Page 8 - Maharashtra Government

Fadnavis asks to inquire Shinde's previous decision, hinting widening rift

CM Fadnavis issued an order in which he underlined some 'irregularities' in the state's Minimum Support Price schemes and selection of nodal agencies for crop procurement

SC seeks response from Maharashtra, Assam govts on Ashish Chanchlani's plea

The Supreme Court on Friday sought response of Maharashtra and Assam governments on a plea of YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani seeking to quash or transfer to Mumbai an FIR registered in Guwahati in connection with a case of allegedly promoting obscenity in an online show. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued notice and tagged Chanchlani's plea with influencer Ranveer Allahbadia's pending petition. At the outset, the bench told Chanchlani's counsel that he was already granted bail in the matter. Counsel for Chanchlani admitted that he has got the relief but he was against lodging multiple of the FIR in connection with that one particular show. The bench said it was already hearing the issue and tagged Chanchlani's plea. On February 18, the top court granted interim protection from arrest to podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia over his comments on a YouTube show while calling it "vulgar" and saying he had "dirty mind" which put the society to shame. Several FIRs were lodg

Fadnavis asks to remove objectionable Wikipedia content on Sambhaji Maharaj

The controversy about the respected King Sambhaji Maharaj started after the release of the film Chhaava

"We are thanda thanda, cool cool," Shinde on friction rumours with Fadnavis

The reported standoff between the BJP and Sena- initially sparked by the unresolved allocation of guardian minister posts for Raigad and Nashik- has now spread to other spheres of authority

Maharashtra govt constitutes panel to study, implement MSP schemes

The Maharashtra government on Monday issued an order to form a committee to study and implement minimum support price (MSP) schemes under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA). As per the order, the committee will submit a detailed report within one month, including suggestions and recommendations for the government on effectively implementing the MSP schemes across the state. The state Cooperation, Marketing and Textile Department issued the government resolution (GR) on Monday. The price support scheme (PSF) and price stabilisation scheme (PSS) for the purchase of agricultural produce come under the PM-AASHA. The GR stated that in October 2018, under the Union government, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare issued guidelines for implementing these schemes. According to these guidelines, the Central government guarantees the purchase of up to 25 per cent of the total production of essential agricultural commodities at the MSP, and this process

Maharashtra invites realtors to develop 3,360 acres owned by state bus corp

Developers will be given commercial portions on a lease period that is proposed to be extended up to 99 years

Guillain-Barre Syndrome: 167 cases detected, 7 deaths so far in Maharashtra

Further, as per officials, seven deaths have been reported, of which one was confirmed as GBS, while six remain suspected

Activist alleges Rs 88 cr 'scam' in agriculture dept under Dhananjay Munde

Activist Anjali Damania on Tuesday alleged a Rs 88 crore 'scam' in the agriculture department when NCP leader Dhananjay Munde held the portfolio in the previous Mahayuti coalition government in Maharashtra. Despite the Union government's 2016 directive to transfer money directly to farmers' bank accounts under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), the agriculture department purchased equipment and fertilisers for distribution to farmers at inflated rates, she claimed. Reaction from Munde's office to the allegations was awaited. The NCP leader, now minister for Food and Civil Supplies, is already under fire over the arrest of his aide Walmik Karad in an extortion case related to the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district. Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat told reporters that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will "certainly take notice" of the allegations and order an inquiry. Speaking at a press conference here, Damania presented documents related to the alleged scam. "These

Maharashtra govt contemplating use of AI in agriculture sector: Ajit Pawar

The Maharashtra government is considering the use of artificial intelligence (AI) on an experimental basis in the agriculture sector to boost productivity and reduce production costs for farmers, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Monday. During a review meeting here, Pawar directed the state agriculture department to work with the cooperation department to assess the technical and financial feasibility of the project. State Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, Minister of State for Agriculture Ashish Jayswal, Minister of State for Cooperation Pankaj Bhoyar, President of the All India Grape Growers Association Kailas Patil, and other senior officials attended the meeting. Pawar said, "As crucial factors like crop health, soil carbon levels and soil health can be monitored using AI, we can use it on an experimental basis in the agriculture sector to boost productivity and reduce product cost for farmers." He said the transformation has to be practical and financially viable f

Maharashtra govt to refund Shah Rukh Khan Rs 9 cr for Mannat lease premium

The Maharashtra Government would be refunding Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan Rs 9 crore that he had paid in excess to convert the lease of his sea-facing bungalow 'Mannat'. Resident suburban collector Satish Bagal said on Saturday that in 2019, Shah rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan converted the lease of the heritage property in Bandra to 'class 1 complete ownership', and paid the government some premium for it. After discovering a tabulation error on the basis of which the premium was calculated, the Khans filed an application before the revenue authority for refund which was sanctioned earlier this week, he said. The actor had reportedly paid upwards of Rs 25 crore in premium, but officials did not confirm the figure immediately.

Maharashtra govt forms SIT to probe 'delayed' birth, death certificates

The Maharashtra government has set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the issuance of birth and death certificates on "delayed" applications in an attempt to check the rise in Bangladeshi immigrants, an official said on Saturday. The SIT led by Inspector General Datta Karale will probe the issuance of birth and death certificates on delayed applications, the official from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) told PTI. Delayed applications are those that are made at least a year after the birth or death of a person. The issue of Bangladeshis entering India and residing in the country illegally has gained prominence after the police arrested Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi national, for the knife attack on actor Saif Ali Khan in Mumbai. Confirming the development, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told PTI that the probe will cover certificates that were already issued and applications received. The government's decision

SC pulls up Maha govt for not allocating funds for solid waste management

Irked over non-implementation of rules, the Supreme Court on Friday pulled up the Maharashtra government for failing to allocate funds for solid waste treatment plants in the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation and said the state was duty-bound to protect the environment. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan expressed strong disapproval of Maharashtra's previous stand that there were no funds available for essential projects. It directed the state to submit a detailed affidavit specifying the time the funds would be released and the number of civic bodies in Maharashtra complying with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The affidavit would be filed by February 21. On January 15, the bench was dissatisfied over the stand of the Urban Development Department of Mumbai claiming they lacked funds for the plants and asked the principal secretary to appear through video-conferencing and explain the stand before it on January 24. "A very strange stand has been taken

Blackstone to invest $11 bn in Maharashtra to develop infra, data centers

Blackstone signed three agreements with the Maharashtra govt at the World Economic Forum in Davos. It plans to develop office complexes, hotels, malls, and warehouses in the Mumbai 3.0 region

Reliance to invest Rs 3.05 trillion in Maharashtra, creating 300k jobs

The Maharashtra government signed over 50 MoUs with prominent companies at the ongoing World Economic Forum, including the Tata Group, Ceat, Essar Renewables, and Bharat Forge

Irregularities found in crop insurance scheme: Maharashtra agri minister

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate has admitted irregularities in the implementation of the Re 1 crop insurance scheme for farmers, noting places of worship were shown as agricultural lands to claim benefits. More than four lakh crop insurance applications, some filed even by those residing outside Maharashtra, have been rejected, Kokate on Tuesday said, adding a "bogus industry" has come to light which involves non-eligible people seeking benefits of the scheme. The minister, however, asserted that no money has been actually lost as funds were not transferred by the government into the bank accounts linked to bogus applications. Speaking to the media here, Kokate said instances of malpractice in the scheme have been identified in several aspects, including cases where mosques, temples and vacant lands were falsely declared as agricultural lands to claim benefits. "I have instructed district collectors to take immediate action," he said. The crop insurance scheme was

Maharashtra CM Fadnavis orders to make forts encroachment-free by May 31

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a crackdown on encroachments at forts across the state, aiming to remove illegal structures by May 31, an official said on Tuesday. The district collectors have been asked to prepare fort-wise lists of encroachments by January 31, the official said. The chief minister has said that to ensure a systematic approach, district-level committees under the chairmanship of collectors will be formed, and these will oversee the phased removal of encroachments from February 1 to May 31. He said the government will also set up vigilance committees to prevent future encroachments. "Public demand for decisive action had been growing, and the government has responded accordingly," Fadnavis said. Maharashtra is home to 47 forts that are centrally protected, 62 state-protected, and approximately 300 unprotected forts. The initiative aims to preserve the historical and aesthetic significance of these cultural landmarks. On Monday, the state

Mahayuti's appointment of guardian ministers shows rift in alliance: Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday alleged that the Mahayuti government's handling of the appointment of guardian minister was a sign of internal discord in the alliance. The state government on Saturday announced guardian ministers for 36 districts of the state, but a day later, issued an order to stay the appointments for Nashik and Raigad. NCP's Aditi Tatkare was appointed as the guardian minister for Raigad, while BJP leader Girish Mahajan was given the responsibility of Nashik. Talking to reporters, Raut said, "The government is failing to manage its internal conflicts. (Deputy Chief Minister) Eknath Shinde's anger over the allocation of guardian ministers is clear, and his authority is being questioned." The Rajya Sabha MP was reacting to reports of Eknath Shinde's dissatisfaction over the appointments for Raigad and Nashik. He also hinted that state Industries Minister and Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant might be groomed as a possible replacement for Shinde. Accordi

National Startup Day: Fadnavis inks MoU with SIDBI to create 100 cr fund

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) to establish a Rs 100 crore fund."We have signed an MOU with SIDBI. Earlier, funds which were managed at Mumbai. Now, a 30 crore fund will be available at every divisional centre," he said.He was speaking at the National Startup Day program under the Department of Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship & Innovation organised by Maharashtra State Innovation Society in Mumbai.The event was themed 'Empowering Innovation, Elevating Maharashtra'. The event saw participation from 1,000 start-ups in technology, agriculture, service industries, pharmaceuticals, and tourism from across the nation.He further said that more than 300 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and startups, who have successfully created their space in the defence manufacturing sector, were created by the Maharashtra government."In Maharashtra, we were ...

Maharashtra to establish Innovation City similar to GIFT City: CM Fadnavis

He added that the state is planning to finalise a new startup policy in the next two months, which would be opened to the public for consultation and comments

Form panel to consider phasing out petrol, diesel vehicles: HC to Maha govt

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to form a panel to explore the feasibility of phasing out diesel and petrol vehicles, saying automobiles choking Mumbai's roads are a major contributor to the city's worsening air quality. A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Girish Kulkarni directed the government to form a committee of experts and civil administrators within a fortnight to consider whether it will be feasible to phase out diesel- and petrol-based vehicles from Mumbai's roads and permit only those running on CNG or electricity. The order was passed on a public interest litigation that the HC had taken up on its own in 2023 over the city's poor Air Quality Index (AQI). The court had heard the matter on January 9. In its detailed order made available on Wednesday, the bench said vehicular pollution was a major contributor to worsening air quality in the city. The roads in Mumbai Metropolitan Region are choked with vehicles and dens