Page 19 - Maharashtra Government

Hoarding crash in Mumbai: Chances of finding survivors slim, says NDRF

Two more bodies have been located under the debris at the site of a giant hoarding collapse in Mumbai as the search and rescue operation continued more than 40 hours after the incident, officials said on Wednesday. The bodies were spotted last night at the hoarding crash site in Ghatkopar, but were yet to be pulled out, they said. The illegal hoarding that stood on a piece of land in possession of the Government Railway Police (GRP) crashed on a petrol pump in Chheda Nagar area on Monday evening when the city was hit by dust storms and unseasonal rains. Rescue teams had earlier extricated 89 persons from under the collapsed hoarding, of whom 14 were declared dead while the other 75 were injured, as per officials. National Disaster Response Force's (NDRF) Assistant Commandant Nikhil Mudholkar told PTI on Wednesday, "We have spotted two bodies stuck under the third girder (of the collapsed hoarding) but we are facing difficulties in reaching the spot. One needs to crawl to reach ...

Firing outside Salman's home: One more member of Lawrence gang arrested

The Mumbai Police have arrested one more member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in connection with firing outside Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's residence here last month, officials said on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Harpal Singh (34), a resident of Fatehabad in Haryana, was apprehended by a team of the Mumbai crime branch from his hometown on Monday evening, an official said. Singh was brought to Mumbai in the early hours of Tuesday and will be produced before a court later in the day, he said. This is the sixth arrest in connection with the firing incident. Two motorcycle-borne persons opened fire outside Khan's residence at the Galaxy Apartment in Mumbai's Bandra area on April 14 and fled the spot. Singh's name surfaced during the interrogation of accused Mohammed Rafique Chowdhary, another Bishnoi gang member who was arrested earlier this month in the firing case, the official said. Singh had asked Chowdhary to conduct a recce around Khan's residence and also gave Rs

Mumbai storm: BMC issues notice to ad agency for removal of 3 hoardings

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a notice to an advertisement agency on Monday after the Ghatkopar billboard collapse incident, asking it to immediately remove the remaining three hoardings near the spot, officials said. The notice has been issued to M/s Ego Media for installing the hoarding that collapsed on the petrol pump during the gusty winds on Monday evening. According to police, eight persons were killed and more than 70 were injured in the incident. "The BMC has asked the ad agency to remove the remaining three hoardings immediately for not having valid permission," an official said. The Assistant Police Commissioner (Admin) had given permission for erecting the four hoardings on behalf of the Commissioner of Railway Police, Mumbai, including the one which collapsed on Monday, but no official permission or NOC was obtained from the BMC. The official said the land on which the hoarding was erected is the Collector land and it was in possession of Police .

Lok Sabha polls 2024: 30.85% voter turnout in Maharashtra until 1 pm

A voter turnout of 6.45 per cent was recorded till 9 am on Monday as polling was underway in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra during the fourth phase of the general elections, as per data shared by authorities. Polling began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm in Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, and Beed constituencies, an official said. Union minister Raosaheb Danve, BJP leader Pankaja Munde and actor-turned-politician Amol Kolhe are among the prominent candidates. A total of 298 candidates are in the fray with Beed constituency having the highest number of candidates at 41, while Nandurbar has the lowest number at 11. Altogether 2.28 crore voters are eligible to participate in the fourth phase elections in the state. They comprise 1.18 crore men, 1.09 crore women, and 1,272 third-gender voters. In the 11 constituencies, there are 23,284 polling centres, 83 of which are deemed critical. Voting is underway using 5

SC asks Maha govt to conduct safety audit of Bombay High Court building

The Supreme Court on Tuesday took note of concerns over the safety of the 150-year-old Bombay High Court building and the need for additional space, and directed the Maharashtra government to forthwith conduct a safety audit of the heritage structure. A special bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices B R Gavai and J B Pardiwala also asked the government to expedite drawings of the site earmarked for constructing new high court building in Mumbai. Observing that the state government must act with alacrity to fulfil the needs for facilities in the high court, the bench asked the state PWD to take up the matter in right earnest. It also said the high court may consult the state PWD and others on expediting the drawings. In order to ensure the structural safety of the existing premises, the State PWD will forthwith conduct a safety audit and apprise it on the next hearing of the steps taken on that regard, the bench said. The top court exercised its suo motu (on its own) ..

Mumbai to witness high sea waves till Sunday night, says BMC advisory

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday issued an advisory cautioning people against entering the Arabian Sea amid warnings about high tide till Sunday night. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information (INCOIS), the sea will witness a "swell of surge waves" from 11.30 am on Saturday to 11.30 pm on Sunday, the civic body said. During this time, the height of the waves will rise by 0.5 to 1.5 metres, it said. The BMC has also asked fishermen to exercise caution. BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagarin has asked civic personnel to coordinate with the police, and security guards at beaches in the city have been directed to stop people from entering the waters.

Maharashtra govt asks police to crack down on deepfake creators

The Maharashtra government on Friday directed the state police to take stern action against those creating deepfakes, saying such content is a cause for concern amid the poll season. According to an official release, the number of deepfakes and doctored photos being circulated on social media and digital media has risen during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Deepfake is a video of a person in which their appearance has been digitally altered so that they look like somebody else. Such manipulated content is being created using machine learning (ML) or artificial intelligence (AI), it said, adding that the use of this machinery during elections is a cause for concern. Deepfake content creates misunderstanding and is defamatory, said the government. The government has asked the Director-General of Police (DGP) to curb such practices and ensure a clean and transparent electoral process. The police have been asked to take stern action against anti-social elements making and circulatin

Apologise for seeking votes for Modi earlier, says Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said the Narendra Modi government has betrayed Maharashtra, and he apologises to the people for seeking votes for the prime minister in earlier elections. Thackeray and his Maha Vikas Aghadi ally and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar spoke at a rally at Ichalkaranji in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra in support of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Hatkanangale constituency, Satyajit Patil. Talking about the circumstances in which his government fell in 2019, Thackeray said the Supreme Court had not delivered its verdict on whose Shiv Sena was the real one, but the "Election Commission and the arbitrator (Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar) who were working as their (BJP's) servants, gave their verdicts." "Now when PM Modi calls us fake Shiv Sena, he is putting pressure on the court," Thackeray said. Sharad Pawar said that Modi, during visits to Maharashtra, only criticises him (Pawar) and Thackeray instead of speaking about his ..

LS polls: Shiv Sena nominates Naresh Mhaske as its candidate from Thane

The Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday nominated former Thane mayor Naresh Mhaske as its candidate for the Thane Lok Sabha seat. Mhaske will take on Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and incumbent MP Rajan Vichare. It also officially announced the candidature of CM Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde as its candidate from the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. He currently represents that seat. Shinde's nomination had been announced by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as a candidate of the ruling 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance), comprising Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, last month. Thane is known to be bastion of CM Shinde. He represents the Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly constituency in Thane. The party is yet to announce candidates for the Nashik and Palghar Lok Sabha seats.

May 1 bank holiday: Are banks closed today? Check state-wise list

Banks will remain closed in some states on May 1 in observance of Maharashtra Day and May Day

IMD issues heatwave alert for Thane, Raigad, and Mumbai from April 27-29

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert for Maharashtra's Thane, Raigad districts and parts of Mumbai from April 27 to 29. IMD scientist Sushma Nair on Wednesday said there is an anti-cyclonic circulation over Thane, Raigad and parts of Mumbai which will lead to a rise in temperature. The temperatures are likely to peak on April 27 and 28. This is the second heatwave alert issued for Mumbai and neighbouring region this month. On April 15 and 16, Mumbai and its neighbouring areas had witnessed severe hot weather and temperatures in parts of Navi Mumbai reached 41 degrees Celsius. The IMD had advised people to avoid prolonged heat exposure, drink sufficient water and stay hydrated, wear light coloured, loose and cotton clothes, cover head or use wet cloth or hat or umbrella while going out during afternoon hours, and schedule strenuous jobs during cooler times of the day.

Do not make inflammatory remarks during campaign: Poll officials in Latur

Poll authorities have asked candidates in Maharashtra's Latur Lok Sabha constituency to refrain from making inflammatory speeches and personal criticism against opponents during their campaign. Latur's general election observer Niranjan Kumar on Tuesday held a meeting with the candidates at the district collectorate and also appealed to them to follow the model code of conduct and cooperate with the authorities for the conduct of elections in a transparent and peaceful manner. Twenty eight candidates are in the fray for the Latur Lok Sabha seat election, to be held on May 7. Among the major political parties, the BJP has fielded sitting MP Sudhakar Shrangare, the Congress has given a ticket to Shivaji Kalge, and the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has fielded Narsingrao Nivritti Udgirkar. During the meeting, Kumar said, "Candidates should not make inflammatory, provocative speeches during the campaign and refrain from personal criticism." It is mandatory for the

LS polls 2024: MVA to win over 50% seats in Maharashtra, says Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra will win more than 50 per cent of the Lok Sabha seats in the state. There are 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. As per the seat-sharing agreement among the three MVA parties, the Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting 21 seats, Congress 17 and NCP (SP) 10. These three parties are fighting the national elections as part of the opposition INDIA bloc. Talking to reporters here, Pawar said there could be disagreements among the INDIA bloc partners over certain seats, but attention should not be paid to it. The broader understanding among the opposition parties is to win the polls to provide a stable government, he said. He termed as wrong the BJP's 'Abki baar, 400 paar' slogan of winning 400-plus seats in the Lok Sabha polls. The opposition won six seats in Maharashtra in the 2019 parliamentary polls - four by the undivided NCP and one each by the Congress and the All ...

9.5 mn voters set to vote as polling begins in 5 LS seats in Maharashtra

Polling began Friday morning in five Lok Sabha seats of Maharashtra, where more than 95 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase. Polling in the 43 other Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held in four more phases later this month and in May. Altogether 97 candidates, including Union minister Nitin Gadkari, are in fray in Nagpur, Ramtek (SC), Bhandara-Gondia, Chandrapur and Naxal-hit Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) constituency, all located in eastern-most parts of the state. There are 95,54,667 voters in the five Lok Sabha constituencies in the Vidarbha region. Of these, 48,28,142 are male, 47,26,178 female and 347 transgender voters, an election official said. In Nagpur, there is a direct fight between senior BJP leader Gadkari, who is seeking a third term, and Congress candidate Vikas Thakre. The high-profile constituency, which houses the RSS headquarters, has a total of 22,18,259 voters -- 11,10, 840 male, 11,07,197 female and 222 transgender persons.

Only PM Modi can ensure strong Bharat; Oppn lacks coordination: Fadnavis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be elected for a third term for a strong and prosperous Bharat, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday as he targeted the opposition over the alleged lack of coordination with the analogy of a train. Addressing a poll rally, the senior BJP leader said the people have only two choices in this election- either to elect Modi for development or the alliance led by Rahul Gandhi. "Modiji is the power engine of our Mahayuti alliance. There is ample space for people to board this 'Vikas ki train' of Modiji with coaches of Shiv Sena, NCP, RPI and others. Other alliance doesn't have any coaches and all (constituents) claim themselves to be engines but they lack coordination," he said. He said it is up to the people to elect the right government and give a third term to Modi for a strong and prosperous Bharat. The Bhandara-Gondiya constituency goes to poll in the first phase on April 19. The BJP has fielded sitting MP Sunil Men

Friends are foes, foes turned friends in Maharashtra's electoral battle

With parties breaking up and new alliances forming, Maharashtra is seeing head-spinning political realignments in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections where one-time colleagues have become rivals, and enemies have become allies. An illustration of this was on display at Union minister Amit Shah's rally in Nanded on Thursday where former chief minister Ashok Chavan and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Pratap Patil Chikhalikar shared the stage. Chikhalikar, then the MLA of undivided Shiv Sena from Loha in Latur district, joined the BJP in 2019 and went on to defeat sitting Congress MP Ashok Chavan from Nanded, a Congress bastion, in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. Modi, at a campaign rally then, had targeted Chavan over the Adarsh society scam, while then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said Chavan was a "dealer and not a leader." Chavan joined the BJP in February this year, and became its Rajya Sabha member. He is now campaigning for Chikhalikar and other BJP candidates in the .

Bombay HC pulls up Maharashtra govt for denying benefits to martyr's widow

The Bombay High Court on Friday expressed displeasure with the Maharashtra government for its failure to decide on granting benefits to the widow of an Army major, who was martyred in Jammu and Kashmir, under its policy for ex-servicemen. A division bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Firdosh Pooniwalla said it was "not happy " and "surprised" with the government's stand despite orders passed by the court asking the chief minister to consider the matter as a "special case". The court was hearing a petition filed by Aakriti Sood, widow of late Major Anuj Sood, seeking benefits (monetary) for ex-servicemen under two government resolutions of 2019 and 2020. Major Sood lost his life on May 2, 2020 while rescuing civilian hostages from terrorist hideouts in Jammu and Kashmir, and was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously. The state government has contended that only those born in Maharashtra or who lived in the state continuously for 15 years were eligible for monetary benefit and .

Maha Congress could have bagged better deal for LS seats: Varsha Gaikwad

Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Thursday said the party's Maharashtra leadership should have pursued equal seat-sharing among the three Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies for the Lok Sabha polls to ensure a better deal in the metropolis. There are six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai - Mumbai North, Mumbai North-Central, which have been allotted to the Congress in the seat sharing deal, while four others - Mumbai South, Mumbai South-Central, Mumbai North-East and Mumbai North-West went to the Shiv Sena (UBT). The MVA coalition in Maharashtra announced its seat-sharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday with the Shiv Sena (UBT) securing a substantial portion with 21 seats, while the Congress will contest 17 seats, and the NCP (SP) 10 seats. Talking to reporters here, Gaikwad said, "Earlier, Congress used to contest five seats in Mumbai, leaving only Mumbai North-East to the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). So we were demanding equal seat-sharing this time.

LS elections: Over 150,000 new voters added in eight seats of Maharashtra

More than 1.52 lakh new voters have been registered in eight out of total 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra in the latest round of electoral roll revision, in which the number of new women voters was more than their male counterparts, officials said. In this special drive conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), as many as 82,658 new female voters were registered as against the 69,652 new male voters in these eight constituencies - Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, and Parbhani. However, the total number of female voters across these eight segments is way below the count of male voters. There are 53,99,057 female voters as against the 77,21,374 male voters. There are 432 voters registered as transgenders, an official statement issued by the chief electoral office of Maharashtra. These eight constituencies will go to polls in the second phase on May 7. With the addition of voters during the special drive of the ECI conducted .

Raj Thackeray's MNS supporting Maharashtra's 'enemies': Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday took a dig at MNS chief Raj Thackeray, saying doubt arises in the minds of people when an outfit formed to safeguard the pride of Maharashtra backs its "enemies". Raut's comments come a day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Thackeray announced unconditional support to the ruling 'Mahayuti' alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP in the state and backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The MNS leader did not elaborate whether his party, which has not fielded any candidate so far, will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Raut said his party is fighting for Maharashtra's pride. He alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken in its fold "all corrupt persons". "Businesses are driven away from Maharashtra, attempts are being made to break and cripple Mumbai. In such circumstances, if a party formed for Maharashtra pride backs enemies of Maharashtra, then a doubt arises in th