Page 70 - Maharashtra

Maha Budget: Women to get Rs 1,500 monthly; 3 cylinders for family of 5

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday announced a financial assistance scheme entailing a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to eligible women in the age group of 21 to 60 years in the state Budget for 2024-25. Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio, said in his budget speech in the assembly that the scheme, "Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana", will be implemented from July, four months ahead of the state polls which are due in October. An annual budgetary allocation of Rs 46,000 crore will be made for the scheme, he said. Announcing another welfare scheme, the finance minister said an eligible family of five will get three cooking gas cylinders free every year under the 'Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana'.

Water in India's 150 reservoirs dip to 20% of live storage capacity: CWC

Water available in the 150 main reservoirs across the country has dipped to just 20 per cent of their total live storage capacity, according to the Central Water Commission. For the past two weeks, the reservoirs were at 21 per cent of their total live storage capacity and the week before that it was 22 per cent. The Central Water Commission (CWC) has reported a significant drop in live storage levels across 150 major reservoirs in India. According to the latest CWC bulletin, the total live storage available is 36.368 billion cubic meters (BCM) which is just 20 per cent of the total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. This is a significant decrease from 46.369 billion cubic meters (BCM) recorded during the same period last year and also below the normal storage of 42.645 BCM. The total live storage capacity of these reservoirs is 178.784 BCM, which is about 69.35 per cent of the estimated total live storage capacity of 257.812 BCM in the country. The northern region, compr

Uddhav demands complete farm loan waiver, implementation before Maha polls

Addressing a press conference, he also termed the monsoon session of the state legislature that commenced on Thursday

No injustice will be done to OBCs while giving reservation to Marathas: CM

No injustice will be done to Other Backward Classes or any other community while giving reservation to the Marathas, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured on Wednesday on the eve of the monsoon session of the state legislature. Holding a press conference here along with his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Shinde said the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP alliance would not shower assurances on people, but the budget to be presented during the session -- last before the assembly elections -- will be beneficial for farmers, the youth and women. No injustice will be done to the OBCs or any other community while giving reservation to the Maratha community, he said, pointing out that the Mahayuti government convened a special session to give 10 per cent reservation to the Marathas earlier this year. While the Marathas led by Manoj Jarange are demanding reservation in the OBC category, OBC leaders including senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal are opposed to sharing reservation .

Shifting gears: Ather Energy plans new facility in Maharashtra's Bidkin

The company aims to diversify manufacturing base to enhance proximity to key markets across India and streamline operational costs

NEET-UG 2024: Maharashtra police uncover Bihar-linked admit cards in Latur

Investigations in Maharashtra have uncovered that parents of NEET-UG 2024 aspirants allegedly paid between Rs 5,00,000 and Rs 7,00,000 to suspects to secure better exam scores for their children

No order from Raj Thackeray to back any party in council polls: MNS leader

MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande on Wednesday said there was no order for them from party chief Raj Thackeray to vote for any particular party in the polls underway on Wednesday for four seats of the Maharashtra legislative council. Notably, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) supported the ruling Mahayuti in the state, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the NCP headed by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. Polling was being held on Wednesday in the Mumbai Graduates, Mumbai Teachers, Nashik Teachers and Konkan Graduates constituencies of the state legislative council, as the terms of their sitting members are expiring in July. In the Konkan Graduates constituency, there is a direct fight between sitting BJP MLC Niranjan Davkhare and Congress candidate Ramesh Keer. Last month, the MNS fielded filmmaker Abhijit Panse from the Konkan Graduates seat but he later withdrew from the fray. Asked about the MNS stand for the M

Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Maha govt suspends IPS officer Quaiser Khalid

Mumbai Crime Branch has so far arrested Bhavesh Bhide, director of Ego Media, which had erected the structure

Pune crash: Minor released, HC says sending him to observation home illegal

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed that the 17-year-old boy allegedly involved in the Porsche car accident in Pune be released immediately as the orders remanding him to an observation home were illegal and the law regarding juveniles must be implemented fully. The teenager, who had got bail hours after the accident on May 19 but was sent to the observation home three days later following an outcry, was released in the evening following the HC order. A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande said it was the court's bounden duty to prioritize justice above everything else, and it was not swayed by the uproar created because of the ghastly mishap which resulted in the loss of two innocent lives. "Fiat Justitia Ruat Caelum, a latin phrase which connotes, "Let justice be done though the heavens fall," clearly convey a principle in law, that justice must be realized regardless of consequences and just decisions may be made at whatever cost it comes," the

Pune Porsche crash case: Bombay HC orders release of juvenile accused

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday ordered that a 17-year-old boy allegedly involved in the Porsche car accident in Pune last month be released immediately from an observation home. The teen, who the police claim was drunk and driving the luxury car when it hit a two-wheeler in the early hours of May 19 killing two techies, was lodged at an observation home in Maharashtra's Pune city. A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande quashed the orders issued by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) remanding the minor to the observation home. "We allow the petition and order his release. The CCL (Child in Conflict with Law) shall be in the care and custody of the petitioner (paternal aunt)," the court said. The bench noted the JJB's remand orders were illegal and passed without jurisdiction. The court said amid the "immediate reaction to the accident, the kneejerk reaction and the public outcry, the CCL's age was not considered." "The CCL is under 18 years old. His age

NCP (SP) targets BJP, says many 'Emergency situations' in India at present

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) on Tuesday claimed there are many "Emergency situations" in the country at present and the BJP needs to answer them before dwelling into the past. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress on the 49th anniversary of the Emergency. The saffron party has announced a nationwide programme on the 1975 Emergency to "expose" the Congress' "authoritarianism" and its disregard for the Constitution. In a post on X, NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto targeted the BJP over the Manipur violence and the alleged NEET paper leak. "When will the #BJP talk about the Emergency situation in #Manipur where the people are suffering for more than a year. When will the BJP talk about the Emergency situation in our #Education system and their failure in controlling the #NEET paper leaks," he said. "When will BJP talk about the Emergency situation on the #Agricultural front in India," Crasto added. He claimed the basic demands of far

Yellow alert in Thane, Mumbai as heavy rainfall predicted for next 5 days

Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall can be expected with gusty winds blowing at the rate of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour in both Thane and Mumbai

Nitin Gadkari asks industries to establish skill development institutes

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Saturday urged industries to initiate skill development institutes to create a skilled and industry-ready workforce. Addressing the CII-Industry Academia Conclave in Nagpur, Gadkari emphasised the need for collaboration between industry and academia to develop skilled manpower. "Coordination between industry and academia is essential for the skill development of students and enhancing manpower," he stated. Gadkari suggested that industries should progressively establish their own skill development centres, as well as engineering and polytechnic colleges, to provide both knowledge and practical experience, thereby making students more skilful. He acknowledged the issue of skilled manpower shortage in industries while educated individuals remain unemployed, attributing this to a lack of coordination and communication between educational institutions and the industry. "I am of the opinion that step by step, deemed ...

Aaditya Thackeray calls on Maha Governor, demands MH-CET marks disclosure

Aaditya Thackeray took to his social media handle on X and posted, 'This afternoon, we called on His Excellency, Governor Ramesh Bais ji, to seek his intervention on the MH CET chaos.'

Maratha, OBC quota row: Maharashtra CM vows to prevent caste tensions

The Maharashtra government will ensure that caste tension doesn't erupt in society, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Saturday against the backdrop of Marathas and OBCs firming up their stands on reservations. Shinde thanked OBC activist Laxman Hake and others for withdrawing their indefinite fast following the government intervention. "We will ensure there is no caste tension in the society," Shinde told reporters in Nashik. Activists Hake and Navnath Waghmare were observing fast since June 13 demanding that the OBC quota not be diluted. They called off their agitation on Saturday after a government delegation called on them. Shinde, who chaired a meeting of OBC leaders in Mumbai on Friday, said an all-party meeting will be convened in the first week of the monsoon session beginning June 27. "A good discussion was held on the issue yesterday," he added. The government has decided to convene the meeting to discuss the issue of extending reservations to "sage-soyare" or the kin

MMRDA continues repair work on approach road connecting Atal Setu in Mumbai

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole inspected the cracks spotted on the Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link

Maha should improve logistics, power supply for industrial growth: CII

Logistics infrastructure and cost of power supply have scope of improvement in Maharashtra for industrial growth, CII Vice President R Mukundan said on Saturday. Mukundan inaugurated the new office of CII Marathwada Zone chaired by Sunil Kirdak. "Last-mile connectivity is important for every industry to run their business smoothly. Improvement in logistics in terms of national and state highways should take place to keep investments coming. Where industry is less, we need more connectivity there," he told reporters. Efforts should be made to make the western region more competitive in terms of power supply and cost of power. There is a need to reduce the cost of power, he added. These two issues have been addressed well but there is a scope of improvement, Mukundan noted. On prospects of exports, he said, "If we need to export from here, we have to increase the number of airports and port facilities also". CII western region deputy chairman Rishi Kumar Bagla said, some airlines h

Seat-sharing talks for Maha polls yet to begin in MVA: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said seat-sharing talks have not commenced among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies for the Maharashtra assembly polls scheduled later this year, and asserted that all are equal stakeholders in the opposition alliance. Talking to reporters, Raut said the MVA contested the Lok Sabha polls unitedly and showed to the world how Maharashtra stopped the BJP from getting a full majority. The MVA comprises Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress. The alliance won 30 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. "Seat-sharing talks have not yet commenced - neither with the NCP (SP) nor the Congress. So the question of who will contest how many seats doesn't arise. All are equal stakeholders," he said. "There are 288 (assembly) seats (in Maharashtra). There will be no shortage of seats for anyone. Everyone will contest comfortably," Raut said. His remarks came in the backdrop of a NCP (SP) party leader quoted its supremo Sharad Pawar as saying ...

BJP holds marathon meeting to discuss strategy for Maha Assembly polls

The Maharashtra unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a marathon meeting here to discuss strategy for the upcoming state assembly elections, sources said on Saturday. During the meeting held on Friday night, discussions were held for five hours on how to plan the election campaign and finalise the strategy, they said. Elections to the 288-member state assembly are likely to be held in October. In the recently-held Lok Sabha elections, the BJP's seat tally in Maharashtra dropped from 23 to nine. The ruling Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, bagged only 17 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats, whereas the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a three-party alliance of Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) won 30 seats. Talking about the meeting, a BJP source said, "Our first meeting, which lasted for five hours, discussed the preliminary blueprint prepared for the assembly polls. The action plan will be finalised soon and more meetings hav

NCP (SP) won't settle for less in assembly seat-sharing: Sharad Pawar

The NCP (SP) agreed to contest fewer seats than its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies during the Lok Sabha elections but the situation would be different in the assembly polls, a party leader has quoted its supremo Sharad Pawar as saying. Pawar held two meetings here on Friday, one with the party's functionaries from Pune city and district, and another with its MLAs and newly-elected MPs. City NCP (SP) chief Prashant Jagtap, who attended the first meeting, said Pawar told the gathering that the party contested fewer seats in the Lok Sabha polls just to ensure that the alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress remained intact. "He indicated that the picture in the assembly polls will be different," said Jagtap. The NCP (SP) chief also reviewed the situation in assembly segments within the Pune, Baramati, Maval and Shirur Lok Sabha constituencies, he said. A party leader who attended the second meeting said Pawar exhorted the MPs and MLAs to be prepared for the assembly ...