Page 116 - Maharashtra

Maha cabinet expansion to take place before monsoon session: Shambhuraj

Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Shambhuraj Desai on Tuesday said the much awaited cabinet expansion will take place before the state legislature's monsoon session or even before that. The monsoon session's schedule has not yet been announced. Talking to reporters, Desai also said that seat-sharing between the Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Lok Sabha polls due next year has not been finalised. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats. In 2019, the Shiv Sena (then undivided) contested 23 seats and won 18. Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the state cabinet will be expanded soon and the timeline will be decided by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. On August 9 last year, 18 ministers were inducted in the Shinde-Fadnavis government after it came to power in June, while as per rules the council of ministers in the state can have a maximum of 43 members. However, neither Shinde nor Fadnavis

Maharashtra CM Shinde launches cluster redevelopment programme in Thane

The cluster redevelopment programme, in which several buildings in an area are rebuilt together as one unit to get economies of scale as well as space, would be extended to the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region, said Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday. Launching the cluster redevelopment programme in Thane, Shinde said it was a historic move as the state government had amended rules and regulations for the relief of the people, especially those living in tenements that have been declared dangerous. "Cluster redevelopment is my dream. I remember how Sairaj building (in Shinde's locality) collapsed in 1997 and claimed several lives. As a (party) worker, I had pulled out people from the debris," said Shinde at the function, in which two couples from the ill-fated building were also invited. "The struggle (for cluster redevelopment) started then and today it is a reality. I had warned at the time that I would jump off the Assembly building if cluster redevelopment does n

Maha Ex-CM Manohar Joshi out of ICU, but remains semiconscious: Hospital

Former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena stalwart Manohar Joshi was on Monday shifted out of the ICU of a private hospital, where he was admitted last month after a brain haemorrhage, as his health has stabilised though he remains in semiconscious state, said the medical facility here. Joshi (85), a former Lok Sabha speaker, was admitted to the P D Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Mumbai on May 22. "Mr Joshi has been shifted out of the ICU (intensive care unit) and his health is currently stable. However, he remains semiconscious," said an official statement issued by the multi-specialty hospital. The veteran politician's health is being monitored closely, said the statement. "Our team of experts continues to closely monitor his health," the hospital said. Joshi was the chief minister of Maharashtra from 1995 to 1999 and headed the first-ever Shiv Sena-BJP government formed in the state. A key figure in the undivided Shiv Sena, he served as the Lok

Cabinet expansion soon, timeline to be decided by CM Shinde: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the state cabinet will be expanded soon and the timeline will be decided by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He also said Shiv Sena, led by Shinde, and BJP will fight all elections together, which was discussed during their meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. "Maharashtra cabinet will be expanded soon. CM Shinde will decide when it will happen," he told reporters. On August 9 last year, 18 ministers were inducted in the Shinde-Fadnavis government after it came to power in June, while as per rules the council of ministers in the state can have a maximum of 43 members. However, neither Shinde nor Fadnavis had given a specific timeline for the expansion of the council of ministers. Earlier, Shinde in a tweet informed that he and Fadnavis met Shah in Delhi on Sunday night. "Yesterday, we (Shiv Sena and BJP) discussed fighting all elections together and planning the joint strategy. We have

Shiv Sena, BJP will contest all future elections jointly: Maharashtra CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest all future elections together, including civic polls. Shinde, whose Shiv Sena shares power with the BJP in Maharashtra, in a tweet also informed that he and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Sunday night. During the meeting, it was decided that all future elections (including the Lok Sabha, Assembly and civic bodies) will be contested jointly by the Shiv Sena and BJP. We will contest and win the elections with majority, the CM tweeted along with a photograph of his meeting with Shah. Shinde and Fadnavis went to Delhi on Sunday evening and held a meeting with Shah. The CM said issues related to agriculture and cooperation were discussed during the meeting with Shah. Several pending projects in the state have been streamlined now and they are on way to completion, he said. "We have always received guidance from Prime Ministe

Pench Tiger Reserve starts dairy project in buffer zone of forest areas

The Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra's Nagpur district has started a cooperative dairy project in its buffer zone to enhance the livelihood of people living there and reduce the pressure on the protected forest, officials said. Under the project, 40 high-yielding milch cattle have been distributed in Awaleghat, Makardhokda and Chargaon villages and a milk collection centre has been established at Awaleghat, a release by Pench tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, deputy director Prabhu Nath Shukla said on Saturday. Apart from helping the villagers earn more, the move is also aimed at stopping cattle from grazing in the forest by promoting stall feeding and reducing potential conflicts with wild animals, he said. The Pench reserve, which derives its name from the river Pench, is spread over 741.41 square kilometres. At last count, it had 41 tigers, said officials. Shukla said the project has come up with funding of Rs 25 lakh from the Forest Development Corporation Of Maharashtra under its

Maha Cong takes stock of 41 LS seats, to review constituencies separately

The Maharashtra Congress has taken stock of 41 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state while the review of six constituencies in Mumbai and Chandrapur seat will be done separately, state party president Nana Patole has said. The allocation of seats will be discussed in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) meeting, Patole said on Saturday. Maharashtra sends 48 members to the Lok Sabha. Speaking to reporters on the last day of the two-day review meeting of the Congress, Patole said his party is prepared to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with enthusiasm and the resolve to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party. 'The review of 41 Lok Sabha constituencies (out of the total 48) is complete. The review of Chandrapur and six constituencies in Mumbai will be conducted separately. The discussion has been positive. Congress workers want the party to contest the maximum number of constituencies," he said. The tripartite MVA comprises the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP

Govt land in Mumbai will be freed of encroachment: Minister Lodha

Mumbai suburban district's guardian minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Friday said encroachment on government land throughout the city will be removed. As much as 1,000 sq meter of land was cleared of encroachment in Malwani area recently, he told reporters here. "The cleared land will be used for Indian sports. If government land has been encroached upon, bulldozers will be used,' he said.

Winnability to be key criteria for seat-sharing among MVA allies: Chavan

Chavan said the Congress is a national outfit and will take a decision on the number of Lok Sabha seats it wants to contest in the state based on feedback from party workers

Maharashtra CM takes part in celebrations of Shivaji Maharaj's coronation

Celebrations marking the 350th anniversary of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj began at the Raigad fort in Maharashtra on Friday morning in presence of state Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. As per the Gregorian calendar, the Maratha warrior king was coronated on June 6, 1674, at the Raigad fort from where he had laid the foundation of "Hindavi Swaraj" or self-rule of Hindus. As per the Hindu calendar, the anniversary of his coronation falls on June 2 this year. Shinde and Fadnavis took part in various rituals to mark the coronation of Shivaji Maharaj at the Raigad fort, around 170 km from here. Culture Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar performed 'jalabhishek' (ritual of offering water) on the idol of the 17th century king. The water was collected from rivers across Maharashtra. A state police band paid obeisance to the founder of the Maratha empire by playing Maharashtra's state song 'Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha, Garja Maharashtra Majha'. Flower ..

Ahmednagar to be renamed as Ahilyanagar: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

Fadnavis, Shinde, and many state ministers were in Ahmednagar to attend an event commemorating the Holkar Queen's Ahilyabai birth anniversary

Siddaramaiah urges Shinde to release water to K'taka district hit by summer

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday requested his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde to release water from Warna/Koyna reservoir to Krishna river and from Ujjani reservoir to Bhima river for drinking water needs in the State. In his letter to Shinde, which was also marked to the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Siddaramaiah cited severe summer situation prevailing in the northern districts of Karnataka. "The North Karnataka districts such as Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Yadagiri and Raichur are facing acute shortage of drinking water due to severe summer since March, 2023," the Chief Minister said in his letter. According to him, the Karnataka government had earlier requested for three TMC water from Warna/Koyna reservoir to Krishna river and three TMC from Ujjani reservoir to Bhima river to meet the drinking water needs of human beings and livestock. Accordingly, in the first fortnight of May, the Maharashtra government released

Twin-tunnel done, Mumbai Coastal Road races to completion in Nov

With this, the total project progress is given as 75 per cent including 100 per cent tunnel works done, 95 per cent reclamation completed and 84 per cent of the sea-walls built

Maha CM directs officials to form disaster response teams at civic levels

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday directed officials to form state disaster response teams at every divisional commissionerate and asked civic bodies to set up teams for immediate rescue work at their level. In a meeting of state disaster management authorities here, Shinde said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) cannot reach every disaster site well in time and hence, disaster response teams should be formed at all divisional commissionerates. Presently, two teams of the NDRF are stationed at Dhule and Nagpur. Citing that the Thane Municipal Corporation has set up a disaster response team, which has done excellent work, especially during building collapse incidents, Shinde said all civic bodies should set up their rescue teams, mainly in places where there are high-rise buildings and high chances of disasters. The chief minister also directed officials to spend the state disaster risk management fund effectively and to start Konkan disaster ...

Bandra-Versova sealink to be named after Savarkar, says Maha CM Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the upcoming Bandra-Versova sea link in the western part of Mumbai will be named after Hindutva ideologue late VD Savarkar, while a state-level gallantry award on the lines of the one given by the Centre will also be named after him. Speaking in New Delhi on the birth anniversary of Savarkar, the CM said some people were deliberately maligning the former for their selfish gains and out of fright that they will have to shut shop if his thoughts become popular in society. It was the first time Savarkar's birth anniversary was being celebrated in the state government-constructed Maharashtra Sadan there, he added. "The critics of Savarkar know if his thoughts become popular in society, they will have to shut shop. Imagine how terrified they are that they oppose Savarkar even after 57 years of his death," he said. "There have been deliberate and consistent attempts to malign the image of Savarkar by some for their selfish gains. It

Inauguration of new Parliament greatest tribute to Savarkar: Maha CM Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the inauguration of the new Parliament building in Delhi was the greatest tribute to Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar and all Maharashtrians. Shinde also said the political parties which boycotted the event have shown "deep disrespect" to India's democracy and Savarkar, whose 140th birth anniversary is being observed on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building in the national capital on Sunday morning and installed the historic Sengol in the Lok Sabha chamber. Amid Vedic chants by priests from Karnataka's Shringeri Math, the prime minister performed "Ganapati Homam" to invoke Gods to bless the inauguration of the new Parliament building. A multi-faith prayer was also held to mark the occasion. The new Parliament building, constructed by Tata Projects Ltd, will have a grand constitution hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for MPs, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining

Cleared hurdles in Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project: Maharashtra CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said his administration has removed all obstacles that held up the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Shinde made this statement during the meeting of the Niti Ayog Governing Council here. "My government has removed all obstacles from the ambitious national scheme, Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train, which were pending in the last government's tenure," Shinde said. He said the Shiv Sena-BJP government had also resolved the Aarey land dispute for the Metro Car Shed and mobilised the Metro projects. "A 337-km-long metro network is being developed in Mumbai, Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Thane which is a network bigger than in Europe," Shinde said. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad semi-high speed railway, popularly known as the bullet train, is a showpiece project of the Modi government. It had run into delays during the MVA government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray owing to problems in

Govts of same ideology in Centre, state have benefitted Maha: CM Shinde

Governments of the same ideology are working in the Centre and state, because of which people of Maharashtra were getting benefits of various schemes, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said here on Friday. Criticising the Opposition parties' stand of boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Shinde claimed that they were doing so to deny credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his work. Shinde was speaking at the inauguration of a 'Shasan Aplya Dari' event in Kannad area of Aurangabad, during which funds were disbursed to 1.49 lakh beneficiaries under various schemes. "Both the state and Centre have governments of the same ideology. Hence, people of Maharashtra are getting benefits of various schemes. The Centre has sanctioned proposals for urban development, roads and railways. Basic facilities have been sanctioned by the Centre without curtailing a single rupee," the chief minister said. He further expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also .

Seat-sharing formula will be same as that in 2019, says Shinde-led Sena

The seat-sharing arrangement between the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party will be the same as that in 2019, senior Sena leader Gajanan Kirtikar said on Friday. The BJP, on the other hand, said no decision had been taken on the issue yet. The Sena, which was then undivided, and the BJP had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in alliance. Shiv Sena contested 22 seats (out of 48) last time and won 18, and BJP contested 26 and won 23. The arrangement will be the same this time. We have already started preparations (for the 2024 polls), Kirtikar told reporters here. Of 18 Lok Sabha members of the Shiv Sena from Maharashtra, 13 owe allegiance to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and five belong to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. Sena spokesperson and state education minister Deepak Kesarkar too said elsewhere that his party hoped that the seat-sharing formula will remain unchanged. But BJP leader and culture minister Sudhir Mungantiwar maintained that no formula

No LS seat-sharing talks between BJP, CM Shinde-led Sena yet: Mungantiwar

Amid reports that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena plans to stake claim to 22 out of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the next year's general elections, senior BJP leader and minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Friday said seat-sharing talks between the two ruling allies are yet to be held. When asked about reports that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which shares power with the Shinde-led Sena in the state, is in no mood to accept the demands of its ally on the Lok Sabha seats, Mungantiwar maintained that no BJP leader has said that Shinde's demands will not be accepted. Talking to reporters at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, the Culture Minister said, "No formula for seat sharing has been decided as yet." 'No BJP leader has said that Eknath Shinde 's demands will not be accepted. Shinde joined hands with the BJP to provide a government that works to protect the interest of people. His demands would be respected. BJP has high regards for the Shiv Sena earli