Page 25 - Maharashtra Government

Uddhav, speaker spar as Maharashtra awaits Sena vs Sena case verdict

The political temperature has risen in Maharashtra ahead of the crucial verdict by the assembly speaker on the cross-petitions by Shiv Sena factions seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs following a split in the party. The outcome will decide the way forward for the Eknath Shinde government and also the regional outfit's rival groups. Narwekar is slated to deliver his much-awaited verdict on the disqualification pleas at 4 pm on Wednesday, more than 18 months after the Shiv Sena suffered a vertical split, a political development that resulted in a change of guard in the state. On Tuesday, the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) upped the ante as its president Uddhav Thackeray said his party has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court objecting to a recent meeting between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is among the MLAs whose disqualification has been sought, and speaker Rahul Narwekar as both sides engaged in a verbal spat. "If the judge (Narwekar) is going to meet the accused, w

Uddhav slams speaker for meeting CM before judgment on Sena pleas

Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday hit out at Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar for meeting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ahead of his judgment on the petitions seeking disqualification of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs. Addressing a press conference here, Thackeray claimed Narwekar's meeting with Shinde on Monday is akin to a "judge meeting a criminal". Narwekar will give his verdict on Wednesday on the disqualification petitions against CM Shinde and other MLAs, whose rebellion led to a split in the Shiv Sena in June 2022. The Supreme Court last month extended the deadline to January 10 for Narwekar to decide on the cross-petitions filed by rival factions of the Shiv Sena seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs Thackeray said since the SC directed Narwekar in May last year to take a decision on the pleas seeking disqualification of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, the speaker has met the chief minister twice. "What justice can we expect from him tomorrow," the former CM

Take Bilkis Bano case seriously, keep SC's observations in mind: Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday appealed to the Maharashtra government to take seriously the case of Bilkis Bano, who was gangraped and her seven family members murdered in 2002, and keep in mind what the Supreme Court has said about the "heinous crime". The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the remission granted by the Gujarat government to 11 convicts in the case, while slamming the state for being "complicit" with an accused and abusing its discretion. It ordered all the convicts, who were released prematurely on Independence Day in 2022, back to jail within two weeks. Excoriating the Gujarat government, the apex court said it "usurped" the power of the Maharashtra government to grant remission to the convicts. After Bilkis Bano voiced apprehension over tampering with evidence and risk to witnesses, the Gujarat High Court had transferred the trial in the case from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. The 11 convicts in the case can approach the Maharashtra government with request for remission

Shares of Sula Vineyards soars 20% extending two day gains to 33.6%

Maharashtra accounts for about half of Sula's revenues and close to 60 per cent of its operating profit

BJP MLA slapping cop disrespectful, will write if he faces no action: Sule

NCP working president Supriya Sule on Sunday called the recent alleged incident of a BJP MLA slapping an on-duty cop most disrespectful and said she will write to Maharashtra home minister Devendra Fadnavis if no action is taken against the lawmaker. The MP from Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Pune district said, I thought the BJP was a party that respected people. Are they compromising over this issue? Will they tolerate violence against their colleagues? BJP's Sunil Kamble, the legislator from Pune Cantonment constituency, on Friday allegedly hit an on-duty constable at the city's Sassoon General Hospital, where he had gone to attend an event. Later, a case was registered against Kamble on a complaint by the policeman. I request home minister Devendra Fadnavis to act upon it and if action isn't taken, I'll write a letter to him, said Sule. With parties gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections, Sule said she had no objection to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks over

My detractors see me in their dreams, people of Maha are with me: Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said his detractors see him in their dreams despite stealing the party's name and symbol and also know the people of Maharashtra are with him. The former chief minister was addressing supporters at his residence 'Matoshree' in Bandra in the western part of the metropolis. "Despite stealing my party's name and symbol, detractors see me in their dreams. They know Uddhav Thackeray is not alone, all of Maharashtra is with him," the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said. "Love and affection are not for sale. These emotions cannot be purchased," Thackeray asserted. Referring to some political workers rejoining Shiv Sena (UBT) in Ulhasnagar, part of Thane district, which is a stronghold of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Thackeray said the battle ahead was but struggles can be overcome with all loyalists sticking together and fighting. Speaking on the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Thackeray said that day he would offer prayer

Several museums in Mumbai receive e-mails threatening bomb blasts

Several museums in Mumbai, including the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum, received threatening emails warning about bomb blasts

Gems, jewellery industry to help Maha become $1 trn economy by 2030: Dy CM

The growing gems and jewellery industry will help Maharashtra reach its target of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030, state deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday. "The Gems and jewellery belong to Mumbai, and the city accounts for 72 per cent of the USD 37 billion annual exports. The Prime Minister has set a target of USD 75 billion for gem and jewellery exports by 2030. "This will be possible with the help of GJEPC instrumental in facilitating exports and making India one of the biggest international players," Fadnavis said while addressing India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) 2024 and the India Gem and Jewellery Machinery Expo (IGJME). The state government is providing the industry with hassle-free shipment, paperwork and ease of doing business, he said. "Soon, we shall have the new India Gems and Jewellery Park, a state government and industry collaboration, which will create a new ecosystem in the industry, and this will help us achieve our export .

Dawood Ibrahim's ancestral properties in Maharashtra to be auctioned today

Lawyer and Shiv Sena member Ajay Srivastava had bid for a string of shops in 2001, which are still caught in a legal tender

Ajit Pawar calls for public cooperation to tackle Covid-19 cases in Maha

"Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and we all are taking stock of the situation", Pawar further said

Maha Cabinet clears OPS for state employees who joined after Nov 2005

The Maharashtra cabinet on Thursday cleared a proposal that offers an option of availing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to the state government employees who joined the service after November 2005. The decision comes days after the government as well as semi-government employees and officials went on a strike to press for their demand of restoring the OPS. The cabinet gave its nod to the proposal that offers an option of the OPS to the state employees who joined the service post-November 2005, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. Talking to PTI, Vishwas Katkar, general secretary of the Maharashtra state employees' confederation, said, "The cabinet's decision will benefit some 26,000 state government employees who were selected before November 2005 but received joining letters later. This decision will benefit only these 26,000 state employees." There are as many as 9.5 lakh state employees who joined the service before November 2005 and they already enjoy the benefits of the OPS.

NMMC collects property tax of Rs 465 cr in first nine months of FY24

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has collected Rs 465.70 crore as property tax in nine months of the financial year 2023-24 compared to Rs 398.65 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal, officials said. Property tax is one of the major source of revenue for the NMMC. Navi Mumbai is a major industrial belt in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The civic body laid emphasis on recovering arrears, leveraging data from newly assessed properties and conducted the first phase of LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging - a remote sensing & surveying technology) survey in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area, an official release said. With three months still left, the NMMC has set a target of collecting property tax of Rs 800 crore in the financial year 2023-24.

Maharashtra now preferred destination for overseas investments: CM Shinde

Maharashtra has become a preferred destination for investments from various countries, reflecting the state's conducive business environment, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said. Welcoming the New Year by participating in a midnight blood donation camp here, Shinde also spoke about the growing impact of the Swachh Bharat Mission initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the positive impact of a deep cleaning drive taken up in Mumbai and its extension across the state. The CM highlighted the successful implementation of 85 per cent of the Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed during the Davos meet (in 2023). "Maharashtra has become a preferred destination for investments from various countries," he said. Underlining the commitment to people's welfare, Shinde said the Chief Minister's Relief Fund has provided assistance of over Rs 165 crore to more than 20,000 individuals since his government assumed office, a significant increase from the earlier disbursal of Rs 2 to 3 ..

Fire destroys factory in Maharashtra's Thane district; no injuries

A fire destroyed a factory in an industrial pocket in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Friday. No one was injured in the fire that broke out at the packaging unit at Taloja MIDC area around 8.30 pm on Thursday, he said. An official from the Taloja fire station said local firemen and others from neighbouring fire stations rushed to the spot and controlled the blaze. While the fire destroyed the factory, its cause is being probed, he added.

Maha CM Eknath Shinde announces 'Shivsankalp Abhiyaan' for Lok Sabha polls

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has set the Shiv Sena's Lok Sabha campaign rolling by announcing that he would tour all 48 constituencies in the state as part of the Shivsankalp Abhiyaan'. Addressing party workers through video conferencing on Thursday, Shinde asked them to prepare for the Lok Sabha polls, which will be held in the first half of 2024. He directed them to campaign for candidates of the ruling alliance or Mahayuti', which also includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party. The Shivsankalp Abhiyaan will start from January 6 from Yavatmal-Washim constituency. Over the next month, Shinde will visit 15 more constituencies covering different regions of the state, the CM's party said. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, out of the 48 seats in Maharashtra, the BJP secured 23 seats, followed by the undivided Shiv Sena with 18 seats and the NCP with 4 seats. The Congress and AIMIM each won one, while another went

Jarange's demands growing, but Maharashtra govt is helpless, says Bhujbal

Maharashtra food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday took a dig at Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange saying that his demands are growing but the Maharashtra government is helpless. Talking to reporters here, Bhujbal, who had earlier criticised Jarange, quipped that he was taking back all that he had said earlier. I also support all demands of Jarange. Who are OBCs...they are small, poor people. God also got scared of Jarange. What is law and order in front of Jarange? One minister must constantly be stationed next to him, said the NCP leader sarcastically. But the government is helpless, he said. The veteran OBC leader and founder of Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad has taken a contrarian stand to the Ekanth Shinde-led alliance government's decision to issue Kunbi (OBC) certificates to Marathas based on historical records to enable the beneficiaries to avail reservation in education and government jobs. His barbs came a day after three state ministers met the ...

Decision on caste census after taking opinion of all sections: CM Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said an appropriate decision on caste-based census will be taken after eliciting the opinion of all sections of society and keeping sentiments of the people in mind. Shinde visited the memorials of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder K B Hedgewar and second 'sarsanghchalak' MS Golwalkar in Reshimbagh area here and paid tributes to them. On Tuesday, RSS functionary Shridhar Gadge said there should no caste-based census and sought to know what will be achieved by it. Such an exercise may benefit some people politically as it will provide data about the population of a certain caste, but it is not good socially and in terms of national unity, said Gadge, the Vidarbha Sah-Sanghchalak. Notably, the Congress is in favour of a countrywide caste census. To a query on the RSS functionary's comments, Shinde on Wednesday said Maharashtra is a progressive state and its culture and traditions are different from other states. "Here al

Time has come for India to produce its own Bezos, Zuckerberg: Maha Guv

Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais on Saturday urged students to come up with innovative ideas to make the country a developed nation by 2047, saying it's time for India to produce its own Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. The governor was speaking at the convocation ceremony of a private management institute at Mira Road, on the outskirts of Mumbai. Referring to the Viksit Bharat @2047: Voice of Youth' vision, which was recently launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, Bais said students graduating this year will be at the peak of their professional careers in 2047. Destiny has given students a unique opportunity to transform India from a developing nation to a developed nation, he said, stressing that many countries of the world have taken a big leap to become developed nations at different times. After the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings, Japan rose from the ashes to become a leading manufacturing nation. South Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries have also .

SC asks Maha speaker to decide plea for disqualification of MLAs by Jan 10

The Supreme Court on Friday extended the deadline for Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to decide the cross-petitions filed by the rival factions of the Shiv Sena seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs from December 31 to January 10 next year . The top court, which granted 10 more days to the speaker, had earlier asked him to decide the disqualification pleas by December 31, saying the sanctity of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution (disqualification law) should be maintained. "The speaker has indicated that the proceedings will be closed on December 20 and the speaker has sought a reasonable extension of time for declaration of the order. Bearing in mind the time limit, which was set out by this court in its previous order dated October 30, was until December 31. We grant extension of time for pronouncement of orders till January 10," a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said. At the start of the brief ..

Oppn stages protest against Maha govt over unemployment, exam paper leaks

Leaders from the Opposition parties targeted the Maharashtra government over the issues of unemployment and exam paper leaks on Friday, the sixth day of the winter session of the state assembly. Legislators from the Maha Vikas Aghadi, constituting the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar faction and Congress, gathered on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan and raised slogans against the government. Leader of Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve, legislators Satej Patil and Sachin Ahir, among others, brought utensils and pakoras as part of the protest. Speaking to reporters, Danve claimed that the number of unemployed youth has increased in the state and while the government keeps advertising about jobs, it does not fill vacancies. "Unemployment and exam paper leaks are Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantees," he said.