Page 134 - Maharashtra

Tata Sons chairman to head Maharashtra's new economic advisory body

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran will head the new Economic Advisory Council of Maharashtra, the state government said on Thursday. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement in the Legislative Council in Nagpur. To make Maharashtra a trillion dollar economy, the state government is setting up an Economic Advisory Council, to be headed by Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran," he said. It will function as a private research organization with focus on issues related to agriculture, banking, engineering and education, among others, Fadnavis added. The government is also focusing on certain 'aspirational' regions to enhance the state's human development index, he said.

Trial on newly-electrified rail route in Maharashtra to begin on Dec 30

Train trials on the newly electrified Ankai to Aurangabad railway route in Maharashtra will start on Friday, an official said here. The first train will run with electric traction by next month after the trials are complete, the South Central Railway official said. The journey time between Mumbai and Aurangabad will reduce by 25-30 minutes as the need to replace the diesel engine with an electric one will be done away with, he said. "The route that has been electrified between Ankai in Nashik and Aurangabad is 100 kilometres long. This is part of the longer Ankai-Mukhed (Nanded) electrification project. The trial of a train with an electric engine (locomotive) will begin on December 30," he said. "After successful completion of trials on various parameters, we expect the first train pulled by a locomotive to use the stretch for regular service by next month," the official informed.

MLA Nitin Deshmukh in spat with police; Shinde says won't be arrested

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday assured the Legislative Council that he would direct the Police Department not to arrest Uddhav Thackeray-led party MLA Nitin Deshmukh

Ajit Pawar should not challenge us, says Maharashtra BJP chief Bawankule

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Maharashtra unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday said senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar should not challenge the saffron party in Vidarbha as it was "ready to accept any challenge". Bawankule was speaking to reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan complex premises while replying to a query on Pawar's statement that he would decimate the BJP leader. "I have paid only one visit to Baramati, which left Ajitdada so much scared. Hence, yesterday Pawar said in the House that he would finish me off. However, he does not have the guts to finish us. On the contrary, people will finish them off in 2024 (elections)," the BJP leader said. Baramati is the Assembly constituency of Pawar. "We have appealed to the public that development of Baramati city is not the development of Baramati Lok Sabha and entire western Maharashtra. People are not pleased by the attitude of Ajit Pawar....He should not challenge us in Vidarbha. We are ready to

Fadnavis to ask Karnataka to stop work at Alamaty till Maha finishes study

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the state will ask Karnataka to stop the work of the raising of the height of Alamaty dam on the Krishna river till an ongoing study to assess its flood impact in Sangli and Kolhapur is completed. Replying to a question in the state Assembly, Fadnavis said if the Karnataka government did not heed Maharashtra's request, it will approach the Supreme Court. The state government had appointed a panel under the chairmanship of Water Resources Department's former principal secretary Nandkumar Wadnera to study the impact of Karnataka raising the height to 524 metres and its effect on flooding in Kolhapur and Sangli, Fadnavis said. The study panel was set up after the devastating floods of 2019 in the two southern Maharashtra districts. The Wadnera report, submitted on May 27, 2020, said there would be no adverse impact in Kolhapur and Sangli if the height of the dams of Alamaty and Hippargi on the Krishna was ...

Maharashtra's ex-minister Anil Deshmukh walks out jail after 14 months

Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday stepped out of the Arthur Road Central Jail here on bail after spending almost 14 months behind bars

Border dispute resolution efforts started with 'weak mindset': Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday told the Legislative Council said that the state's attempt to resolve the border dispute with Karnataka started with a "weak mindset" as the resolution tabled by first CM Yashwantrao Chavan demanding merger of Marathi-speaking villages from the neighbouring state did not specify the deadline for it. Shinde's statement appears to be in sync with the Bharatiya Janta Party's (BJP) stand, which has been blaming the previous state governments for failing to resolve that the border dispute with Karnataka in the last six decades. Speaking in the Upper House of the state legislature, CM Shinde said, "The first resolution in Maharashtra Assembly was tabled by the then chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan demanding that Belgaum (Belagavi), Karwar and other villages be merged with Maharashtra. In his resolution, Chavan did not specify the deadline to resolve the issue. Maharashtra's struggle for resolving the border dispute started with such a

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Maha Assembly passes Lokayukta Bill, brings CM under anti-corruption lens

Maharashtra assembly on Wednesday passed the Lokayukta Bill 2022, which brings the chief minister and council of ministers under the ambit of the anti-corruption ombudsman. The bill was passed without discussion as the opposition had staged a walkout over the alleged scam in the Teachers Entrance Test. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the bill a historic legislation, adding Maharashtra is the first state to have such a law. As per the bill, prior approval of the Assembly has to be obtained and the motion has to be placed before the immediate session of the House before initiating any inquiry against the chief minister. Such motion shall be passed by not less than two-thirds of the total members of the assembly, states the bill, which was tabled in the House on Monday.

Oppn holds protest in Maha Vidhan Bhavan, demands Sattar's resignation

Opposition members staged a protest in the Maharashtra legislature complex here on Wednesday and reiterated their demand for Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar's resignation while accusing him of indulging in corruption. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar and other legislators including Chhagan Bhujbal, Rohit Pawar and Bhaskar Jadhav raised slogans outside the House demanding the resignation of Sattar. They have been raising the demand for the minister's ouster since Monday. The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court last week issued a notice to Sattar who had ordered 'regularisation' of the possession of land reserved for public 'gairan' (grazing) in favour of a private person in the face of a civil court order. The opposition members, carrying oranges in their hands on Wednesday, also demanded bonus for paddy farmers. Nagpur, where the winter session of the state legislature is currently underway, is famous for orange cultivation.

11,547 cattle died of lumpy skin disease in 10 months in Maharashtra: Govt

As many as 1,78,072 cattle were infected by the lumpy skin disease in Maharashtra this year and 11,547 of them died as of October, the government has informed the state Legislative Council. Deaths due to the viral disease which affects animals were reported in 291 tehsils of 33 districts (out of the total 36 districts in the state), Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said during the Question Hour on Tuesday. Dr Manisha Kayande, Mahadeo Jankar, Eknath Khadse and others had raised the question. Around 1.39 crore cattle were given the Goat Pox-virus vaccine to protect them from the disease, the minister further said. Of 1,39,92,304 cattle in Maharashtra, 2.71 per cent animals were infected by the lumpy disease, Vikhe-Patil informed. A compensation of Rs 30,000 was paid per deceased cow, Rs 25,000 per deceased bullock and Rs 16,000 per deceased calf as per the National Disaster Management Guidelines, he said. Lumpy skin disease is a contagious viral infection that affects ...

Not inch of land will be ceded to Karnataka: Maharashtra BJP chief

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said the entire state was happy over the resolution passed by the state legislature on the border dispute, and he was sure that no land would be ceded to Karnataka. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier in the day moved a resolution in both houses which said the state shall pursue legal remedies to incorporate in Maharashtra 865 Marathi-speaking villages in border areas which are presently part of Karnataka. "Entire Maharashtra has supported and expressed joy over the resolution brought by the Shinde-Fadnavis government," Bawankule told reporters. "I am confident that the government will not cede even an inch of land," he added. On Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's demand that the disputed region in Karnataka be declared a Union Territory pending the case in the Supreme Court, Banwankule said opposition leaders knew very well that this was not feasible, and they should not do politics on the issue.

Maharashtra: Covid mock drills conducted at about 1,300 health facilities

Mock drills to assess preparedness for treating COVID-19 cases were conducted at about 1,300 health facilities in Maharashtra on Tuesday in view of a spurt in cases in China and some other countries, the state health department said here. Drills were carried out at 610 government hospitals, 628 private hospitals, 28 government medical colleges and 27 private medical colleges as of 5 pm, said an official statement. Last week, the Union government had directed all the states to conduct such exercises to ensure preparedness of hospitals in the wake of rise in COVID-19 cases in China, Brazil, South Korea and USA, among others. "A review of available hospital beds, ICU facilities, equipment, oxygen system, medicine stocks, human resources and their training and telemedicine facility was taken," the release stated. A doctor at the government-run J J Hospital in Mumbai said they checked the preparedness of their COVID-19 wards, medicine stocks, X-ray machinery and oxygen supply units. A

Maharashtra: Lumpy skin disease claimed lives of 11,547 cattle in 10 months

As many as 1,78,072 cattle were infected by the lumpy skin disease in Maharashtra this year and 11,547 of them had died as of October, the government informed the Legislative Council here on Tuesday. Deaths due to the viral disease which affects animals were reported in 291 tehsils of 33 districts, said Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil during Question Hour. Dr Manisha Kayande, Mahadeo Jankar, Eknath Khadse and others had raised the question. Around 1.39 crore cattle were given the Goat Pox-virus vaccine to protect them from the disease, the minister further said. Of 1,39,92,304 cattle in Maharashtra, 2.71 per cent animals were infected by the lumpy disease, Vikhe-Patil informed. A compensation of Rs 30,000 was paid per deceased cow, Rs 25,000 per deceased bullock and Rs 16,000 per deceased calf as per the National Disaster Management Guidelines, he said.

Is BJP behind allegations against ministers of CM Shinde, asks Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday wondered whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is behind the allegations being levelled against ministers belonging to the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The BJP shares power with the Shinde faction in the state. Addressing party workers, Thackeray also took a dig at pictures of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray being used on posters by CM Shinde and MLAs of his camp, saying they were clicked by him (Uddhav). They don't even have the brains to use pictures and they are governing the state, Thackeray said in a jibe directed at Shinde. Such bubbles (the rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena) don't stay for long, they just need a pin to burst, he said, referring to Shinde and MLAs loyal to him. Thackeray, an MLC, alleged some ministers indulged in scams. Every day there are scams. There has to be some morality. I sacked a minister. So have all the scamsters switched sides to hide their scams? the former chief

Uddhav says state govt should ask SC to declare disputed border area as UT

Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackrey on Tuesday said the state government should request the Supreme Court that all disputed regions be declared as a Union Territory as long as the Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue is pending before it. Speaking to reporters here, Thackeray congratulated the Maharashtra government after both houses of the state legislature passed resolutions on the border dispute. "We will support every measure that is in Maharashtra's interest, he said. Both houses unanimously passed the resolution moved by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde which said the state will "legally pursue" the inclusion in Maharashtra of 865 Marathi-speaking villages which are presently part of Karnataka. On the Shinde government's announcement that it will implement welfare schemes for the Marathi-speaking people in border areas of the southern state, Thackeray asked whether the Karnataka government, which does not even allow leaders from Maharashtra to enter, would allow ...

K'taka CM Bommai condemns Maha's legislature resolution on border row

Terming Maharashtra Legislature's resolution on the border issue as "irresponsible and against federal structure," Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday once again asserted that not even inch of the state's land will be ceded. He also expressed confidence about getting justice in the Supreme Court, as Karnataka's stand on the issue is both legal and constitutional. "We strongly condemn Maharashtra's resolution, it has been so long since the State Reorganisation Act 1956 came in, and people on both sides are living peacefully. Maharashtra has the practice of making such statements and resolutions for the sake of their politics," Bommai said. Speaking to reporters here, he said Karnataka is firm and clear on its stand that it will not cede even an inch of land, and that his government is committed to protect the interest of Kannadigas on the other side of the border. "Look at the difference between our resolution and theirs, we are saying that we will not cede our land

Oppn is going to target Maharashtra cabinet, not just few ministers: Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said the opposition would be cornering the entire Maharashtra cabinet over corruption and not just one or two ministers. He feels sympathy for deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who has to defend his "corrupt" colleagues, Raut said, speaking to reporters here. The opposition is not going to target only a couple of ministers in the Eknath Shinde-Fadnavis cabinet but the entire cabinet is going to be in trouble. I am sympathetic to Fadnavis because he has to defend those who are mired in corruption, the Rajya Sabha MP said. Earlier, Raut's comment that his party "would drop a couple of bomb-shells" during the ongoing winter session had gone viral. The opposition Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress targeted agriculture minister Abdul Sattar after the Bombay High Court last week issued him a notice over the transfer of 37 acres of common village land to a private person in Washim district. A similar allegation was also levelled against ...

Maharashtra to be more inclusive of Marathi-speaking folks on K'taka border

The Maharashtra Legislature here on Tuesday adopted a resolution unanimously expressing full solidarity with the Marathi-speaking people living on the Karnataka border villages.

Maharashtra opposition leader seeks resignation of ministers Sattar, Samant

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve on Tuesday demanded the resignation of state ministers Abdul Sattar and Uday Samant over alleged irregularities in land allotment and a few mega projects. Speaking to reporters outside the Vidhan Bhavan complex, Danve said the Bombay High Court has reprimanded Agriculture Minister Sattar over the allotment of land reserved for public gairan' (grazing) in Washim and asked him to pay a penalty of Rs 50,000, which proves he is in the "wrong". Danve claimed Sattar was involved in two other land related cases in Ratnagiri and Sambhaji Nagar. He is a "habitual offender" in such cases, Danve alleged. Danve also accused state Industries Minister Uday Samant of irregularities in some mega projects, without elaborating. We will demand the resignation of these ministers in both the Houses, he said.