Page 66 - Maharashtra

Congress protests caste remarks against Rahul, seeks apology from BJP

The Congress in Maharashtra on Thursday held state-wide protests against the BJP over its Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur's controversial remarks making apparent reference about Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi's caste in Parliament. Thakur's comments on Gandhi were an insult to Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and OBC communities, said the opposition party. State Congress president Nana Patole sought an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP over the comments. Talking to reporters in Mumbai during the protest, Patole said, "Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is raising his voice for the rights of backward communities. He has been demanding a caste-based census. In retaliation, a BJP MP asked Rahul Gandhi about his caste in the Lok Sabha." "By asking about his caste, the BJP not only insulted Rahul Gandhi but also disrespected SCs, STs, Nomadic Tribes and OBC communities," contended the Congress leader. Patole said not only are ...

India likely to receive above normal rainfall in second half of 2024: IMD

IMD monsoon forecast: Southern and central regions recorded more than average rainfall while east and north-east India recorded 23.3 per cent less rainfall in July

Toyota, Maharashtra set wheels in motion for Rs 20,000 crore plant

Plan to roll out 400,000 electric, hybrid cars a year

Toyota to set up mfg plant in Maharashtra; likely to invest Rs 20k cr

Automaker Toyota Kirloskar Motor on Wednesday said it will set up a new manufacturing plant in Maharashtra at an investment of around Rs 20,000 crore. The company has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government to examine the setting up of a greenfield manufacturing facility at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) said in a statement. Headquartered in Karnataka, TKM already has two manufacturing units located at Bidadi near Bengaluru. In Karnataka, the automaker, including its group companies, has invested more than Rs 16,000 crore and created close to 86,000 jobs in the entire value chain, it said. Toyota's cumulative export contributions also stand at around Rs 32,000 crore thus representing the company's export focus, it added. "Today's MoU signing marks a pivotal point as we stride into the next phase of growth in the country enabling us to contribute to enriching lives with qualitative mobility solutions locally and globally,"

In big relief to law graduates, SC caps advocate enrolment fee at Rs 700

The Supreme Court has said that the current enrolment fee structure charged by the state bar councils is unreasonable as it causes excessive financial burdens on young law graduates

Bank of Maharashtra likely to issue maiden infra bonds to raise Rs 3,000 cr

Earlier this month, the bank had raised Rs 1,000 cr via Basel III compliant tier II bonds maturing in 10 years at a coupon of 7.89 per cent

Maha Rains: Over 5,000 persons shifted in Kolhapur; rivers rise in Sangli

More than 5800 people were relocated after the Panchganga river started flowing above the danger mark in western Maharashtra's Kolhapur district, an official said on Friday.The water level of Panchaganga river at Rajaram Wier was 46.4 feet at noon, well above the danger mark of 43 feet, he said. Talking to PTI, Kolhapur collector Amol Yedge said the district administration has started relocating people from the affected areas of Sutarwada and Kumbharwada in the city. The administration has relocated people from Chikhli and Ambewadi in Karveer tehsil and some villages in Hatkalangane, Shirol and Ichalkarangi tehsils, he said. As per the details shared by the district administration, more than 5800 people (around 1379 families ) have been relocated to safety from Karveer, Panhala, Hatkalangane, Bhudargad, Gadhinglaj, Chandgad, Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur city, Shahuwadi and Kagal. "Though the India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for the district, the rains have ...

6 dead in Maharashtra amid heavy rainfall; IMD issues 'red' alert in state

Heavy rainfall in Mumbai resulted in the cancellation of 11 flights and the diversion of 10 others to nearby airports on Thursday

Maharashtra govt asks K'taka to release more water from Almatti dam

In view of heavy rainfall in parts of western Maharashtra, the state government has urged Karnataka to release more water from Almatti dam to avoid flooding in Sangli and Kolhapur districts, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Thursday. Almatti dam, officially known as Lal Bahadur Shastri dam, is a hydroelectric project on the Krishna river in north Karnataka. Speaking to reporters, he said, "The Maharashtra government has asked Karnataka to increase the water discharge from Almatti dam to three lakh cusec from the current outflow of 2.5 lakh cusec." The water storage of Koyna dam in Maharashtra's Satara district increased by six thousand million cubic feet (TMC) in a very short period, and it is already 75 per cent filled, he said. "It means, we need to discharge water from Koyna dam, which will increase the water levels of Krishna river," he said. Koyna dam is built on the Koyna river and its storage capacity is 105 TMC. The Koyna river is the biggest tributary of the ...

Make public clips of my alleged remarks against Pawar, Uddhav: Deshmukh

Senior NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Thursday dared Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to make public the video clips against him purportedly showing him speaking against NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray. Addressing a press conference here, Deshmukh said, "Fadnavis should make the video clips public because I know he possesses none." Deshmukh also showed a pen drive saying that it contains evidence about the allegations he made against Fadnavis. He reiterated his allegation that three years ago, he was pressured by BJP leader Fadnavis to make an affidavit and level false allegations against Uddhav Thackeray, Ajit Pawar, Aaditya Thackeray and Anil Parab. When asked about the pen drive in his hand, Deshmukh said it contains proof of his allegations against Fadnavis. "If I am challenged, I will reveal the video evidence I have. I don't speak without proof," he said. On Wednesday, Deshmukh alleged that an 'intermediary' of Fadnavis ..

IMD issues 'yellow' alert for Mumbai; Andheri subway shut, trains delayed

Mumbai rains: Regional Meteorological Centre said heavy rainfall is expected at isolated locations in the North Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada regions of the state on Thursday

Conspicuous by absence: Three things that were missing in Budget 24 speech

In Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget 2024 speech, three points that did not feature, stood out for their absence

IMD issues 'red' alert for Maharashtra; Mumbai flooded by heavy rain

IMD weather update: The IMD has predicted heavy rain for Mumbai and Thane, issues a 'yellow' alert for Tuesday and an 'orange' alert for Wednesday

Pune court sends IAS Puja Khedkar's mother to jail, denies bail plea

A Pune court on Monday remanded controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar's mother to 14-day judicial custody in a criminal case linked to a land dispute and also rejected her bail plea, saying attempt to murder charge has been invoked against her and she can seek relief only in a sessions court, said the prosecution. Manorama Khedkar, mother of the junior IAS officer, was arrested for allegedly threatening some persons with a gun over a land dispute in Pune district last year. Manorama Khedkar was produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Paud area after her police custody ended on Monday. As the prosecution did not press for her further police remand, JMFC Sudhir Barde sent the accused to judicial custody for 14 days, said Public Prosecutor Amar Nanaware. The defence lawyer representing Manorama Khedkar then moved an application for regular bail. However, the JMFC pointed out that the offence under IPC section 307 (attempt to murder), which has

Heavy rainfall lashes Mumbai; flights, suburban train services disrupted

IMD weather update: Mumbai is currently experiencing heavy downpours. An 'orange' alert has been issued for the Konkan region

Ajit Pawar announces to go solo in upcoming Maharashtra local body polls

Pawar said that despite having contested Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha together as Mahayuti, every party will contest local body election as per their strengths

Nipah claims one life in Kerala; Maharashtra reports 28 Zika cases in 2024

Communicable disease scare grips people as Maharashtra reports 28 Zika cases this year

We lost seats not people's support, says Maha BJP chief at party convention

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday said his party maintained its support among people despite losing seats in the recent Lok Sabha polls. He was addressing the party's state convention in Pune, which is being attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the party's state in charge and Union minister Bhupender Yadav, co-incharge Ashwini Vaishnaw, among others. "The BJP lost some seats in the Lok Sabha elections, but our voter base remains strong. There is no need to worry about it. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the BJP secured 1,33,08,961 votes. The number increased in the subsequent assembly elections, with the BJP receiving 1,47,09,276 votes," Bawankule pointed out. "In the 2019 general elections, the BJP obtained 1,49,12,139 votes. In the 2024 general elections, we got 1,49,13,914 votes. This clearly indicates the support for the BJP among the people remains unwavering. Nonetheless, we only secured nine seats in this Lok Sabha election," he added. The BJ

Ahead of Maharashtra polls, BJP and Cong announce teams for media connect

The BJP and the Congress have announced their teams to engage with the media ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls, which are likely to be held in October. The BJP, which is part of the ruling alliance in he state, released a list of more than 30 leaders who will speak to the media at 9am and 4pm everyday. The list includes new entrants Ashok Chavan, who was a former Congress chief minister, and lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as well as Pankaja Munde, who was recently elected as MLC. The state BJP media coordinator Navnath Ban will coordinate with all the leaders. Apart from these three, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, former Union minister Raosaheb Danve , BJP group leader in the legislative council Pravin Darekar, state ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar, Girish Mahajan, MLAs Nitesh Rane, Atul Bhatkalkar, Ram Kadam and senior party leader and vice president Madhav Bhandari have also been appointed as spokespersons. Newly elected Pune MP and Union minister Murlidhar Mohol has been appointed by .

New Maharashtra tourism policy to attract significant investments: HRAWI

A section of hotel and restaurant owners on Saturday welcomed the Maharashtra government's Tourism Policy 2024, which is aimed at positioning the state as a premier global tourist destination. This progressive framework, aimed at positioning Maharashtra as a premier global tourist destination, is a game-changer for our industry, the Hotel And Restaurant Association (Western India) - HRAWI said in a statement. The policy's strategic initiatives and incentives are set to attract significant investments, HRAWI president Pradeep Shetty said. Additional Floor Space Index (FSI), relaxed building restrictions to expedite projects, capital subsidies, SGST reimbursement, electricity duty exemptions and interest subventions on loans are some of the key requirements of the industry and once implemented, will give a big boost to the state's tourism and hospitality sector, Shetty said. "We eagerly anticipate its effective implementation within the stated objectives and the Ease of Doing Busines