Page 27 - Maharashtra

Maharashtra govt approves shipbuilding policy to develop maritime infra

The Maharashtra government has approved a shipbuilding policy to develop the state's maritime infrastructure and promote ship repair and recycling activities, an official said on Saturday. The Maharashtra Shipbuilding, Ship Repair, and Ship Recycling Facility Development Policy 2025 was approved in the last cabinet meeting, and a Government Resolution (GR) was issued on Friday, he said. The decision is expected to boost the shipbuilding, repair, and recycling industries and attract new projects. The move will also help the central government earn valuable foreign exchange. Recognising the significant importance of the maritime sector in driving economic and industrial growth, the state has identified the need to develop foundational infrastructure in this domain. While the government has the Maharashtra Maritime Development Policy 2023 to regulate and develop small ports along the state's coastline, the new policy now has provisions specifically for shipbuilding, repair, and ...

CJI BR Gavai's first verdict: Pune land scam exposed

New Chief Justice of India, BR Gavai, has delivered his first judgment, and it’s a major exposé in the Pune land scam. Watch the video for all the details.

New SIT formed to probe Badlapur accused encounter case after SC order

The Director General of Maharashtra Police has formed a new special investigation team to probe the custodial death of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case, an official said on Thursday. DGP Rashmi Shukla formed the SIT as per the Supreme Court's orders, he said. The SIT will be headed by Datta Shinde, Additional Commissioner of Police attached to Mira-Bhayandar-Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police who is a deputy inspector general-rank official. It includes a deputy commissioner of police from Pimpri Chinchwad, an assistant commissioner of police, two senior inspectors -- one of them from Navi Mumbai, two assistant police inspectors, one sub inspector and an assistant sub-inspector. Besides the DCP and senior police inspector, all officers are from MBVV commissionerate, the official said. The SIT has taken in its possession all case-related documents from the Crime Investigation Department (CID) which was probing the case earlier, and started a fresh ...

Mock drill conducted in villages near Tarapur Atomic Power Station

A mock drill to test the preparedness of government agencies in the event of radiological and nuclear emergencies was conducted on Wednesday across 19 villages in the vicinity of the Tarapur Atomic Power Station in Palghar district of Maharashtra, officials said. The "National Mock Exercise" saw the distribution of 31,381 iodine tablets to citizens in the designated villages as a precautionary measure against radiation. Shelter facilities were activated for 940 residents whose homes were not deemed sufficiently protective, and a simulated evacuation of 45 citizens was carried out. "This comprehensive drill tested the coordinated response capabilities of multiple agencies and ensured the safety protocols for the surrounding population were robust and effective," said Palghar District Disaster Management Cell officer Vivekanand Kadam. The drill was jointly planned by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), New Delhi, and the Palghar District Disaster Management Authority .

Maharashtra's new EV policy may take 'toll' on toll operators' cash flows

Toll waivers on major highways may impact cash flows of operators like IRB, but low EV penetration and expected compensation make long-term effect minimal

Industrial boilers behind 7% of India's greenhouse gas emissions: Report

Boilers in India's factories release 182 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, which is about 7 per cent of the country's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and over a quarter of all emissions from industries, according to a new report published on Wednesday. The report also said these boilers emit more particulate matter (PM) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) than the entire automobile sector in India, primarily due to weak emission standards. Industries such as food processing, chemicals and textiles depend on steam produced by process boilers to operate. The findings were released at the 'National Conclave on Greening Industrial Boilers in India', organised by the environment think tank iFOREST, in partnership with the Central government's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the labour department of the Uttar Pradesh government. To reduce pollution and help India meet its net zero targets, iFOREST has suggested launching a "Green Boiler Mission"

Sambhaji Maharaj Jayanti 2025: All about 'the Brave Maratha Warrior' & more

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's Jayanti is marked annually on May 14. After his father's death, Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, assumed leadership of the Maratha Kingdom

Nitin Gadkari urges new cooperative law to match changing economic needs

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday suggested the Maharashtra government to formulate a new law for the cooperative sector in the state considering the evolving economic conditions. The cooperative sector would play a key role in improving the financial condition of people from rural areas, he said, and urged the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank, the apex cooperative bank in the state, to study the socio-economic impact of the cooperative movement in the state. Addressing a public function here, Gadkari said, "It is my request to Maharashtra chief minister and deputy chief minister to come up with a revised act for the cooperative sector. We must find a golden mean between the Cooperative Act and the Companies Act and formulate a new legislation accordingly." "There is a need to amend the laws governing cooperative establishments to align with evolving economic conditions," he said. The Road Transport and Highways Minister said the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank should ...

HC orders 2 YouTubers to delete 'defamatory' videos against BJP minister

The Bombay High Court has ordered deletion of six videos uploaded by two YouTubers against Maharashtra Water Resources Minister and senior BJP leader Girish Mahajan, noting that they were "prima facie defamatory". A bench of Justice Arif Doctor in its order passed on May 8 said after having watched the videos, a case for grant of interim relief has been made out. "The statements made by defendants in the videos as discerned from the transcripts are in my prima facie view per se defamatory," the HC said. The court directed the defendants to immediately take down/delete the six videos uploaded by them on YouTube. It also restrained them from uploading any more such videos or posts that would be defamatory against Mahajan. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on June 20. Mahajan had filed a defamation suit against one Anil Thatte and one more person claiming that they had made false, reckless and unsubstantiated allegations against him. In an interim application, Mahajan

India won't compromise on terrorism; has capacity to wipe out Pak: Shinde

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said India has a zero tolerance policy towards terrorism and possesses the capacity to wipe out Pakistan from the world map. His remarks come a day after India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a strong message to Pakistan that there is zero tolerance against terrorism. India will not tolerate any compromise on terrorism," Shinde told reporters. India has got strength to deal with external threats, he said. "India holds the capacity to obliterate Pakistan from the world map. It should learn from India's firm stance," Shinde added. Pakistan should engage with India by taking into consideration its own limitations, the deputy CM said.

MSRTC to reintroduce 3x2 bus seating to boost revenue, passenger capacity

In a bid to increase its revenue and passenger capacity on its buses, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will bring back the 3x2 seating arrangement after more than 15 years, officials said on Sunday. Earlier this week, the transport body's board approved the purchase of 3,000 new buses with conventional 3x2 seating instead of the existing 2x2 arrangement in ordinary buses, they said. Talking to PTI, state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said the 3x2 seating will bring more revenue to the corporation and give the passengers a comfortable ride, especially in rural areas. "Earlier, there were 52-55 seats in a bus, but now that number has come down to 40. So automatically, the requirement for buses went up, but the income per trip dropped. Hence, we decided to reintroduce 3x2 buses in the fleet." According to officials, this as a significant development, as it will help the loss-making corporation generate more revenue and enable it to carry more passengers per

FPOs empower women in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, boost financial stability

Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have transformed lives and provided financial stability to women in rural areas of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar who once earned meagre wages as farm labourers. Women of Karmad, who until a few years ago received Rs 200-300 in daily wages after toiling away in farms, now earn up to Rs 2,000 per day working at drying and processing units under FPOs. Besides empowering women in the area, FPOs have also cut losses incurred by farmers when excess produce flooded the markets, forcing them to destroy some of it. Drying units for onions and corn have come up in the Karmad area, around 30 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, in the last couple of years, and they are part of a supply chain for hotels and food processing companies. Talking to PTI, Padmaja Vedpathak, who works with three other women in her corn processing unit, said, "We work seven days a week and earn around Rs 2,000 a day by processing three tonnes of corn daily. I used to earn Rs 300 a d

Maharashtra govt plans to bolster civil defence force amid staff shortage

With the spotlight on civil defence, a course will be introduced in the engineering college syllabus from the upcoming academic year, a senior Maharashtra government official said

Maha Cyber branch removes 5,000 posts for misinformation amid conflict

Maharashtra Cyber has removed 5,000 posts from social media platforms containing fake news and misinformation about the military conflict between India and Pakistan, an official said on Saturday. According to officials, fake news about the army's movements, strategic operations, or retaliatory measures from neighbouring countries was found on social media. The cybercrime detection agency has also issued an advisory on the circulation of fake news and misinformation related to the military conflict, the official said. He said such unverified and misleading content poses a serious risk to national security and may contribute to the escalation of the conflict. Taking serious cognisance of such fake news and misinformation, the agency issued notices to take down and remove such false narratives from social media and communication platforms, he said. The official said the agency has removed around 5,000 social media posts containing fake news and misinformation about the military ...

All security precautions are in place in Maharashtra, says CM Fadnavis

The Maharashtra government has taken all security precautions, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday, against the backdrop of the widening conflict between India and Pakistan. Fadnavis spoke to reporters in Alandi village after taking darshan of Sant Dnyaneshwar. "Pakistan is a terrorist state. They have been supporting terrorism, but India won't stop. Under the leadership of PM Modi, our armed forces are giving a befitting response to Pakistan," he said. When asked about the heightened security measures in Maharashtra, Fadnavis said a review meeting was held in Mumbai on Friday. "All security precautions have been taken in the state in the wake of the current situation. Security information is provided to the district units, and resources are being made available," he said. Fadnavis on Friday said the police, Coast Guard and Navy are on alert mode in the state, and all SoPs (Standard Operating Procedures) are being followed. "Police, Navy and Coast Guard are on alert

Police, Coast Guard and Navy on alert mode in Maharashtra: CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the police, Coast Guard and Navy are on alert mode in the state, and all SoPs (Standard Operating Procedures) are being followed. Talking to reporters here, Fadnavis said a review meeting to take stock of the state's internal security will be held later in the day. He was responding to a query on the steps being taken to protect the state's coastline, a day after Pakistan's attempts to target Indian military installations were repelled. Police, Navy and Coast Guard are on alert mode. Regular exercises are being undertaken, and whatever steps are needed to be taken as per the war book' are being taken care of. A review meeting on internal security will be convened later in the day. We are on alert mode, he said. The Indian armed forces on early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan under Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that ..

CM Fadnavis to chair high-level security review meeting in Mumbai

The meeting comes after Pakistani drones were intercepted by the Indian air defence in Jaisalmer

Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Probe panel submits report to CM Fadnavis

A committee set up by the Maharashtra government to probe the hoarding collapse in Ghatkopar last year, in which 17 persons lost their lives, has submitted its report to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, an official said on Thursday. The report was submitted to Fadnavis in a sealed cover on Wednesday, and he forwarded it to the Home Department for further action, the official said. He said the six-member committee, headed by former Allahabad High Court chief justice Dilip Bhosle, has made suggestions about hoardings in the report. At least 17 people were killed and 74 injured after a huge iron hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar amid a dust storm on May 13, 2024. Following the incident, the state government set up a committee to investigate the roles of the entities responsible for the hoarding and the petrol pump. It was to examine previous records, financial transactions, and any potential collusion with officials from various agencies, and it was also tasked with .

Maharashtra govt launches disaster management training for students at ITIs

In light of the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, Maharashtra Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Thursday announced the introduction of disaster management training across all industrial training institutes (ITIs) in the state. The state skill development minister, in a statement, said a special programme will begin on Thursday to equip students with essential knowledge in civil defence and disaster preparedness. The aim is to strengthen resilience and readiness among youth in response to potential emergencies, the statement said. The programme will be launched at the Rajamata Jijau Government ITI in Kopri, Thane, and will be expanded to other ITIs in the state later. Former Director General of Police Praveen Dixit will guide the sessions, while training will be conducted in collaboration with Aniruddha's Academy of Disaster Management. The curriculum will cover various aspects of civil defence and emergency response techniques. Lodha said the move is a proactive step to

Civil mock drills in Mumbai, Thane, Pune today: All you need to know

The nationwide civil defence drill today will test emergency readiness post-Pahalgam attack; Maharashtra among key states with large-scale mock exercises