Page 21 - Maharashtra Government

Shah to visit Maharashtra on March 5, hold BJP's election meeting, rallies

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Akola, Jalgaon and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra on March 5 to take part in election-related meetings and programmes organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party, its state unit chief said on Saturday. Lok Sabha elections are likely to be held in April or May this year. Shah will chair a meeting of the BJP's election management committee and its core committee in Akola at 11 am on Tuesday to discuss the Lok Sabha constituencies of Chandrapur, Buldhana, Akola, Yavatmal, Wardha and Amravati, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said. After Akola, Shah will visit Jalgaon, where he will address the 'Maha Yuva Sammelan', a youth convention, at 2 pm, he said. The former BJP chief will then address a public rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar at 6 pm, he added. A day before Shah's visit, BJP president J P Nadda will address the youth at 'Namo Yuva Sammelan' in Nagpur on March 4, he said. "Around one lakh youth from Maharashtra

Maha govt against 'suppression' of quota agitation: Jarange to Marathas

Activist Manoj Jarange on Wednesday expressed fear that he might be arrested and asked Marathas to stay calm and write emails to the prime minister and Maharashtra chief minister to stop "suppression" of the quota agitation. The activist has been under fire for using intemperate language against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday as he alleged the BJP leader was trying to kill him. Assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar on Tuesday directed the state government to set up a special investigation team (SIT) and conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the Jarange's remarks against Fadnavis. The activist earlier used abusive words while observing a fast against non-implementation of the "sage soyre" (blood relatives of Kunbi Marathas) draft notification by the state government. The notification was issued in January for issuing certificates to eligible Kunbi (OBC) Marathas. Jarange was speaking to reporters on Wednesday at a private hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinaga

PM Modi to visit Yavatmal, inaugurate development projects at public event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Maharashtra's Yavatmal district on Wednesday and inaugurate and dedicate to the nation various development projects during a public programme, officials said. The programme will be held at Bhari on the outskirts of Yavatmal city around 4.30 pm, district officials said. The prime minister will release benefits under the PM KISAN and other schemes during the programme, a release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said. He will also inaugurate the statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in Yavatmal city. PM Modi will release the 16th instalment amount of more than Rs 21,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) through direct benefits transfer to beneficiaries. With this release, an amount of more than Rs 3 lakh crore will be transferred to more than 11 crore farmers' families. The PM will also disburse second and third instalments of 'Namo Shetkari MahaSanman Nidhi' of about Rs 3,800 crore and benefiting nearly 8

Maha company booked for giving Rs 1 cr fake bank guarantees to civic body

A case has been registered against a representative of a company in Maharashtra's Latur district for allegedly giving fake bank guarantees of more than Rs 1 crore to the Panvel Municipal Corporation for securing contracts of maintenance projects, police said on Tuesday. Between November 17, 2022 and February 26, 2024, the engineering company was awarded contracts for the maintenance, repair and renovation of all public toilets within the Panvel Municipal Corporation limits and for the repair and renovation of sewage pipelines in Kharghar area of Navi Mumbai, an official from Panvel town police station said. The contracts required the company to furnish bank guarantees of Rs 1,32,63,229. During verification by the civic body, the bank guarantees were found to be fake, the official said. Based on a complaint by the civic body's sanitation department chief, a case was registered on Monday against the company's representative under various Indian Penal Code sections for cheating and ...

Being in power important to get development works done, says Dy CM Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said being in power is important to expedite the developmental works as an elected representative and he has taken a different political stand without compromising on his ideology. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Pawar, who switched over to the ruling NDA last year, in a letter to his supporters on Monday said his objective was never to betray anyone or hurt anyone's sentiments. He said he found his working style similar to that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, under whose leadership the country is making progress. "I have taken a different political stand without compromising on my ideology. I want to assure that henceforth the NCP under my leadership will work for implementing its development blueprint and not indulge in personal criticism of senior leaders," the deputy CM said without naming NCP founder and his uncle Sharad Pawar. "I have been on the ruling as well as the opposition side a

Budget session: Maha govt tables supplementary demands of Rs 8,609 cr

The Maharashtra government on Monday tabled supplementary demands of Rs 8,609 crore on the first day of the Budget session of the state assembly. State finance minister Ajit Pawar tabled the supplementary demands, which are additional funds sought by the government over the budgetary allocation, in the legislative assembly, followed by the council. "I table the supplementary demands of Rs 8,609.17 crore before the House," Pawar said. As per the supplementary demand note, demands of Rs 2,210 crore were for financial assistance to farmers whose crops were destroyed due to the unseasonal showers, hailstorms and water scarcity. During the winter session in December last year, supplementary demands of Rs 55,520.77 crore were tabled in the state legislature and eventually cleared.

Maratha stir: Internet services suspended in 3 districts of Maharashtra

Internet services were suspended on Monday in Maharashtra's Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Beed districts to maintain law and order in view of the Maratha quota agitation led by activist Manoj Jarange, officials said on Monday. As a precautionary measure, borders of these districts have also been sealed, they said. The internet services in the three districts have been suspended with effect from 6 am to 4 pm to avoid any untoward incident due to rumours on social media platforms, an official said quoting an order of the state home department. Three cases has been registered in Beed district for agitations without permission, another official said adding that two persons have been arrested for damaging a state transport bus. Earlier, curfew was imposed in Ambad taluka of Jalna district from Monday midnight to prevent any law and order issue in view of the ongoing agitation by Jarange. There is a possibility that quota supporters may arrive at Antarwali Sarati village in Amba

MVA leaders stage protest, accuse Maha govt of misleading Marathas, OBCs

Legislators of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi staged a protest on Monday before the start of the Budget session of the Maharashtra legislative assembly, accusing the government of misleading the Maratha and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities. The week-long Budget session of the legislature began on Monday, during which the vote on account will be presented. Assembly elections are due in the state later this year. Leader of Opposition in Assembly Vijay Waddetiwar, Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat and other legislators gathered on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan, displaying banners and shouting slogans against the Eknath Shinde-led government. The Opposition MLAs accused the state government of misleading the Maratha and OBC communities over the issue of quota. MVA comprises the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP, while the ruling coalition has the BJP, Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP group under Ajit Pawar as partners. Last week, the

Maha to roll out policy to boost defence manufacturing: Devendra Fadnavis

A new aerospace and defence policy will be formulated to provide a boost to defence manufacturing in Maharashtra, deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday. Speaking at the inauguration of 'MSME Defence Expo', a three-day event organized at Moshi in Pimpri Chinchwad near here, he said Pune has developed an ecosystem conducive for defence manufacturing in recent years. "Maharashtra is leading the country in defence manufacturing. We host the Air Force Maintenance Command, Army Southern Command, the Indian Navy Dockyard, Hindustan Aeronautics facility, Mazgaon Dockyard, National Defence Academy, and several DRDO laboratories," he said. BDL's missile production facility is coming up near Amravati, the deputy CM noted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi "recognized the country's real prowess", he said, adding that earlier India was dependent on other countries for defence equipment. "Today, countries like US, Russia, France and Germany are powerful because their defence ...

Maha govt using tricks, conspiracies to undermine Maratha stir: Jarange

Maratha activist Manoj Jarange on Saturday accused the Maharashtra government of using tricks and conspiracies to undermine their ongoing agitation for reservation for the community in government jobs and education. Addressing the media at his Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, Jarange said he would disclose his next course of action on Sunday and asked people from the community to gather there. He alleged that the government was deploying tricks and conspiracies the scuttle their efforts for quota and questioned the delay in converting the notification on blood relatives' of Kunbi Marathas into a law. Jaranage also accused the police of registering cases against Maratha protesters at the behest of the state home minister (Devendra Fadnavis). The activist urged Maratha community members to hold rasta roko (road blockade) from 11 am to 1 pm at their respective places on Saturday, revising his earlier call to hold such demonstrations in morning or evening hours. The Maharas

Water woes: Supriya Sule, Rajesh Tope attend meet chaired by dy CM Pawar

Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Sule said there are serious concerns about drinking water in her constituency, Baramati which she wants to bring to the attention of the government

PM condoles demise of ex-Maha CM Manohar Joshi, recalls his contribution

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed pain at the death of former Maharashtra chief minister Manohar Joshi and recalled his contribution in various capacities. He will be remembered for his diligence as a legislator too, the prime minister said. Modi wrote on X, "He was a veteran leader who spent years in public service and held various responsibilities at the municipal, state and national level. As Maharashtra CM, he worked tirelessly for the state's progress. He also made noteworthy contributions as a Union Minister." During his tenure as the Lok Sabha speaker, Modi said, Joshi strove to make parliamentary processes more vibrant and participative. "Manohar Joshi Ji will also be remembered for his diligence as a legislator, having had the honour of serving in all four legislatures.Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti," he said. Joshi, 86, passed away at a Mumbai hospital on Friday, where he was admitted following a cardiac arrest.

Former Maha CM Manohar Joshi passes away after suffering cardiac arrest

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi passed away at a Mumbai hospital on Friday, where he was admitted after suffering a cardiac arrest. The former Maharashtra chief minister was admitted in the ICU of P D Hinduja Hospital here on Wednesday and breathed his last at the private medical facility, family sources said. Joshi (86), was severely ill, the hospital had said in a statement on Thursday. The Shiv Sena stalwart was admitted to the same hospital in May last year after suffering a brain haemorrhage. Joshi served as chief minister from 1995 to 1999 and was the first leader from the undivided Shiv Sena to occupy the top post in the state. He was also elected as a Member of Parliament and was the Lok Sabha Speaker from 2002 to 2004 when the Vajpayee government was in power.

Maratha reservation bill unanimously passed in special Assembly session

The state government has convened a one-day special session of the state legislature for tabling and further consideration of this special Bill

Maha govt proposes 10% quota for Marathas; Shinde tables bill in Assembly

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday tabled a bill in the state legislative assembly, proposing 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community in education and government jobs. The Maharashtra State Socially and Educationally Backward Bill 2024 also proposed that after the reservation comes into effect, its review could be taken after 10 years. A day-long special session of the state legislature on Maratha quota is currently underway here. Notably, the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission on Friday submitted a report on its survey on the social, economic, and educational backwardness of the Maratha community. The massive exercise covered nearly 2.5 crore families. One of the key findings in the bill tabled by CM Shinde underscores that the population of the Maratha community in the state is 28 per cent. Out of the total Maratha families that are below poverty line, 21.22 per cent hold the yellow ration cards. It is higher than the state's average of 17.4 pe

Maharashtra to be $1 trillion economy by 2027-28, says Governor Bais

Maharashtra Government has set an ambitious target of becoming a one trillion dollar economy by 2027-28, Governor Ramesh Bais informed the state legislature on Tuesday. This target is in line with the country's goal of becoming a five trillion dollar economy, Bais said, addressing the legislators at the start of the day-long special session of the legislature on Maratha quota at Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai. In this year, 75 projects with Rs. 61,576 crore investment have been approved under the Package Scheme of Incentives, which will generate more than 53,000 employment opportunities in the state, he said. Maharashtra is the highest in attracting foreign direct investment in the country. There has been foreign direct investment of Rs. 65,500 crore in the state. This investment is 38.78 per cent of the country's total foreign direct investment, he said. In January 2024, the state government signed MoUs of more than Rs 3.53 lakh crore at the World Economic Forum held in Davos. This

Maharashtra govt approves bill to extend 10% reservation to Marathas

The committee proposed a 10 per cent reservation for Marathas in education and jobs, similar to that given in 2018 by the then-state government

Maha Assembly Special session begins today, Maratha quota likely on agenda

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stressed on Friday that reservation to Marathas will be given according to the terms of the law

Refuse poll duty as students get affected: MNS chief to teachers, slams ECI

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Monday asked teachers to refuse election duty since it adversely affects students. Speaking to reporters here, he said a delegation of teachers from Shardashram School had met him and drawn his attention to the order of the Election Commission of India asking them to report for poll duty. "I asked them and others to not take up poll duty at the cost of teaching. Who will teach the students (during this time)? The ECI is not conducting polls for the first time. Why can't it come with its own system and machinery for polls," he said. He said the ECI should face action for pressuring teachers into taking up poll duty by warning them of disciplinary action. "Teachers should not take up poll duty. I will see if the Election Commission takes action against you," he asserted.

Maha lagging behind other states in development under Shinde govt: Aaditya

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday alleged Maharashtra is lagging behind other states in development under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He flagged the alleged lack of employment and the flight of industries to Gujarat to target the state government. Aaditya, son of Uddhav Thackeray, visited various shakhas (party branches) of Shiv Sena (UBT) in Thane city, the stronghold of CM Shinde. Addressing a gathering of Shiv Sena (UBT) workers, Aaditya mimicked Shinde's style of speaking. He claimed Shinde, then a cabinet minister, had come to Matoshree, the residence of the Thackerays, on May 22, 2022, and cried over the shoulders of the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. "Shinde urged Uddhavji to save him from the BJP and told him that the BJP will implicate him in cases and put him in jail," Aaditya claimed. Taking a dig, Aaditya said Shinde now has everything but still he keeps crying, an apparent reference to the chief minister getting emotional during a speech ...