Page 24 - Maharashtra

BJP turning Maha into desert: Aaditya slams govt over nod to projects

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday targeted the Devendra Fadnavis-led government for clearing projects that require felling of "lakhs of trees", including for the proposed Gargai dam to be built for supplying water to Mumbai. Addressing a press conference, he hit out at the ruling BJP and said the party wants to turn Maharashtra into a desert. "Never ever has the city (Mumbai) witnessed a water crisis in March and April which is being experienced this year. Temperatures are rising across the state, crossing over 40 degrees Celsius in March and April," Thackeray said, and attributed it to climate change. "The State Wildlife Board has given approval to projects which will lead to felling of lakhs of trees. Permission has been given to cut five lakh trees in Thane and Palghar district for constructing Gargai dam to address water woes of Mumbai...The BJP wants to make Maharashtra a desert," the former state environment minister said. If the need arises, the Sena (UBT) .

Let's befriend every language: SC rejects plea to remove Urdu sign board

The plea had challenged the Bombay High Court's decision, which also ruled that the use of Urdu is not prohibited under any law in India

Maharashtra govt plans water taxi routes to ease traffic in Mumbai

In a bid to decongest Mumbai, the Maharashtra government is planning to develop sea routes with water taxi services in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), a state minister has said. A detailed project report (DPR) for this has been prepared, Ports Minister Nitesh Rane told PTI here on Tuesday. 'We have seen the success of Mumbai Metro. On those lines, we will be starting water taxis in the MMR. We have already identified eight to nine routes," he said. "We have the DPR and are speaking to international consultants," the minister said. The government will also introduce 30-seater electric vessels from the Gateway of India to Alibaug and the Elephanta Island, he said. Rane said 15 vessels are being procured from Candela Cruise, a Swedish company, and two of them will arrive in August. The vessels will reduce pollution and provide the public transport service with affordable rates. It will be managed by the Maharashtra Maritime Board, he said. The existing wooden boats can contin

Ladki Bahin scheme to continue, no question of scrapping it: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said the government's flagship Ladki Bahin scheme to provide financial assistance to women will continue and that there is no question of scrapping it. Under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which is believed to have played a key role in the victory of the ruling Mahayuti (comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP) in the state polls last year, women are provided Rs 1,500 every month. Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, Pawar, who is also the state's finance minister, said, "The budgetary allocation for the implementation of the scheme has been made and there is no question of scrapping it." Earlier, state Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare on Tuesday said no change has been made in the amount of assistance paid under the scheme, but some 7.74 lakh women already getting Rs 1,000 under another scheme are being paid the difference of Rs 500. She was responding to media reports claiming the aid unde

Six BJP-ruled states back Waqf law in SC, cite support for 2025 amendment

In a significant development, six BJP-ruled states including Madhya Pradesh and Assam have approached the Supreme Court to support the constitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan is likely to hear at 2 pm a batch of petitions, including the one of AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, against the constitutional validity of the new Waqf law. The six BJP-ruled states -- Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Assam -- have filed separate pleas highlighting the potential administrative and legal ramifications if the Waqf (Amendment) Act is struck down or altered. Haryana, which has filed the intervention in the lead petition, emphasised the urgent need for reform in the management of Waqf property. The state government pointed to persistent issues such as incomplete property surveys, lack of proper accounting, long-pending cases in Waqf tribunals and ...

Caught in two schemes, 8 lakh women in Maharashtra lose ₹1k monthly support

Eight lakh women in Maharashtra lose ₹1,000 monthly aid under Ladki Bahin scheme after being found enrolled in another scheme, breaching ₹1,500 limit rule

Maha, Russian firm sign MoU to build thorium-based small modular reactor

Maharashtra on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Russia's state-owned company ROSATOM for development of a Small Modular Reactor based on thorium fuel. The MoU was signed in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis between Mahagenco and ROSATOM's 'Small Modular Reactor with Thorium Fuel' initiative. The main objective of this MoU is to jointly develop a thorium reactor in Maharashtra, commercialise thorium reactors as per safety standards of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), and establish an assembly line for thorium reactors under the 'Make in Maharashtra' initiative. "CM Devendra Fadnavis presided over the MoU signing between Maharashtra State Power Generation Co. Ltd (MAHAGENCO) and Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM for the development of a Small Modular Reactor based on Thorium Fuel," the CMO said in a post on X. The Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) will provide strategic support for the joint development

Mumbai to host WAVES from May 1 to 4, to become permanent venue: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that the first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) will take place in Mumbai from May 1 to 4. The chief minister said Mumbai will be the permanent venue for the yearly summit, which will boost the "creative economy", the fastest-growing in terms of wealth and job creation. He said 5,000 delegates from 100 countries are expected to attend the summit. Fadnavis said the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) will come up on land in Film City, and the Centre and state government have inked a memorandum of understanding for this project. He said that a 240-acre plot belonging to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in Malad can be used for film production and post-production activities, he said. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier said WAVES will focus on nurturing creative talent through 31 Create in India challenges, which have already shortlisted over 400 creators

₹1.73 trn in rail projects sanctioned for Maharashtra: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Talking about the 2025-26 union budget, he informed everyone that more than ₹23,000 crore had been allocated for the state of Maharashtra

NIA will decide where Rana will be taken for probe, says CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the National Investigation Agency and the Union Home Ministry will decide where 26/11 terror attack conspirator Tahawwur Rana will be taken for probe. He was responding to the question whether Rana, extradited from the US, will be brought to Mumbai. "Mumbai police will extend all cooperation to the NIA, and if we need any update on the probe, we will seek it from NIA. The NIA will decide where to take him,' Fadnavis said at a press conference here. He wanted to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of the Mumbai citizens who lost their kin in the November 2008 attack for bringing Rana to India to face the country's justice system, he added.

Rana's extradition a big breakthrough, will expose 26/11 plot: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday termed Tahawwur Hussain Rana's extradition a major breakthrough and said it would help unravel the crucial details of the conspiracy behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The 64-year-old Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, a key accused in the case, landed in Delhi in a special plane from Los Angeles Thursday evening. A special court subsequently remanded him in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for 18 days. Rana is accused of conspiring with David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani, and terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) along with other Pakistan-based co-conspirators, to carry out the three-day terror siege that killed 166 people. Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar recalled being present in Mumbai during the 2008 attacks along with the then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and home minister R R Patil. After the operation, we visited all the attack sites.

Special law needed as Maoist groups active in urban areas, says Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said bringing the Special Public Safety Act is necessary as many banned Maoist organisations have shifted their bases to the state, with their affiliated groups now operating in urban areas. The proposed law does not interfere with the personal freedom of citizens but is directed solely at organisations engaged in anti-national activities, Fadnavis said on Wednesday while interacting with various journalist groups. He addressed concerns raised over the draft bill, which is set to be introduced in the monsoon session of the state legislature starting June 30. The law proposed by the Maharashtra government is crucial for ensuring internal security, the CM said, and assured the law will not pose any difficulties for journalists or the general public, nor will it curtail their freedom of expression. "The proposed Special Public Safety Act does not interfere with the personal freedom of citizens but is directed at organisations engaged in

Maha govt to guarantee PFCL's Rs 10K cr loan for Mumbai infra projects

The Maharashtra Government will stand guarantor for a Rs 10,000 crore loan advanced by the Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFCL) for infrastructure development projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), officials said on Wednesday. A Government Resolution (GR) or order issued by the state finance department said the cabinet had approved the loan to be taken on government guarantee for 2024-25. As financial year 2024-25 is over, a fresh guarantee was being given subject to another cabinet approval. If there is a delay in repayment of loan by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the government is not liable for any penalty, it said. MMRDA will be the principal debtor, and it will apprise the urban development and finance ministry of the repayment situation on a monthly basis. The government has allowed the MMRDA to raise loans of up to Rs 60,000 crore for ongoing and proposed infrastructure development projects in the MMR. So far the government has ...

Gatherings banned near Pune hospital after protests over woman's death

Pune police have banned any gathering near the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, days after protests by political parties over the death of a pregnant woman disrupted traffic and caused inconvenience to patients, officials said on Wednesday. Tanisha Bhise, wife of the personal secretary of BJP MLC Amit Gorkhe, was first allegedly refused admission at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, a charitable medical facility, over non-payment of a Rs 10 lakh deposit last month. Subsequently, she died at another facility after giving birth to twin daughters. Activists of major political parties staged a protest outside the hospital on April 4, demanding action against the doctors and staff allegedly responsible for the woman's death. The agitation caused inconvenience to patients and relatives, disrupted traffic and created hurdles for ambulances, as per the prohibitory order issued Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma on Tuesday. Citing this, Sharma issued the order under Section 163

Denial of housing over caste or religion 'disheartening': Maharashtra Guv

Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan has said it is "disheartening" to hear people are sometimes denied a house because of their caste or religion, and asserted this discrimination must end. Speaking at the 'Lokmat World Peace and Harmony Through Interfaith Dialogue' on Tuesday, the governor said the concept of interfaith dialogue is not new and it can bridge divides and dismantle prejudices. Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, and Vijay Darda, former Rajya Sabha MP and the chairman of the Lokmat Media Group, were also present at the event. "In a multi-religious and multi-cultural society it is essential that we teach our citizens to respect all faiths. This has to begin from schools and colleges," Radhakrishnan said. Schools and colleges should be encouraged to celebrate festivals of all religions, he said, adding, "In the name of secularism, we are preventing our students from celebrating the festivals of all religions." Parents should

Sushant Singh Rajput case: CBI seeks transfer of hearing on closure report

A court here on Tuesday permitted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to seek transfer of the hearing in the closure report submitted by the agency in actor Sushant Singh Rajput death case to a designated court. The central probe agency had last month filed its closure report in the death case before the Bandra metropolitan magistrate's court. The actor was found hanging in his apartment in Mumbai's Bandra area on June 14, 2020 at the age of 34. In the conclusive medico-legal opinion to the CBI, forensic specialists at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had dismissed the claims of "poisoning and strangling" made in the case, the CBI had said in its report. On Tuesday, the agency informed magistrate K C Rajput that it would move an application before the chief judicial magistrate to transfer hearing in the case to the Esplanade magistrate's court, which is designated to hear CBI cases. Magistrate Rajput permitted the same and said the agency is directed to ..

Focus on investment, drought-free projects for Maharashtra growth: Fadnavis

The Maharashtra government is creating an ecosystem to attract investment across all regions and implementing four river-linking projects worth around Rs 3 lakh crore to make the state drought-free, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday. He said prominent regions and cities of Maharashtra are emerging as hubs in different sectors and this will address the issue of regional imbalance. Speaking at the 'India Global Forum Next" event in Mumbai, Fadnavis maintained Maharashtra is ensuring smooth and uninterrupted facilities for investors, and an ecosystem is being created to attract investment across all regions of the state. As a result, a balanced development will be seen throughout Maharashtra over the next five years, he insisted. Fadnavis underlined that the state is creating new investment opportunities and supporting the global supply chain. "The state is also leading in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in India. In addition, many major national and ...

Maharashtra RR rate hike: Choose ongoing projects, women ownership helps

The RR rate is the minimum value at which a property must be registered during a transaction

Tata Power gets nod to deploy 100 Mw battery storage system in Mumbai

The system will provide backup power to critical infrastructure, such as metro, hospitals, data centres, and the airport in the event of grid disruptions

Police invokes UAPA against two men held in Beed mosque blast case

Police have invoked the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section for terrorist act against two men arrested in the case of blast at a mosque in Maharashtra's Beed district, officials said. Gelatin sticks went off at the mosque in Ardha Masla village in Georai tehsil on March 30, on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, allegedly after an altercation between two groups during a procession, leading to the arrest of the two men. While no one was injured in the blast, the internal portion of the structure was damaged. Police arrested local residents Vijay Rama Gavhane (22) and Shriram Ashok Sagde (24) within hours of the blast. The Beed police initially registered a case under various BNS sections, including 298 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, covering insults) and 196 (promoting enmity between). During the investigat