in obtaining new power connections because outstanding dues from previous years remain in their names. "To resolve this issue, the government will take a decision to waive the earlier pending electricity dues amounting to Rs 48,000 crore," he said. Farmers felicitated the chief minister at Yashwantrao Chavan Centre here on Wednesday for announcing the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Farmer Loan Waiver Scheme, under which loans of up to Rs 2 lakh will be waived. Fadnavis said the scheme would benefit 56 la