Page 86 - Maharashtra

Maharashtra reports 86 cases of Covid, no new JN.1 variant infected patient

No new JN.1 variant infected patient was detected on Saturday. The recovery rate in the state is 98.17 per cent, while the case fatality rate is 1.81 per cent

Fire in duct of high rise in Dombivali, doused; no report of injuries

A fire broke out in the duct of a high rise in Dombivali in Thane district on Saturday, though no one was injured in the incident, a civic official said. The blaze in the 18-storey building with 108 flats in Khoni village started at 1:30pm and was doused an hour later after two fire engines were deployed, Thane Municipal Corporation regional disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi told PTI. "The fire started in the duct and spread from the ground floor to the top floor. Plastic fitments were gutted. No one was injured in the incident. The cause of the fire is being probed," Tadvi said. Other officials said people staying in the high rise managed to come down safely amid the fire, which was confined to one side of the structure.

Uddhav Thackeray skips INDIA bloc meeting, cites scheduled engagements

Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday didn't attend the virtual meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc citing a scheduled programme. He also said the party had already informed (the opposition bloc) about its inability to attend the meeting. "There shouldn't be any misunderstanding in this regard. I have expressed my inability to attend the meeting as I had to attend a scheduled programme which involved a lot of moving around. In such a scenario, attending the meeting would have been difficult," Thackeray said. Leaders of the bloc met virtually and discussed various aspects of the alliance and the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, due in April-May. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader is visiting the Kalyan-Dombivli Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde. Kalyan-Dombivli is the stronghold of CM Shinde. As many as 28 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Ind

Major boost for infra in Maha: Modi inaugurates projects worth Rs 30,500 cr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated projects worth more than Rs 30,500 crore during his visit to Maharashtra, including the country's longest bridge and seabridge, the extension of a suburban rail corridor and a mega facilitation centre for gems and jewellery, and laid the foundation stone of a tunnel road in south Mumbai. He first inaugurated the Rs 17,840 crore Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, also called the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, which will cut the distance between Mumbai and the satellite city of Navi Mumbai from some hours to 15-20 minutes, in the process boosting development in the region, which houses a mega port and also an upcoming international airport. The Atal Setu, which is the longest bridge and seabridge in the country, is 21.8 kilometre long, including a 16.5 portion over sea, and will reduce the distance from the metropolis to the Navi Mumbai International Airport and also cut travel time to major areas like Pune, the state's ...

Atal Setu highlights: Historic day for Viksit Bharat Sankalp, says PM Modi

Atal Setu inauguration highlights: Catch all the latest updates on the inauguration of Mumbai trans harbour link

PM Modi holds roadshow in Nashik, offers prayers at Ramkund, Kalaram Mandir

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in Maharashtra's Nashik, where he offered prayers at Ramkund and performed pooja at Shree Kalaram Mandir. He is scheduled to inaugurate the National Youth Festival here. During his roadshow, which started from Hotel Mirchi Chowk, PM Modi was accompanied by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and many BJP leaders. Thousands of people thronged the roadshow route to welcome the PM. Various artists and special groups like the ones with the famous Nashik Dhol' and tribals held performances during the event. The nearly 35-minute-long roadshow concluded at Sant Janardan Swami Maharaj Chowk after covering more than 2 kilometres. After the roadshow, Modi reached Ramkund, located on the bank of Godavari river, where he was offered a traditional pagdi' (turban) by the Nashik Purohit Sangh president Satish Shukla. The PM performed Jal Pujan' and aarti' there. He also met Annasaheb More, chief of Akhil Bharatiya

PM Modi to inaugurate 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik today

This year, National Youth Day will be celebrated by all field organisations of the Department of Youth Affairs in districts pan India in collaboration with multiple government departments

Some Maharashtra distributors to stop stocking of HUL's Taj Mahal tea

AICPDF has also asked for a provision in the software system to prevent billing to outlets without valid FSSAI licenses

Doesn't matter if AMU minority institution, still important nationally: SC

Here's a lowdown on the important cases heard in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court today

Money laundering case: SC extends NCP leader Nawab Malik's bail by 6 months

The Supreme Court on Thursday extended by six months the interim bail of former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case. A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal extended the medical bail granted to Malik after Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, said the probe agency has no objection to it. On October 12 last year, the top court extended by three months the interim bail of Malik in the case. Malik had moved the top court against the Bombay High Court's July 13, 2023, order denying him bail on medical grounds in the case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The top court had earlier noted that Malik is suffering from kidney ailment and his condition has not improved since August 11 last year when he was granted interim bail for two months. The ED had arrested Malik in February 2022 in the case allegedly linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his associates. Malik ha

Sibal slams Maharashtra Speaker Narwekar's ruling over Shiv Sena feud

A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction was declared the "real" Shiv Sena, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday said the "play was scripted long ago" and what was watched was the "farce" being played out with no recourse. In a big political win for Shinde, assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Wednesday held that the Shiv Sena faction led by him was the "real political party" when rival groups emerged in June 2022, and did not disqualify any MLA from the two camps. The ruling cemented Shinde place in the top job, 18 months after his rebellion, and added to his political heft in the ruling coalition which also consists of the BJP and the NCP (Ajit Pawar group) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. In a post on X, Sibal said, "Speaker (as Tribunal): Shindes faction is real Sena. The play was scripted long ago. We watch the farce being played out with no recourse." "That is the tragedy of this 'mother of democracy'," the former Union minister said. In his 105-minute-l

Eknath Shinde's was real Shiv Sena when new faction emerged: Maha Speaker

Speaker Narwekar's ongoing verdict comes on the deadline date set by the Supreme Court, for him to decide the fate of the rival Sena factions, which had filed a clutch of cross-petitions against each

Speaker's order is murder of democracy, will move SC: Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar's decision holding that the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was the real Shiv Sena was a murder of democracy, and his party will move the Supreme Court against it. Speaking at a press conference, Thackeray said the apex court had given clear guidelines, but those were ignored by the Speaker while giving his ruling on disqualification petitions filed by the rival Sena factions. The original case was about disqualification under the anti-defection law, but not one lawmaker from either side was disqualified, he said. "The foundation on which the order stands is wrong. This is a murder of democracy and an insult to the Supreme Court," he said, adding that neither the apex court nor the people will accept this decision. His party will approach the SC against the ruling, and will also examine if a contempt petition can be filed against the Speaker, Thackeray said. He would ..

I-T dept found unaccounted sales of Rs 1,000 cr during raid against Polycab

The Income Tax department has detected "unaccounted cash sales" of about Rs 1,000 crore after it recently raided the Polycab group, a prominent wires, cables and electrical items manufacturer, the CBDT and official sources said on Wednesday. Unaccounted cash of more than Rs 4 crore was seized and more than 25 bank lockers were put on restraint after the searches were launched against the group on December 22 last year, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in a statement. It said a total of 50 premises in Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nashik in Maharashtra, Daman, Halol in Gujarat and Delhi were covered. Some of the authorised distributors of the group were also covered in the searches, the CBDT, which is the administrative body for the Income Tax department, said. The CBDT statement did not name the group but official sources confirmed it to be Polycab India Limited. Polycab India issued a clarification to stock exchanges earlier in the day terming reports of "tax evasion

Numbers matter in democracy, we have them: CM Shinde after Speaker's ruling

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said numbers are important in democracy, and the Shiv Sena led by him has the numbers as against the rival faction led by Uddhav Thackeray. Reacting to the Maharashtra assembly Speaker's ruling which said his faction was the real Shiv Sena, Shinde also said that the party chief's individual opinion cannot be the opinion of the entire party. Even the Election Commission of India allotted the name and symbol of the Shiv Sena to his party, he noted. Reading out his ruling on disqualification petitions filed by Shinde-led Sena and the rival group led by Thackeray against each other's MLAs, Speaker Rahul Narwekar held that when the split in the party became evident, it was the Shinde-led group that was the real Sena. The Speaker rejected all the petitions seeking disqualification of MLAs. "No MLA is being disqualified, he said.

CM Shinde's fate sealed in Maha speaker's verdict on disqualification pleas

The Maharashtra speaker is set to give his verdict on the disqualification petitions against CM Eknath Shinde and several MLAs whose rebellion had led to split in the Shiv Sena in 2022

Sena vs Sena: They have lost ground, says CM as he counters allegations

Speaking with reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday, ahead of the verdict, CM Shinde said the Election Commission of India had allotted his faction the Shiv Sena name and symbol

World Bank to give Rs 2,328 cr for project to divert flood water: Fadnavis

The World Bank has approved financial assistance of Rs 2,328 crore to develop infrastructure to divert flood water from western Maharashtra to Marathwada, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday. The state government will contribute Rs 998 crore for the plan, he added. "The World Bank has approved financial assistance of Rs 2,328 crore for the project that will help in diverting flood water from western Maharashtra to Marathwada, which faces water scarcity," he said in a statement. Sangli and Kolhapur districts had witnessed flooding in September 2018, and a World Bank team that visited these areas at the time decided to provide aid for the water diversion project, Fadnavis said.

Amid seat-sharing talks, Sena (UBT) stakes claim to 23 Lok Sabha seats

'At tomorrow's meeting in Delhi, we will place our demand for 23 seats,' Sanjay Raut, chief spokesperson of the Shiv Sena (UBT)

GST officers detect over 29,000 bogus firms involved in fake ITC claims

The government on Sunday said GST officers have detected 29,273 bogus firms involved in fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims of Rs 44,015 crore in eight months till December 2023 during a drive against fake registration, which helped save revenue of Rs 4,646 crore. In the October-December quarter, 4,153 bogus firms that involved suspected ITC evasion of around Rs 12,036 crore were detected. As many as 2,358 of these bogus firms were detected by the Central GST Authorities. Maharashtra topped the list with 926 bogus firms detected, followed by Rajasthan (507), Delhi (483) and Haryana (424). The detection during the December quarter protected revenue of Rs 1,317 crore of which Rs 319 crore has been realised and Rs 997 crore has been protected by blocking ITC. As many as 41 persons were arrested in these cases while 31 of these arrests were made by Central GST Authorities, the finance ministry said. "Since the initiation of the special drive against fake registrations in mid-May 2023, a