Page 118 - Maharashtra

Citizens in Mumbai to receive weather updates on phones during monsoon: BMC

Citizens in Mumbai will receive weather updates on their mobile phones through SMSes during monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Tuesday. "An SMS alert will be sent to citizens during an emergency," the BMC said. BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Tuesday chaired a meeting with various agencies on disaster management as monsoon preparedness. Officials of BEST, MMRDA, MSRDC, PWD, Mumbai Metro, Railways, NDRF, IMD, MHADA and other agencies along with the civic officials attended the meeting. The District Disaster Management Department has set up a control room to provide timely alerts about weather conditions and it has a mechanism to provide real-time weather alerts. Chahal directed all departments and agencies to expedite coordination to mitigate the possible challenges during the monsoon, the release said. For the smooth operation of suburban trains, which are used by more than 70 lakh people daily, Chahal directed the BMC's garden department to comp

Param Bir Singh was rewarded for slandering MVA govt: Cong state chief

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Tuesday alleged that the Eknath Shinde-led state government dropped the charges against retired IPS officer Param Bir Singh as a reward for maligning the image of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The state government dropped the charges against Singh, a former Mumbai police commissioner, following a ruling by the Central Administrative Tribunal. Speaking to reporters here, Patole alleged that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and home minister Devendra Fadnavis "deliberately weakened the case and ensured that the IPS officer would walk free on technical grounds." Singh defamed the MVA government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress by accusing the then home minister Anil Deshmukh of corruption, Patole said. The Bombay High Court had given clear instructions to the CBI to register an FIR against Singh following a probe, and a departmental inquiry was also expected, the Congress leader said. But the Shinde-Fadnavis government did nothing

Maharashtra home department should probe if violence is deliberate: NCP

The Maharashtra home department should investigate whether recent incidents of violence follow any pattern or happened out of misunderstanding, state Nationalist Congress Party chief Jayant Patil said on Tuesday. Maharashtra witnessed communal clashes on Saturday and Sunday in Akola city and Shevgaon village in Ahmednagar district, respectively, in which one person was killed and 13 others injured. In another incident, members of a different religion allegedly tried to force their way into the famous Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik, prompting the state government to set up an SIT. The home department should look deeply into the frequent incidents wherein riot-like situations prevailed and take steps accordingly. It should be thoroughly investigated whether these riots are taking place due to some misunderstanding or are deliberate," Patil told reporters. He said the state needs to ensure that such incidents do not happen in future. Speaking about violence, Maharashtra Deputy Chief .

Internet restored in Maharashtra's Akola, curfew in select areas to remain

Internet services in Maharashtra's Akola city, where one person was killed and eight others were injured in a communal clash last Saturday, were restored and shops opened on Tuesday but the curfew will remain in force in select areas for now, a senior officer said. Police have so far arrested 115 people in connection with the violence that erupted on May 13 night in the sensitive Old City area over a social media post and registered six cases at the Old City and Ramdas Peth police stations. On Tuesday, Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Sanjay Saxena, inspected the riot-affected areas in the old city and Dabki Road. He also interacted with citizens. "Shops which were shut due to violence reopened today. Internet services are restored. However, a curfew will remain in force from 8 pm to 8 am in areas under the limits of Old City and Dabki Road police stations," Akola (city) superintendent of police Sandip Ghuge told reporters. A heavy security force is deployed in

EC's allotment of Shiv Sena name to Shinde faction a prospective decision

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Tuesday said the Election Commission's decision to allot the 'Shiv Sena' name and its symbol to the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is a "prospective" decision and not restropective. Speaking to reporters here after a meeting with some officials in the Vidhan Bhavan, Narwekar also said the decision on disqualification of 16 MLAs including CM Shinde will start from the point of which faction was representing the actual Shiv Sena in July 2022. The Speaker on Monday also said that after the Supreme Court's May 11 verdict, he will have to first recognise in the House which faction of the Shiv Sena is the political party before going ahead with any other decision. In its verdict on the Shiv Sena-centric tussle that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra last year, the Supreme Court said it can't reinstate the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray as he chose to resign without facing th

Farmers should be given financial aid to prevent suicides: Maha official

The Aurangabad divisional commissioner has suggested that in order to stop farmers in Marathwada from committing suicide, they should be provided a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per acre before the commencement every crop season. This conclusion has been made after the revenue department reached out out nearly five lakh families of farmers in the region as part of a survey conducted in December last year, Divisional Commissioner Sunil Kendrekar told reporters on Tuesday. The Marathwada region, which comprises Aurangabad, Beed, Hingoli, Jalna, Latur, Nanded, Osmanabad and Parbhani districts, reported 1,023 farmer suicides in 2022. As many as 10,431 farmers committed suicide in this region since 2001, as per figures provided by the divisional commissioner's office. Kendrekar said the administration studied the socio-economic condition of farmers and their families in the eight districts of Marathwada. "The survey was conducted to find the families where farmers were vulnerable t

Maha sets up SIT to probe forceful entry attempt into Trimbakeshwar temple

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday ordered setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for a probe into the alleged attempt by a group of people from a different religion to force their way into the famous Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik. Security guards at the Trimbakeshwar temple had thwarted the group's attempt on Saturday night, a temple trust official said on Monday. As per the temple management, only Hindus are allowed to enter the temple - one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The temple trust had submitted a complaint to the police. Some video clips of the incident went viral on social media platforms. The office of Fadnavis in a statement said an officer of the additional director general (ADG) rank will head the SIT. The SIT will not only conduct a probe into this incident, but will also investigate a similar incident which took place last year at the same temple. A group representing certain community had entered the temple, Fadnavis

MVA will never be able to form government in Maharashtra: Fadnavis

"Maha Vikas Aghadi's dream of forming the government (in Maharashtra) will never be fulfilled as BJP-Sena will be re-elected," he said

Cotton farmers to rally in Maha to demand subsidy of Rs 5,000 per quintal

Cotton farmers will take out a rally in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra on May 18 to demand a subsidy of Rs 5,000 per quintal and financial assistance for the crop growers who suffered losses due to "excessive" rains, a farm activist said on Monday. In a press release, farm activist Kishore Tiwari said that cotton has been cultivated in record 10.2 million hectares this year as the price of the key textile component had touched Rs 14,000 a quintal last year. However, prices dropped to Rs 7,500 per quintal which has forced many debt-trapped cotton farmers to end their lives, he said. This year, 40 per cent of cotton crops got damaged due to "excessive" rains, he said. Tiwari claimed that 3,300 cotton farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra this season. To call the attention of the central and state governments, a protest rally of cotton farmers is being organised on May 18 in Pandharkawada (Yavatmal) which is an epicentre of farmer suicides, where unsold cotton will be put on fir

Court extends custody of DRDO scientist held for providing info to Pakistan

The special court in Pune on Monday extended till May 16 the police custody of DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar, arrested on charges of providing confidential information to a Pakistani agent. Seeking an extension of Kurulkar's custody, the prosecution said his mobile phone needs to be analysed. "Police had to open the mobile phone with the help of the accused as they couldn't do so on their own," the prosecution told the judge. The defence counsel argued that no new information has been found though the mobile phone was seized earlier. Kurulkar, a director at one of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) labs in Pune, was arrested by the Maharashtra police's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on May 3. The scientist was allegedly in touch with an agent of a Pakistan Intelligence Operative through WhatsApp and video calls, an ATS official said last week, adding it was a case of a honeytrap. After his arrest, an offence under relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act was ..

Maha govt will teach lesson to those who want unstable state: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said there are some organisations and people who want the state to be unstable, but the government will teach them a lesson. Speaking to reporters in Pune, Fadnavis also said those instigating riots will be exposed and the government will not let them succeed. Notably, clashes broke out between members of two communities in Maharashtra's Akola city on Saturday night over a social media post. One person was killed in the violence and eight others, including two policemen, were injured. In March, at least 12 persons including 10 policemen were injured after a mob of around 500 people hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles when the cops tried to control the situation following a clash between two groups near the Ram temple in Kiradpura locality of Aurangabad district. Fadnavis said, It is 100 per cent true there are some people and organisations that want the state to remain unstable. But the government will expose them an

Shiv Sena (UBT) asks Speaker to decide quickly on 16 MLAs' disqualification

In its verdict, the SC last week had put the question of the 16 MLAs -- including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde -- in the Maharashtra Speaker's domain, and to take the decision in a reasonable time

Riot in Akola which killed 1 was possibly pre-planned: Maha minister

Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan has claimed the clash between members of two communities in Akola which claimed one person's life and left nine others injured was possibly "pre-planned". The clash broke out on Saturday night in the sensitive Old City area of Akola over a religious post which went viral on a social media platform, a senior police official earlier said. Members of the two groups pelted stones at each other and indulged in large scale vandalism. The rioters set on fire some two-wheelers and four-wheelers during the violence. One person was killed and eight others, including two policemen, were injured, an official earlier said. The police have detained 26 people in connection with the incident and deployed heavy security in the violence-hit areas, as per officials. The person killed in the violence has been identified as Vilas Gaikwad (40), they said. Internet services were shut in the entire city to check the spread of any rumours on social media. After the ..

Day after riots in Maha's Akola, Internet cut off, uneasy calm prevails

A day after riots erupted in Maharashtra's Akola, the police have shut off Internet services to prevent rumour-mongering even as the violence left one dead and nine more injured

Police files suo moto case against Raut for calling Maha govt 'illegal'

"Sanjay Raut in a statement against the state government said that the present government is illegal and their orders should not be followed"

FIR against Raut for his 'appeal' to cops and officials against Maha govt

An FIR was registered against Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut in Nashik city of Maharashtra for his alleged appeal to state officials and police personnel to not follow orders of the "illegal" state government, police said on Sunday. These remarks were made by Raut, a Rajya Sabha member and Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson, on May 12, a day after the Supreme Court pronounced its verdict on the Shiv Sena-centric political imbroglio in Maharashtra. In a press conference, Raut had appealed to government officials and policemen to not follow "illegal orders of this illegal government." He had also said the incumbent Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government will collapse in the next three months. Nashik Police suo motu took cognisance of the remarks and an FIR was registered at Mumbai Naka police station under section 505(1) (B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Police (Incitement to Disaffection) Act, 1922, and other relevant sections, an official said. Section 505 (1) (b) deals with

BJP lost K'taka polls due its nature, Bharat Jodo helped Cong: MNS's Raj

The defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Karnataka Assembly elections is the result of its nature and behaviour and Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra' definitely helped the Congress, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said on Sunday. Speaking to reporters at Ambernath in Maharashtra's Thane district, Thackeray said the opposition party never wins the election, it's the ruling party that loses in the polls. In the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, the Congress put up an impressive show by winning 135 seats, while incumbent BJP and the former prime minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19, respectively. Thackeray said that the Bharat Jodo Yatra', Rahul Gandhi's foot march from Kanyakumari to Srinagar, also helped in changing the fortunes of the Congress in the southern state. He said citizens should never be taken for granted and that political parties should learn lessons from the results in Karnataka. It is too early

Maharashtra sees 75 new Covid cases, active case load stands at 864

Maharashtra on Sunday reported 75 COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 81,68,403, the state health department said. The COVID-19 death toll in the state remained unchanged at 1,48,542 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra is now left with 864 active cases. A day earlier, the state recorded 111 cases. At 46, Mumbai circle reported the highest number of fresh cases on Sunday, followed by eight in Akola circle, seven in Pune circle, six in Kolhapur, five in Nagpur and one each in Nashik, Aurangabad and Latur, a health department report said. Mumbai city saw 18 fresh cases but zero COVID-19 fatality, which raised the tally of infections to 11,62,598 and the death toll remained unchanged at 19,769. Since January 1 this year, 112 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in Maharashtra and 75 per cent of the deceased were above 60 years of age. While 85 per cent of the deceased had comorbidities, 14 per cent did not have any comorbidity, the report said. The cumu

K'taka verdict a boost for MVA; will put up challenge to BJP in 2024: NCP

The BJP's crushing defeat in Karnataka is a boost for Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra which will take small parties along and put up a united challenge to the ruling party in the 2024 elections, state NCP chief Jayant Patil said on Sunday. Speaking to reporters after attending the MVA meeting at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence 'Silver Oak' here, Patil said the MVA- comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, and Congress- will work out a seat-sharing formula ahead of the Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra assembly elections, due in the second half of the next year. MVA leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) and state Congress chief Nana Patole, attended the meeting. "Like Karnataka, I am sure the MVA will win the people's trust in Maharashtra and will work with more strength," Patil said. He said MVA leaders have decided to hold talks with other small parties and are hopeful of presenting a united opposition to the current dispensation in the country in 2024. "The three

Fadnavis-Ajit alliance in 2019 was to teach lesson to Uddhav: Maha BJP

Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has claimed it was necessary to get NCP leader Ajit Pawar's support in 2019 to teach a lesson to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, in an apparent reference to the alliance formed by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and Pawar at that time. The Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar government formed in a hush-hush ceremony in November 2019 after the state Assembly elections had lasted for three days. Later, Uddhav Thackeray became the chief minister of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which comprised his party, the NCP and the Congress. Thackeray had snapped ties with long-term ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post. "The kind of new political arrangement Uddhav Thackeray brought in at that time, to teach Thackeray a lesson it was necessary to get support from NCP's Ajit Pawar, BJP leader Mungantiwar told Loksatta newspaper on Saturday. Asked about the BJP leader's comments, Fadnavis said, I hav