Page 77 - Maharashtra

Maharashtra govt asks police to crack down on deepfake creators

The Maharashtra government on Friday directed the state police to take stern action against those creating deepfakes, saying such content is a cause for concern amid the poll season. According to an official release, the number of deepfakes and doctored photos being circulated on social media and digital media has risen during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Deepfake is a video of a person in which their appearance has been digitally altered so that they look like somebody else. Such manipulated content is being created using machine learning (ML) or artificial intelligence (AI), it said, adding that the use of this machinery during elections is a cause for concern. Deepfake content creates misunderstanding and is defamatory, said the government. The government has asked the Director-General of Police (DGP) to curb such practices and ensure a clean and transparent electoral process. The police have been asked to take stern action against anti-social elements making and circulatin

Pvt helicopter going to pick Shiv Sena (UBT) leader tilts in Maha's Raigad

The pilot of a helicopter was injured after it tilted during landing in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Friday, a police official said. The chopper was scheduled to pick Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare for a public rally in connection with the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, he said. The helicopter got tilted when the pilot tried to land on a makeshift helipad at Mahad around 9.30 am, he said. While the pilot suffered injuries, the helicopter's rotor blades got damaged in the incident, he said, citing preliminary findings.

Breaking up of parties has not gone down well with people: Supriya Sule

Sule says: "There is no Modi wave"

Sugar production beats estimates with late pick up in rains raising output

That is down 1.8% from the previous full year, but already above the around 29 million metric tons expected at the start of the current season due to drought in Karnataka and Maharashtra states

LS polls: Shiv Sena nominates Naresh Mhaske as its candidate from Thane

The Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday nominated former Thane mayor Naresh Mhaske as its candidate for the Thane Lok Sabha seat. Mhaske will take on Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and incumbent MP Rajan Vichare. It also officially announced the candidature of CM Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde as its candidate from the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. He currently represents that seat. Shinde's nomination had been announced by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as a candidate of the ruling 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance), comprising Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, last month. Thane is known to be bastion of CM Shinde. He represents the Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly constituency in Thane. The party is yet to announce candidates for the Nashik and Palghar Lok Sabha seats.

Maharashtra Day 2024: Schools, banks, offices to remain closed today

Maharashtra Day 2024: Every year, Marathi people celebrate Maharashtra Day on May 1 as the state was formed on a linguistic basis. Banks, schools, and offices are to remain closed today

Mumbai property registrations rise 11% to 11,628 units in April: Report

Registration of properties in the Mumbai municipal area rose 11 per cent in April to 11,628 units mainly on strong housing demand, according to Knight Frank. In April 2023, the registration of properties in Mumbai stood at 10,514 units. In March 2024, the registration of properties stood at 14,145 units. According to Knight Frank, the registration of properties stood at 11,628 units last month. "The enduring confidence of homebuyers in the Mumbai market has maintained a positive outlook. This optimism has driven Mumbai's property registrations consistently exceeding the 10,000 mark for the fourth consecutive month in 2024," Knight Frank said. Of the overall registered properties, residential units constitute 80 per cent. Shishir Baijal, Chairman & Managing Director, Knight Frank India, said, "The buoyant market conditions have significantly boosted the state treasury, marking its highest-ever revenue collection for April. Property registrations in April have surged, highlighting

Why has PM ignored plight of Marathwada's farmers: Cong slams Modi

The Congress on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ignoring the plight of farmers in Marathwada, and also asked what is his vision to address water scarcity in that region. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the prime minister ahead of his rallies in Marathwada region of Maharashtra. "Why has the PM ignored the plight of Marathwada's farmers? What is the PM's vision to address water scarcity in Marathwada? Why has the export ban only been lifted on Gujarat's white onions?" Ramesh said in a post on X. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla" details, Ramesh said that in the first half of 2023, the Marathwada region accounted for the highest number of farmer suicides in Mahrashtra. "As many as 685 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada and the State Agriculture Minister's home district, Beed, reported the highest number of deaths at 186. Now, after suffering from drought conditions for the last four months, the Marathwada region has been hit

MahaRERA proposes to make developers mention amenity details with deadlines

Developers in Maharashtra may soon have to mention the finer details of amenities at housing projects and a deadline by when they will be available for use to buyers, the state's real estate regulator said on Monday. MahaRERA, the real estate watchdog, has proposed the norms to put an end to the uncertainty of guaranteed facilities and amenities in housing projects, according to a statement. Residents may be "enticed" by the vision of a swimming pool, gym, or a community centre, but the agreement often remains silent on when these facilities and amenities will become available or what their specifications might be, the statement said. The lack of clarity can lead to unfulfilled expectations and potential disputes in future, it said. At present, the 'Schedule Two' of the Model Agreement for Sale only mentions the facilities and amenities but does not provide for any details with regards to their features and delivery date, the regulator said. "The proposed order now makes it mandat

Firing outside Salman Khan's home: MCOCA slapped against all 6 accused

Mumbai police on Saturday invoked provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the April 14 firing incident outside actor Salman Khan's home in Bandra in the metropolis, an official said. MCOCA provisions have been invoked against alleged shooters Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21) as well as Sonu Kumar Chander Bishnoi (37) and Anuj Thapan (32), who are accused of supplying two firearms and bullets, and gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi, who are shown as wanted accused. Gupta and Pal, both residents of Bihar, were held from Kutch in Gujarat on April 16, while Sonu Bishnoi and Thapan were held from Punjab on April 25. Anmol Bishnoi, who stays in Canada and travels to USA, had claimed responsibility for the firing through a Facebook post, though its IP address was traced to Portugal, as per police. Lawrence Bishnoi, accused of several crimes, is currently lodged in a jail in Sabarmati in Gujarat.

KSB Q4 results: PAT grows 8% to Rs 43 cr, expenses rise to Rs 483 cr

Pumps and valves maker KSB Ltd has reported a 7.75 per cent growth in net profit to Rs 43.1 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. It had clocked a net profit of Rs 40 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a statement on Saturday. The company follows January to December as financial year. During the quarter under review, the company's expenses rose to Rs 483.3 crore from Rs 432.4 crore a year ago. Sales revenues rose to Rs 544.2 crore from Rs 489.6 crore. This quarter we have registered a steady growth in sales revenue, which is 11.2 per cent higher than that of the corresponding Q1 2023 quarter. Our recent venture into the light water application of nuclear plant segment highlights our ongoing expansion efforts," Prashant Kumar, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, KSB said. The company has received a letter of award for a project worth Rs 63 crore under PM-Kusum scheme from Maharashtra Energy Development Agency for installation of 2,500 solar water pumping .

Upset over Cong not fielding any Muslim in Maha, Naseem writes to Kharge

Maharashtra Congress working president Naseem Khan on Friday expressed disappointment over the party or the opposition bloc MVA not fielding any Muslim candidate for the Lok Sabha polls in the state and told AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge he was pulling out of campaigning. In a letter to Kharge, Khan said he will not campaign for party candidates for remaining phases of the Lok Sabha polls and is also resigning from the state Congress campaign committee. The former state minister said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), of which the Congress is a key constituent, has not nominated a single Muslim candidate in Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh (80). Many Muslim organisations, leaders and also party workers from all over Maharashtra were expecting the Congress to nominate at least one candidate from the minority community, but unfortunately this has not happened, he noted. Now, they are asking "Congress ko Muslim vote chahiye, candidate kyu

LS polls: Sena (UBT) manifesto focuses on 'reclaiming' Maharashtra's glory

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday released his party manifesto, a day before voting in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls, focusing on stopping the "loot" of Maharashtra, job creation and farm loan waiver. Thackeray said the Sena (UBT), in association with the INDI Alliance government, will work to bring back the glory of Maharashtra. Referring to the GIFT City in Gandhinagar, he said a financial centre, which he claimed was moved to Gujarat, will be built in Maharashtra, enabling employment opportunities in the state. He said jobs will be created at the district level so that youth from the state won't have to migrate. Thackeray said an industry-friendly atmosphere will be created in Maharashtra and environment-friendly projects will be encouraged in the state. His party has been opposing the Jaitapur nuclear power project, a refinery project in Barsu and the Vadhavan port all along the state's coast. After Maha Vikas Aghadi was toppled through betrayal, th

Maha Bhavan will be built in Kashmir with Centre's support: CM Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has asserted that a Maharashtra Bhavan will be built in Jammu and Kashmir and with the Centre's support, no one will dare to oppose it. Speaking at a rally in Maharashtra's Amravati district on Wednesday, Shinde claimed that National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has opposed the construction of the Maharashtra Bhavan in Kashmir. "The state government has received land in Kashmir for building the Maharashtra Bhavan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are with us. So no one will dare to oppose it," the CM said. CM Shinde last year requested Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha for a land parcel to construct the Maharashtra Bhavan to provide accommodations and facilities for tourists and officials from the state visiting the Valley. The Maharashtra cabinet last month approved a proposal to construct the Maharashtra Bhavan, clearing the decks for the first state-run guest house to come up in the Valley since th

Lok sabha polls: Can Ashok Chavan swing it for BJP in Maharashtra's Nanded?

The BJP has again fielded sitting MP Prataprao Patil Chikhalikar who humbled Chavan in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by over 40,000 votes

Lok Sabha polls: Nitin Gadkari's faints at Maharashtra rally, blames heat

The Met Department has issued a heat wave alert in parts of Maharashtra for second half of the week

Prakash Ambedkar flays MVA; sees bright future for Bahujan politics

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar discusses electoral strategies, the potential for post-poll alliances, and the evolving landscape of Maharashtra politics

Lok Sabha polls: BJP's bastion gears up for a triangular contest in Akola

For the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP has fielded Sanjay Dhotre's son, Anup Dhotre, against the Congress' state committee general secretary Abhay Patil

UltraTech to acquire India Cements' 1.1 mtpa grinding unit for Rs 315 cr

Strengthening its market in Maharashtra, UltraTech Cement will secure a grinding unit with a capacity of 1.1 million tonnes per annum, including a captive railway siding, from India Cements

Six states to watch

While this election looks predictable in large swathes of our political landscape, it is also more keenly contested than 2019 in some states