Page 38 - Maharashtra

Maharashtra to establish Innovation City similar to GIFT City: CM Fadnavis

He added that the state is planning to finalise a new startup policy in the next two months, which would be opened to the public for consultation and comments

Maharashtra to set up Innovation City on lines of GIFT City: CM Fadnavis

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced plans to establish an Innovation City in Maharashtra on the lines of Gujarat's GIFT City, underscoring the need for efforts to maintain the state's leadership in India's start-up ecosystem. Speaking at a forum on startups and technology here, he said this initiative would create a hub for technology and innovation, providing fertile ground for start-ups, particularly in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (AI). The way GIFT City has been created, we aim to develop an Innovation City in Maharashtra at an even faster pace, Fadnavis said. The Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is India's first International Financial Services Centre under the Special Economic Zone Act. The financial and technology hub between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar is designed to attract businesses from India and abroad. Highlighting Maharashtra's achievements, Fadnavis said the state is home to over 25,000 start-ups and continues to

Single-member panel formed for judicial probe into Beed sarpanch's murder

The Maharashtra government has set up a single-member committee of retired high court judge M L Tahaliyani for a judicial inquiry into the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district, officials said on Thursday. Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, was abducted, allegedly tortured, and murdered on December 9. Preliminary investigations indicated that Deshmukh had tried to resist an extortion attempt on an energy company operating a windmill project in the area. Police have arrested several persons in connection with the murder case. Walmik Karad, an associate of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Deshmukh, has been arrested in a related extortion case and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sarpanch's murder on Wednesday took him into seven-day custody. The judicial committee will determine whether any individual or organisation was responsible for Deshmukh's death, as per the government order issued on Wednesday. It will also assess the adequacy

Maharashtra RTE admissions 2025 begin today for 25 per cent reserved seats

Maharashtra RTE admissions 2025 registrations start today, January 14, and the last date to apply is January 27, 2025. Candidates can register through the official website

Organisers asked not to involve children on stage at Coldplay concert

The Thane district authorities have issued a notice to the organisers of British band Coldplay's upcoming concert in Navi Mumbai, asking them not to allow participation of children "in any form on stage" at the event. Also, no child should be allowed to attend the concert without earplugs or hearing protection, the district child protection officer said in a notice to the event organisers. As part of their 'Music of the Spheres World Tour', the British band has three shows scheduled at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai area of Maharashtra's Thane district on January 18, 19 and 21. Following a complaint lodged by a Chandigarh resident, raising concerns about children's safety during the event, the Thane district authorities on January 14 issued the notice to the concert organisers, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and the event ticketing partner BookMyShow. The notice warned the organisers and Martin to "not use children on stage in any form", citing concerns about high sound levels

Indian Army celebrates 77th Army Day, honours 52 awardees in Pune

General Dwivedi also emphasised that in internal security, the forces continue to bring stability across India, contributing to a safer and stronger nation

Anushka-Virat to host a housewarming party in Alibaug, Viral video

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli are in India, enjoying family time. It appears that today is the housewarming event for their new residence. As the video goes viral, fans went crazy

PM Modi to meet Mahayuti MLAs in Mumbai today, says Eknath Shinde

PM Modi will be in Mumbai today to dedicate three frontline naval combatants INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vaghsheer to the nation on their commissioning at the Naval Dockyard

Centre extends soyabean procurement deadline in Maharashtra, Raj to Jan 31

The Centre has extended the soybean procurement deadline in Maharashtra to January 31, and in Rajasthan to February 4, following requests from state governments, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday. The previous deadlines were January 12 for Maharashtra and January 15 for Rajasthan. "Procurement is underway. We have extended the deadline for procurement in both Maharashtra and Rajasthan on state governments' requests," Chouhan told reporters. The government has also permitted additional procurement of 25,000 tonnes from Telangana, which has already reached its initial target of 59,508 tonnes. Total soyabean procurement across the country has reached 13.68 lakh tonnes so far, Chouhan said. The procurement in Maharashtra and Rajasthan is being conducted under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), with the government purchasing soybean at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 4,892 per quintal. Chouhan said he would hold weekly Monday meetings at Krishi Bhavan to revie

PM Modi to dedicate 3 frontline naval combatants to nation on Wednesday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate three frontline naval combatants -- INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vaghsheer -- to the nation on their commissioning at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Wednesday. In another function during his visit to Maharashtra, the prime minister will inaugurate an ISKCON Temple in Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, a PMO statement said on Monday. It said the commissioning of the three major naval combatants marks a significant leap in realising India's vision of becoming a global leader in defence manufacturing and maritime security. INS Surat, the fourth and final ship of the P15B Guided Missile Destroyer Project, ranks among the largest and most sophisticated destroyers in the world. It has an indigenous content of 75 per cent and is equipped with state-of-the-art weapon-sensor packages and advanced network-centric capabilities, the statement said. INS Nilgiri, the first ship of the P17A Stealth Frigate Project, has been designed by the Indian Navy's Warship

INDIA bloc disintegrating as it doesn't have ideology: BJP's Bawankule

Maharashtra Minister and state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday claimed the INDIA bloc was disintegrating as it has no ideology and policy for the nation's development. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Bawankule said the INDIA bloc was broken and scattered, and in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena (UBT) was against the Congress. "The INDIA bloc doesn't have any policy for the nation's development. They came together for power, and now, without power, all leaders of the alliance have scattered away. And in Maharashtra as well, you can see Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar are against the Congress because they don't have an ideology," he said. The state revenue minister said the Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP has an ideology and progressive vision and will always remain united. Bawankule said the final decision about assigning guardian ministers would be taken by January 15-16, and the chief minister and deputy chief ministers convened two

Badlapur sexual assault victims very young, trial must be fast-tracked: HC

The Bombay High Court on Monday said the trial in the last year's Badlapur school sexual assault case should be fast-tracked and conducted expeditiously as the victim girls are very young. In August last year, a male attendant sexually assaulted the two girls - aged four and five - inside the toilet of their school located in Badlapur area of Maharashtra's Thane district. He was arrested and later killed in a shootout with police when he was being taken from jail for questioning. The Special Investigation (SIT), set up by the Maharashtra government to conduct a probe into the case, has filed its chargesheet. The chargesheet was filed against the attendant, the school's headmaster and two members of its management for "failing to report" the sexual assault, as required under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The high court took suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the incident after it came to light that the local Badlapur police had not take

BJP's Maharashtra win ends Sharad Pawar's politics of betrayal: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said veteran politician Sharad Pawar played politics of betrayal and treachery in Maharashtra from 1978, which was ended by BJP's massive victory in the assembly polls with its resolve to establish a stable government. Addressing a state BJP convention in Shirdi, Shah said the people of Maharashtra showed Pawar, who heads NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray their place by rejecting the politics of dynasty and betrayal in last year's elections. Citing differences between Congress and allies in Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, and Maharashtra, Shah said the decline of the opposition INDI block has begun. "Sharad Pawar started politics of 'daga-phatka' (betrayal and treachery) in Maharashtra in 1978, which was rejected by people in 2024 (elections). Similarly, the politics of the dynasty and the betrayal of Uddhav Thackeray was also rejected. People showed Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray their place in 2024 polls," Shah said. Noting that

Sena (UBT) never called for disbanding INDIA bloc or MVA: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said his party wants to go solo in the local bodies polls to strengthen its base and has never called for dissolution of the opposition INDIA bloc or the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Raut's remarks came a day after he cited the lack of opportunities for workers of respective parties in an alliance and the right to organisational growth as the major considerations for contesting solo, which raised a question mark over the opposition bloc's unity. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Raut said, "The MVA was formed for the assembly polls and INDIA bloc for the Lok Sabha elections. The local body elections are meant to empower party workers and strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level." "I or my party have never said that the INDIA bloc or the MVA should be dissolved," the Rajya Sabha member added. The INDIA bloc and MVA alliances include the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP). Asked about the ...

BJP to strategise for local body polls at Shirdi meet, Amit Shah to attend

The Maharashtra BJP's convention in Shirdi on Sunday, to be attended by Union minister Amit Shah, is expected to fine-tune its strategies for the local body polls, building on its impressive show in the 2024 state assembly polls. The state-level convention is the BJP's first major gathering since its win in the November 2024 assembly polls and formation of government under its leader Devendra Fadnavis. Senior BJP leader Shah is expected to address the party workers during the event, at the Shirdi temple town in Ahilyanagar district, which is likely to see the participation of nearly 15,000 delegates. The BJP has now shifted focus on the local body polls, including in Mumbai, and the convention is aimed at formulating strategies for them, a party functionary said. The convention will focus on strengthening the party's position in 27 municipal corporations by discussing strategies, addressing ground-level challenges, and planning organisational changes, he said. Speaking to reporter

Shiv Sena (UBT) to go alone in local bodies elections, says Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said his party will contest the upcoming elections to the various local bodies alone. Talking to reporters, the Rajya Sabha MP said the INDIA bloc and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances were for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. "In an alliance, workers of individual parties don't get opportunities, and it hampers organisational growth. We will contest polls to the Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur and other municipal corporations, zilla parishads and panchayats on our strength," he said. He said party chief Uddhav Thackeray gave the party indications that it should go alone. Hitting out at Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar for indulging in a blame game over the MVA's defeat in the state assembly, Raut said those who don't believe in consensus and compromise have no right to be in an alliance. He further claimed that the INDIA bloc did not hold a single meeting after the Lok Sabha elections. "We were not able to appoint even a convenor for INDIA bloc. I

ED raids promoters of Tadoba Andhari tiger safari over alleged fraud

The Enforcement Directorate Friday said it has conducted searches against the promoters of a company that collects safari fee at a tiger reserve in Maharashtra for alleged fraud of Rs 12 crore with the state government. The raids were carried out between January 8 and 9 at seven premises in the adjoining districts of Chandrapur and Nagpur related to Abhishek Vinodkumar Thakur and Rohit Vinodkumar Thakur, owners of the company named Wild Connectivity Solutions (WCS), and their related entities, the federal agency said in a statement. WCS was engaged by the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, through a service-level agreement of December 2021, to provide uninterrupted services to visitors, including collecting entry fees, gypsy charges and guide charges, the ED said. "However, the company owners (Abhishek Vinodkumar Thakur and Rohit Vinodkumar Thakur) violated the terms of the agreement and cheated the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve Conservation Foundation to the extent of Rs 12.15 crore duri

Baba Siddique's son Zeeshan alleges police inaction, seeks help from CM

Zeeshan further raised concerns about the protection of builders allegedly involved in the case and the swift narrative pinning the blame on Lawrence Bishnoi

Aiming to make Maharashtra $1 trillion economy by end of decade: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said it would be the state's endeavour to become the country's first to have a USD 1 trillion economy by the end of this decade. While being interviewed in a programme titled 'Envisioning $1 Trillion Maharashtra' organised by Sakal News Group and Pune Public Policy Festival (PPPF), Fadnavis said, "It is being predicted that by 2032, Maharashtra will become USD one trillion economy. The reason for this prediction is that last year, we already surpassed the halfway mark. If we try a little hard, we can achieve the target by 2028, 2029 or 2030." "It would be our endeavour to make Maharashtra the first sub-national $ 1 trillion economy. Other states are way behind and they will take time to catch up with us. The youthful human resource of the state will contribute to this milestone," he added. By 2029, Maharashtra will be number one in every sector and will work as the growth engine of the country.

No one has to worry, says Maharashtra Health Minister Abitkar on HMPV

Our health department is working efficiently in this matter, no one has to worry, Prakash Abitkar said