Page 27 - Maharashtra Government

HC seeks Maha govt's response to pleas against order increasing OBC quota

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to submit its reply to a bunch of petitions challenging a March 1994 government resolution (GR) increasing reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor on Wednesday gave the government time till December 10 to file its affidavit and posted the matter for next hearing on January 3, 2024. The petitions claimed the reservation for OBCs was increased in 1994 without following due procedure. Incidentally, the issue of OBC reservation has come to the fore in recent months with some activists seeking reservation for the Maratha community in the OBC category. Some OBC leaders have been opposing the demand. According to one of the petitioners, Balasaheb Sarate, the OBC reservation in the state exceeds 42 per cent of the total reservation. Since 1994, more than 150 communities have been included in the OBC category without adhering to due procedure and

Maha air pollution crisis: CM Shinde calls for united efforts to curb issue

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said his government is making all efforts to curb rising pollution in Maharashtra and appealed for united efforts to make it happen. Speaking at a function after administering the pledge of 'pollution-free Diwali' to schoolchildren at Mantralaya, the state secretariat, Shinde said rising pollution levels have become a cause for global concern. The state government has focused on planting trees. Environment awareness campaigns are being conducted through Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and subsidies are being given for bamboo plantation, he said. Shinde said if children can make up their minds to celebrate a pollution-free Diwali, their parents will follow the same path. The CM's appeal comes at a time when Mumbai is witnessing rising air pollution levels. To control air pollution in Mumbai, the civic body has served notices to more than 100 contractors and real estate firms engaged in executing private and government projects, asking them to adhere

We will give Maratha reservation in 2 phases: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

The meeting of the Maharashtra Cabinet sub-committee will be conducted to discuss the way forward in finding a solution to providing reservation to the Maratha community

ED conducts raids in MP, K'taka, Maharashtra to probe illegal betting apps

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has seized Rs 46.5 lakh "unaccounted" cash after it carried out raids in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra as part of an investigation against some illegal betting apps. The searches were launched on Friday and locations in Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Hubballi (Karnataka) and Mumbai were covered. The ED case stems from an FIR of Madhya Pradesh Police filed against the operations of illegal online betting applications, the central agency said in a statement. Illegal online betting apps such as Dhangames and other 'satta matka' (betting) apps were being operated in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and other parts of the country to lure unsuspecting masses, it said. The apps allowed users to register via a mobile number and transfer money to Dhangames wallet via UPI and indulge in betting. The ED alleged that illegal money generated through these apps were laundered through a web of bogus bank accounts opened by a person named Lokesh Verm

Shinde announces Rs 10 lakh aid to kin of Agniveer who died in Siachen

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday announced an assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the family of Agniveer Akshay Laxman Gawate, who died in the line of duty in Siachen last week. Shinde also expressed condolences to the family over the death of Gawate, who hailed from Pimpalgaon Sarai in Buldhana district of Maharashtra, as per a statement. Situated at an altitude of around 20,000 feet in the Karakoram mountain range, Siachen is known as the world's highest militarised zone, where soldiers have to battle extreme cold and strong winds. Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande and all ranks of the force had condoled the death of Agniveer Gawate. "All ranks of Fire and Fury Corps salute the supreme sacrifice of #Agniveer (Operator) Gawate Akshay Laxman, in the line of duty, in the unforgiving heights of #Siachen and offer deepest condolences to the family," the Army's Leh-headquartered Fire and Fury Corps said on X on Sunday.

Air quality in Mumbai will improve in two months' time, says minister

Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar on Wednesday said with all the steps taken for air pollution mitigation, it will take upto two months for the air quality in Mumbai to improve. Speaking at a news conference at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters, Kesarkar, who is the guardian minister of Mumbai, said dust particles was the major cause of air pollution in the city. The BMC on Wednesday came out with air pollution mitigation guidelines for construction sites and other sources of air pollution. "Now this action has been started, and in the coming one or two months, you will see its results," Kesarkar said. The Maharashtra government has set up a committee to study the issue and its work has started, he said. The companies implementing big infrastructure projects in Mumbai have agreed to participate in the initiative taken for improving the air quality, Kesarkar said. "Providing clean air to the citizens of Mumbai is also the responsibility of the government

TCS gets notice from Maha Labour Ministry over lateral onboarding delay

While the number of lateral employees impacted by this delay could not be confirmed, according to NITES complaint filed in July, over 200 employees were impacted

Restaurant owners urge Maha govt to rollback 5% hike in VAT on liquor

The Hotel And Restaurant Association (Western India) - HRAWI, on Wednesday urged the Maharashtra government to roll back the 5 per cent increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) on liquor served at bars and restaurants across the state. On October 22, the Maharashtra government raised VAT for permit room liquor service by 5 per cent, resulting in a new total rate of 10 per cent, according to the state government notification. HRAWI in a representation submitted to the chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar, and tourism minister Girish Mahajan requested the rollback of the 5 per cent increase in VAT on liquor served at bars and restaurants across the state. Expressing concern and surprise at the unexpected increase in VAT on liquor, HRAWI has stated that the significant hike in taxes will have adverse effects on the hospitality industry, particularly on restaurants and bars and subsequently impact the state's tourism sector. "Tourism is a vital .

Sanjay Raut takes on Maharashtra govt over rising drug cases in state

"First of all, Ravana of drugs will have to be ended in Maharashtra. Udta Punjab is now done; do you want to destroy Maharashtra?" he asked

Govt employees to hold Family March on Nov 8 for Old Pension Scheme in Maha

Nearly 17 lakh government and semi-government employees in Maharashtra have decided to hold a "Family March" in every district and tehsil of the state on November 8 to demand restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). Participants of the march, to be taken out with the slogan of 'My Family, My Pension', will reach the offices of district collectors and tehsildars to press for their demand, Vishwas Katkar, convenor of a coordination committee of various organisations of state employees, said on Monday. The OPS was discontinued in the state in 2005. "We have decided to take out a 'Family March' in each district and tehsil on November 8 and submit our demand of restoration of the OPS. If there is no proper response, then we will go on an indefinite strike from December 14 for the demand of OPS, Katkar said. The employees have been disappointed with the Maharashtra government for not fulfilling their demand for the OPS, which provides an assured and reliable source of income ...

Ceinsys Tech hits 20% upper limit on winning Rs 248 cr order from Maha govt

The company has secured work allocation order from State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM), Water Supply and Sanitation Department (WSSD), Government of Maharashtra amounting to Rs 248.39 crore.

Maharashtra speaker to club all Shiv Sena disqualification petitions

Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar on Friday decided to club the cross-petitions filed by the rival Shiv Sena factions seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs after a split in the party last year, and hear them together, an opposition legislator said after attending a hearing on the matter. He gave time till October 25 to the ruling Shiv Sena headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the rival faction led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray to submit their written replies to the petitions submitted by them to the speaker's office, said the legislator. Sunil Prabhu, an MLA of the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT), said the speaker has decided to club all disqualification petitions and hear them together. The next hearing will take place on October 26, he said. The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction had earlier demanded that all the cross-petitions petitions be heard together so that the proceedings are concluded expeditiously. This demand was, however, opposed by the Shinde-led Shiv ..

Congress says pollution rising in Mumbai; demands MVA 'action plan'

Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad has claimed the city's air quality index has surpassed the danger level in the last few days due to which people are suffering from respiratory problems, and asked the Maharashtra government to implement the previous MVA regime's climate action plan. She also demanded an audit of expenses of all projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and criticised the manifold increase in their costs. "The state government should at least take into account views of the opposition parties in matters of public interest," Gaikwad said in a statement. She demanded that the government implement the Mumbai Climate Action Plan prepared during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime. "A few years ago, Delhi had the worst air quality level, but Mumbai has overtaken Delhi too. The heat and humidity has also increased due to smog. This is affecting the health of Mumbaikars and there has been an increase in respiratory diseases," she said. According to a ...

TPREL & Endurance Tech to set up 12.5 MW captive solar plant in Maharashtra

Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL) on Monday said it has signed an agreement with Endurance Technologies Ltd for setting up a 12.5 MW captive solar plant in Maharashtra. It has already signed a Power Delivery Agreement (PDA) with Endurance Technologies Ltd through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) TP Green Nature Ltd in this regards, TPREL said in a statement. The plant will be set up at Aachegaon in Maharashtra and will generate 27.5 Million Units (MUs) of electricity every year. This will help reduce Endurance Technologies' carbon footprints and mitigate approximately 9,125 Metric Tonnes (MT) of carbon emissions annually, it said. The project is expected to be completed within 12 months of the signing of the PDA. "Our partnership with Endurance Technologies Ltd to set up a captive solar plant will support them in adopting sustainable energy solutions," TPREL CEO Ashish Khanna said. At TPREL, we are dedicated to support energy-intensive businesses across multiple industries t

Shinde orders probe into Samruddhi Expressway accident, announces ex-gratia

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday ordered a probe into a road accident on the Samruddhi Expressway which claimed 12 lives. The kin of each of the deceased will get a compensation of Rs five lakh from the state government, Shinde said. A speeding mini-bus hit a container truck in Vaijapur area on the Samruddhi Expressway in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in the early hours of Sunday, killing at least 12 people and injuring 23 others, as per police. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a post on X said an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) would be given to the next of kin of each deceased and the injured persons would be given Rs 50,000. Chief Minister Shinde termed the incident as unfortunate and in a post on X said he has given directives to find out reasons behind the fatal accident near Vaijapur. Order

Maharashtra govt to set up ST Commission, review tribal population status

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday announced that a Scheduled Tribes Commission will be set up on the lines of the National Commission for STs. He also hinted at increasing the number of villages having a sizeable population of tribal communities which were earlier not part of any government schemes. Chairing a meeting of officials and concerned ministers, the chief minister ordered a review of the current status of tribal population in various parts of the state, a statement said. Following the review, new areas, including villages, will be notified as "aspirational" districts which could lead to an increase in the number of villages with a sizeable population of tribals than the existing ones. At the meeting, Shinde approved the proposal to set up a dedicated commission for scheduled tribes which would be a statutory body, said an official. Shinde's deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were also present along with the ministers concerned and officials fro

MNS stir against toll: Raj Thackeray calls state's biggest scam, slams CM

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Monday warned the state government that his party workers will set fire to toll booths in the state if they are stopped from ensuring that small vehicles are exempted from paying toll charges. Speaking to reporters here, Thackeray alleged toll collection in Maharashtra is the biggest scam in the history of the state. I have sought an appointment with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the next couple of days. Will see what comes out of that meeting, otherwise, keeping the deputy chief minister's (Devendra Fadnavis) statement in mind, MNS workers will gather at every toll booth and ensure that four, three and two-wheelers are not charged tolls. If we are stopped, we will set it ablaze, Thackeray said. Thackeray was referring to Fadnavis' statement on Sunday in which he said small vehicles are exempted from paying tolls. All political parties have come to power in the state in the last few years, but, none of them implemented their

Shah Rukh Khan given Y+ security cover after death threats from gangsters

Six armed security personnel will accompany Khan round the clock under the Y+ security cover

Will meet CM to discuss toll hike issue, says MNS chief Raj Thackeray

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday said he would meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss the issue of toll hike against which his party workers have been protesting. Thackeray spoke to reporters in Thane after meeting party leader Avinash Jadhav who has been on a hunger strike for the last four days to protest the toll hike that came into effect on October 1. The MNS chief said he would meet the chief minister in the next couple of days and discuss the toll hike and other issues faced by the people of the state. The previous Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in its election manifesto had promised to make Maharashtra free of toll, but the promise was not kept, he said. Thackeray further claimed that Shinde had in the past filed a petition in court regarding toll and later withdrew it and questioned on whose instruction he had taken the plea back. The MNS leader urged the citizens to retaliate and revolt to make the government realise its mistakes. The ruling

FIR registered against Nanded govt hospital dean, doctor on homicide charge

Police have registered an FIR against the acting dean and a doctor of a government hospital in Maharashtra's Nanded district, where 31 patients died in 48 hours, on the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, an official said on Thursday. The case was lodged against Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital's acting dean S R Wakode and a head paediatrician, following a complaint by a person in connection with the death of his daughter and her newborn child at the facility, he said. They were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 34 (common intention), the official said. As many as 31 deaths, including those of infants, were recorded at the hospital in 48 hours since September 30. Six more deaths were recorded at the facility from October 2 to 3, according to officials. As per the FIR, 21-year-old pregnant woman Anjali was taken to the hospital at around 8 pm on September 30. She delivered a baby