Page 2 - Maharashtra

Maharashtra brings IAS officers under purview of Lokayukta with amendment

The Maharashtra legislative assembly has approved amendments to the Lokayukta Act that will, for the first time, bring Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and several state-appointed officials under the purview of the anti-corruption watchdog. The amendment bill, which was passed on Thursday evening, expands the scope of the Maharashtra Lokayukta Act, 2023, and removes ambiguities flagged earlier by the President's office. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who moved the amendments, said the revised provisions were essential to ensuring clarity on which officials fall under the Lokayukta's scrutiny. The amendment makes it clear that IAS officers appointed by the state on authorities created under Central Acts will also come under the Lokayukta. This will remove the existing ambiguity, he said. The amendments specify that officers appointed by the state government to various boards, authorities and committees established under Parliamentary Acts will now be covered. Earlier,

Told to form alliance at any cost before civic polls: Maharashtra BJP Prez

Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan on Friday said that senior leaders of their party have directed that an alliance must be forged at any cost ahead of the major municipal corporation elections which are to be held before January 31. We have been clearly told by the seniors that there should be an alliance at any cost before the civic polls, Chavan said, adding that the matter has been discussed at length by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, who also heads the Shiv Sena. Chavan said elections to 29 municipal corporations, including the Mumbai civic body, are likely to be held in January, while the Zilla Parishad polls may get delayed as the matter is currently before the high court. He said Fadnavis had asked him to hold another round of discussions, following which he met Shinde at the latter's residence on Thursday night. We have created some committees in municipal corporations. But in Mumbai or Thane, seniors have already decided to have an ...

Brookfield to invest $1 bn to build GCC facility in Maharashtra: Fadnavis

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said asset manager Brookfield Properties is set to invest over USD 1 billion to create a global capability centre (GCC) facility in the state. Fadnavis said he held discussions with key Brookfield executives, and they've zeroed in on creating a 2 million sq ft GCC facility, which will be the largest in Asia, and perhaps the world as well. The facility will create over 15,000 direct jobs and support another 30,000 jobs indirectly, Fadnavis said. "It (investment) will be more than USD 1 billion. One single project will create 45,000 jobs," Fadnavis told reporters on the sidelines of an event here. A formal agreement between the government and the asset manager will be filed in due course, he added. In May this year, Brookfield Asset Management aims to more than triple its assets under management in India to USD 100 billion over the next five years. Overall, the firm's AUM in India, where it has been present for 15 years, is around USD 30 .

No funds since year from Centre for Jal Jeevan scheme: Maharashtra minister

Maharashtra has not received central funds for the Jal Jeevan Mission' scheme since October 2024 and is using state funds to complete the ongoing projects, the government said on Friday. In a written reply to a question, the government also said that the lack of funds has hampered the pace of existing projects. The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to provide functional tap water connections to every rural household in India, ensuring safe and adequate drinking water to citizens. In the reply submitted to the legislative council, Water Supply and Sanitation Department Minister Gulabrao Patil said that 51,560 schemes have been sanctioned under the water programme, of which 25429 are still ongoing. Patil informed the Upper House of the state legislature that the state government has given Rs 2,483.58 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 2,103.25 crore in the current fiscal year to complete the ongoing works. The state government said that the pace of the works under the Jal Jeevan Mission has been .

Veteran Congress leader Shivraj Patil passes away at 90 in Maharashtra

Patil was the union home minister from 2004 to 2008. He resigned from the position shortly after the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai began

Maharashtra to implement new Lokyaukta act as Anna Hazare warns of strike

The original Lokayukta Bill was passed by the Assembly on 28 December 2022 and by the Legislative Council on 15 December 2023, before being sent to the President for assent

Maha CM Fadnavis asks for plan to build India's biggest shipyard in state

Fadnavis issued the instructions while reviewing works of the Ports Development Department at a meeting held in the ministerial council hall of Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur

ED, ATS raid several locations in Thane over suspected terror links

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted joint raids on Thursday at Padgha in Thane district in connection with suspected terror funding, officials said. The raids were underway at Padgha in the Bhiwandi area since the early hours of Thursday, an official said. The action was based on some earlier operations conducted by the ATS at Borivali village in Padgha, he said. Residences of several suspects were being searched, and the ED was conducting enquiries about suspicious money transactions, the official said, adding that the ATS was assisting the federal agency sleuths. In June this year, the ATS, along with the Thane rural police, conducted a massive search at the residences of 22 persons, including Saquib Nachan, a former office-bearer of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and other suspected members and sympathisers of the banned outfit, at Borivali in Padgha. The ATS had seized 19 mobile phones and incriminating material and

Maharashtra makes housing society consent mandatory for liquor shops

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said that shops selling Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) as well as country liquor will be required to obtain mandatory consent from registered housing societies before commencing operations from the commercial spaces on their premises. Pawar, who also heads the excise department, directed that this new policy be implemented across the state. "Permission from registered housing societies will now be compulsory for both categories of liquor shops. The policy must be enforced uniformly throughout Maharashtra," Pawar told the Lower House of the state legislature while responding to a question raised by BJP MLA Shankar Jagtap, who represents the Chinchwad assembly constituency in Pune district. Jagtap sought cancellation of licences of liquor shops operating in Chinchwad-Kalewadi area of Pune. During the discussion, he said that Vikrant Wine, a liquor shop in Sahyadri Society, had begun operations in violation of norms. The ..

Over 200 licences cancelled in Maharashtra for low-grade medicines: Zirwal

The licences of 176 retailers and 39 wholesalers have been cancelled across Maharashtra in the past year over substandard medicines, Food and Drug Administration Minister Narahari Zirwal told the state assembly on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question raised by BJP MLA Amit Satam and others, Zirwal said that samples of cough syrup and other medicines were sent for testing and analysis as part of a special campaign launched by the FDA. Licences of 176 retailers and 39 wholesalers were cancelled. Further, 136 retailers and 93 wholesalers were inspected. Show-cause notices were issued, and licences were cancelled for selling substandard cough syrups, he said. Zirwal said fake cough syrups were found in drug stores and companies during the FDA drive in October 2024. Doctors, clinical establishments and pharmacists were instructed not to prescribe or sell medicines containing propranolol, he said. The FDA minister said 36 samples were tested at 10 locations across Mumbai, Thane, .

Shiv Sena, BJP tie-up possible for municipal elections in Mumbai, elsewhere

After days of bickering, the ruling allies BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have decided to contest the elections to municipal corporations in Maharashtra including Mumbai and Thane as an alliance, Sena sources claimed on Tuesday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Shinde decided at a late-night meeting on Monday that the ruling parties will contest these polls as members of the existing Mahayuti alliance, the sources said. The dates for the municipal corporation elections are yet to be announced. At the meeting attended by BJP leaders Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Ravindra Chavan in Nagpur, where the winter session of the state legislature is underway, it was also agreed that the BJP and Shiv Sena will not poach each other's leaders and workers, they added. "There was a positive discussion between the leaders of the two parties regarding contesting municipal elections across Maharashtra, including Mumbai and Thane, together as Mahayuti alliance," said a S

PM Modi expresses grief over demise of renowned social activist Baba Adhav

Veteran socialist leader and prominent activist Dr Baba Adhav, a towering figure in Maharashtra's labour and social justice movements, passed away in Pune on Monday evening at the age of 95

Maharashtra approves new scheme to build motorable farm-to-field roads

The Maharashtra cabinet has approved a scheme to construct all-weather motorable approach roads connecting agricultural fields across rural parts of the state. The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday, an official statement said. The 'Mukhya Mantri Baliraja Shet-Panand Raste Yojana' allows 100 per cent mechanised construction, replacing earlier limitations under the MGNREGA framework where dependence on manual labour had slowed execution in several regions. The scheme will ensure all-weather motorable farm-to-field roads in rural Maharashtra, the statement said. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who will head the monitoring committee for the scheme, said farmers have faced persistent challenges with damaged or inaccessible roads during the monsoon, affecting crop sowing, harvesting and transportation. The scheme provides for 100 per cent use of machinery for speedy and quality construction. There will be no depend

Nashik accident: PM Modi mourns 6 deaths, CM Fadnavis announces ₹5 lakh aid

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the incident as "extremely tragic" and announced financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees to the devotees' next of kin

MPCB shuts 19 RMC plants in Mumbai region amid pollution violations

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has ordered the shutdown of 19 ready mix concrete plants, which serve construction projects, in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region for violating environmental guidelines and contributing to deteriorating air quality levels. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the board said the enforcement action followed a compliance survey that found multiple facilities operating without proper dust control systems, emission management mechanisms and statutory permissions. The MPCB stated that multiple teams were already conducting physical inspections across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), and strict enforcement will continue through the winter months. According to the statement, the MPCB currently operates 32 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) across the MMR, including Mumbai, adjoining Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan and Panvel. Of these, 14 stations are run through the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The real-time

Coastal Road tunnel will save thousands of hours for people: CM Fadnavis

The upcoming Coastal Road tunnel between Orange Gate and Marine Drive in south Mumbai will save thousands of hours for thousands of people, said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday. The tunnel, with both ducts together spanning 9.25 km, will be an engineering feat. It will run beneath the Central Railway and Western Railway tracks, and even 50 metres below the underground Metro 3 line, he said. Thousands of hours for thousands of people will be saved, Fadnavis said at the site, where the tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the project was launched in the morning. The tunnel will be constructed under 700 structures, including many heritage properties, said the CM. As per the current plan, the Orange Gate-Marine Drive underground tunnel is expected to be completed by 2028, but they are striving to finish the project six months before the deadline, said Fadnavis. The tunnel will provide an alternative route to the residents of south Mumbai and those living in the ..

Violence mars 1st phase of Maharashtra local polls, turnout figure awaited

Polling for the first phase of 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across Maharashtra on Tuesday was marred by allegations of bogus voting and violence with even supporters of ruling allies BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena coming to blows at some places, officials said. A voter turnout of 47.51 per cent was recorded till 3.30 pm with the State Election Commission (SEC) not providing the final figure till late night. An official said data is being compiled from across districts and the final voting figure will be released on Wednesday. In a related development, the Bombay High Court directed the SEC not to hold the counting of votes for the first phase of local body polls on December 3, as scheduled earlier, on the ground the "disclosure of public mood" through the results might affect the subsequent phase of the elections. The results of Tuesday's elections should be published along with the results of the December 20 elections, the HC said. In a subsequent statement, the SEC said the

Maharashtra to list energy utilities starting with transco in 2026, says CM

Maharashtra is looking to undertake a phased equity listing of state-owned energy utilities starting with the transmission company in 2026, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday. He said it is essential to undertake the process to make the entities more efficient and agile. "It is the right time to start the listing process for government entities and corporations. We have decided that we will certainly list the electricity transmission company at first," Fadnavis said at an event here. Later, he shared that the government expects the listing of Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company in 2026. The transmission company's listing will be followed with generation company's listing in second phase and the distribution company's in the next, the chief minister said without giving a timeline.

'SEC's 'misinterpretation of laws' led HC to defer local polls vote count'

Maharashtra Minister and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said "misinterpretation of laws" by the State Election Commission (SEC) has led to the Bombay High Court deferring the counting of votes for the local bodies polls to December 21. The SEC's actions alone had "prompted such a decision", the state revenue minister claimed, adding that he had repeatedly cautioned the poll body against delaying elections. Bawankule was speaking to reporters here hours after the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court directed that the counting of all civic bodies polls in the state will be held on December 21. The SEC had earlier scheduled the counting for Tuesday's elections on December 3. The HC's order has come on a day when polling was underway for elections to 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra, days after the SEC rescheduled the elections in 24 local bodies on December 20. "I have been saying that the SEC is misinterpreting laws and postponing electi

Maharashtra sees 7.94% voter turnout for municipal elections till 9:30 am

An estimated 7.94 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the first two hours of polling on Tuesday for elections to 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra, officials said. Two suspected bogus voters were caught at a polling station in Buldhana barely an hour-and-a-half after voting began for the municipal council elections there, the Maharashtra Congress claimed. It also alleged that Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad was bringing people to cast "bogus" votes in the Buldhana Municipal Council elections. There was no immediate response from the authorities on the allegation. The polling began at 7.30 am and will conclude at 5.30 pm, election officials said. Till 9.30 am, 7.94 per cent of the electors cast their votes, they said. A man allegedly attempted to cast a vote in the name of local resident Vaibhav Deshmukh at the Gandhi Primary School polling centre in ward no. 15 of Buldhana. The individual is said to be a resident of Kothali in Motala taluka, the