Page 68 - Maharashtra

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

Maha Court extends police custody of Khedkar's mother till July 22

A court in Maharashtra's Pune district on Saturday extended till July 22 the police custody of Manorama Khedkar, mother of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, in a case concerning alleged criminal intimidation tied to a land dispute. Police booked Puja's parents Manorama and Dilip and four others after a video surfaced showing her allegedly threatening some persons with a gun over a land dispute at Dhadwali village in the district's Mulshi tehsil in 2023. The prosecution told the court that they had recovered the pistol used in the crime. The Paud police in Pune rural had booked the Khedkar couple and other accused under IPC sections, including 307 (attempt to murder), 144 (unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon), 147 (rioting) and 506 (criminal intimidation) besides invoking the Arms Act. Manorama was apprehended on Thursday morning from a lodge, where she was hiding, at Hirkaniwadi village near Mahad in Raigad district. Public Prosecutor Amar Nanaware told the court on Saturday th

IMD issues red alert: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa brace for torrential rains

A low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on Tuesday, moving northwards towards Odisha

Gadchiroli encounter: 12 Naxals killed, had cumulative bounty of Rs 86 lakh

The 12 Naxalites, including three senior cadres, who were killed in an encounter with security forces in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra carried a total cash reward of Rs 86 lakh on their heads, police said on Thursday. Due to the success of the operation, the entire Korchi-Tipagad and Chatgaon-Kasansur Dalams of Maoists have been wiped out, they claimed. Twelve Naxalites, including five women, were killed and three security personnel injured in the encounter that took place on Wednesday near the Chhattisgarh border. The exchange of fire started in the afternoon and lasted around six hours, an official said. "Credible information was received yesterday morning that 12 to 15 members of Korchi-Tipagad and Chatgaon-Kasansur joint local organisation squad (LOS) are camping in a forest area near Chhattisgarh border in Wandoli village with an aim to carry out subversive activities in view of the upcoming Martyrs' Week observed by Naxalites (between July 28 and August 3)," a release ...

Freebies announced despite state reeling under heavy debt: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday alleged that the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra was announcing freebies despite the state reeling under the debt burden of Rs 8 lakh crore as the ruling parties suffered setbacks in the Lok Sabha elections. His remark comes a day after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a job training and stipend scheme for youth, tentatively named 'Ladka Bhau' Yojana. The scheme was announced days after the government introduced a monthly financial assistance scheme for eligible women. Under the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme announced in the state Budget, married, divorced, and destitute women aged 21-60 will receive Rs 1,500 per month, with the annual family income of beneficiaries capped at Rs 2.5 lakh. "The government copied the Madhya Pradesh government's (Ladli Behna) scheme to provide women Rs 1,500 per month, while under the Ladka Bhau scheme, men who are Class 12 pass will get Rs 6,000 and unemployed graduates will get Rs ...

Rising cases of mosquito-borne diseases alarms authorities in Maharashtra

Chikungunya cases have more than doubled since last year in Maharashtra, and the number of dengue cases has shot up to 3736 since the beginning of this year

Travel influencer Aanvi Kamdar dies after falling into 300 ft gorge

The 27-year-old Mumbai-based social media influencer was on a monsoon outing with seven friends. She fell into the deep gorge near the Kumbhe waterfall at Mangaon, Maharashtra while shooting reels

Mumbai on alert: Heavy rains and strong winds expected, warns IMD

The Indian Meteorological Department forecasts that Mumbai regions around the metropolitan will receive 5 to 15 mm of rain per hour until 10 am on Thursday

Maharashtra govt declares job training and stipend scheme ahead of polls

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday announced a job training and stipend scheme for youth, tentatively named 'Ladka Bhau' Yojana, days after it introduced a monthly financial assistance scheme for eligible women. Shinde declared broad features of the new scheme, primarily targeting men, at Pandharpur in Solapur district on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi. "Some people said that 'Ladki Bahin Yojana' (for women) has been launched; what about 'Ladka Bhau' (beloved brother)? We are now announcing a scheme for Ladka Bhau where job seekers who are class 12 pass will receive Rs 6,000, diploma holders will get Rs 8,000, and those with a bachelor's degree will get Rs 10,000. They will receive this stipend from the government during their on-job training in the industry," Shinde told reporters. The candidate will do the apprenticeship and get a job. Simultaneously, the industry will benefit from the trained manpower, he said, adding that the apprenticeship will be funded by

Mumbai's 1st underground Metro line to start from July 24, says BJP's Tawde

Mumbai's first underground Metro rail corridor, known as Metro Line 3, will start operating from July 24, Bharatiya Janata Party's general secretary Vinod Tawde said on Wednesday. He gave this information in a post on X. Mumbai Metro Line 3, also known as Mumbai Metro Aqua Line or Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Line, is a 33.5 km underground route that will connect south Mumbai to the city's western suburbs and is expected to reduce the burden on the suburban locals. "Mumbai's first underground metro (Aqua Line) is starting from July 24, which will give new impetus to the speed of the city," Tawde said in his post. Last month, Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) successfully completed the trials of rolling stock for the underground Mumbai Metro Line 3. In his post, Tawde also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a guarantee to make the life of Mumbaikars easier and this is going to be fulfilled through the Metro Line 3. Ashwini Bhide, managing director of the ...

12 naxals killed in encounter with police on Maha-Chhattisgarh border

The operation also yielded a significant haul of weapons, including seven automatic firearms: three AK-47 rifles, two INSAS rifles, one carbine, and one self-loading rifle (SLR)

Maharashtra govt announces Rs 6,000 for 12th pass and Rs 10,000 for graduates

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced a stipend for students on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi Day. What’s the plan? Watch the video to find out.