Page 26 - Maharashtra

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

Fadnavis slams Pune hospital for denying admission to woman, orders probe

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the formation of a committee to inquire into the death of a pregnant woman after she was allegedly refused admission by Pune's leading Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital over non-payment of a deposit of Rs 10 lakh. The controversy escalated on Friday with local political activists staging a protest outside the hospital and the hospital claiming that the woman's relatives were making misleading allegations. A day earlier, BJP MLC Amit Gorkhe claimed in a video message that Tanisha Bhise, the wife of his personal assistant, was refused admission by the hospital. She was taken to another hospital where she died after delivering twins, he said. A statement from the Chief Minister's Office said on Friday that he had taken serious note of the incident. "He has ordered the formation of an inquiry committee under the chairmanship of the Joint Commissioner of Charity, Pune," it said. It said that the deputy secretary or under-secretary of

Godrej Properties eyes Rs 1,350 cr revenue from Mumbai housing project

The development will offer approximately 4.4 lakh square feet of saleable area, focusing on premium residential units, with an estimated revenue potential of Rs 1,350 crore

Maharashtra reports 21,219 farmer suicides in five districts over 24 years

As many as 21,219 farmers died by suicide in the five districts under Amravati revenue division of Maharashtra between in the last 24 years, according to an official report. The figure is for deaths between January 2001 and January 2025 in Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Washim and Yavatmal districts of Amravati division, the report said. It includes 80 farmer suicides in January this year. The report states that during the last 24 years, 5,395 farmers died by suicide in Amravati district, 3,123 in Akola district, 6,211 in Yavatmal district, 4,442 farmers in Buldhana district and 2,048 farmers ended their lives in Washim district. In January 2025, 10 farmers died by suicide in Amravati district, 10 in Akola, 34 in Yavatmal, 10 in Buldhana and seven in Washim district. The report said that of the total suicides in the 24 years, 9,970 cases were eligible (for government compensation), 10,963 were ineligible, while 319 cases are pending for inquiry. Assistance has been given in 9,740 ...

Mumbai Police to file criminal cases for drunk driving, seize vehicles

Mumbai police has decided to register criminal cases against those indulging in drunk driving since such incidents have seen a sharp rise in the last couple of years, a senior official said on Thursday. A notification to this effect was issued by Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Kumbhare, he said. While registering cases, the licence of the drunk driver will be impounded and his vehicle will be seized, the official added. "Taking serious cognizance of rise in cases, the traffic wing of Mumbai Police has decided to file criminal cases against drunk drivers under section 125 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for act endangering life or personal safety of others apart from provisions of Motor Vehicles Act at the local police station," Kumbhare told PTI. At present, Mumbai police carries out 'nakabandi' (on road checks) against drunk drivers and penalises them under section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, another official said, adding action was taken against 2562 persons in 2023 ..

15% tax rebate on new vehicle in Maharashtra if old voluntarily scrapped

The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday decided to provide a 15 per cent tax concession to owners who voluntarily scrap their vehicles when purchasing a new one of the same type. A statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said tax concession of 10 per cent will be given to transport vehicles voluntarily scrapped within eight years of registration at a Registered Vehicle Scrappage Facility (RVSF) and to non-transport vehicles voluntarily scrapped within 15 years of registration. A 15 per cent tax concession will be given to transport and non-transport vehicles subject to lump sum tax, said the statement issued after a cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Whereas, a 15 per cent annual tax concession will be given to vehicles subject to annual tax for the next eight years from the date of registration in the transport category and for non-transport ones for the next 15 years, it said. The Certificate of Deposit received by the owner after scrapping ..

Kunal Kamra row: Police issue 3rd summons, ask him to appear on April 5

Police on Tuesday issued a third summons to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and asked him to appear before them on April 5 in a case filed for allegedly making derogatory remarks on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at a show in Mumbai, officials said. Kamra (36) has been asked to appear before officials of the Khar Police Station in suburban Mumbai where the first FIR against him was registered last month, they said. The 36-year-old comedian was earlier summoned two times by the police, but he failed to appear before them and joined the investigation. The case stems from caustic remarks Kamra made against Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, at a show organised at a studio in the metropolis. Angered by the comments, workers of the Shiv Sena vandalised the studio late last month. The police have filed the case against Kamra under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to defamation and public mischief. The case was filed after the comedian last month posted a

Maha govt clears road for e-bike taxis, aims to create 10,000 jobs in MMR

The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved introduction of electric-bike taxis for cities with at least one lakh population, a move which will benefit single passengers travelling up to 15 km and cover Mumbai besides several other urban centres in the state. The measure will create more than 10,000 jobs in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and another 10,000 in the rest of the state, state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said. Talking to reporters, he said e-bikes with a proper partition between front and pillion riders and a roof cover for monsoons will be allowed to ferry people. Sarnaik made the announcement after a weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Sahaydri guest house approved the proposal to launch electric-bike taxis in major urban areas. He said the cabinet has only approved the policy on launching e-bike taxis, and a revenue model is being finalised and would be announced soon. Security of passengers and affordable tariffs ...