Page 3 - Maharashtra

Capital expenditure of states shows improvement as year comes to a close

The biggest improvement year-on-year (YoY) has been by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka

Maharashtra to produce nearly 16% less sugar as mills close early

Sugar mills in Maharashtra were operational until mid-June in 2021/22 as they harvested a record crop

Ex-Maha Guv, BJP leader's remarks on Shivaji no criminal offence: HC

The Bombay High Court has dismissed a petition that sought action against former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi for their statements on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other icons, saying the remarks do not prima facie constitute an offence under any criminal act. The court also said that the statements reflect the perception and opinion of the speaker about those figures with an aim to persuade the audience, and the intention appears to be of enlightenment of the society for its betterment. Koshyari, whose tenure was dogged by controversies caused by his utterances about Shivaji Maharaj, social reformers Mahatma Phule and his wife Savitribai and Marathi people, stepped down as the state governor last month. Koshyari had faced flak for calling Shivaji Maharaj an "icon of olden times", while Trivedi had allegedly said that the founder of the Maratha empire had apologised to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Justices Sunil Shukre and Abhay Waghwase, o

Maharashtra reports 397 new coronavirus infections, no death in 24 hours

Maharashtra on Sunday reported 397 new COVID-19 cases, registering a drop of 40 cases as compared to the previous day, taking the overall infection count to 81,41,854, a health official said. The fatality count remained unchanged at 1,48,435 as nobody succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, he said. On Saturday, the state had recorded 437 infection cases, 94 more than the previous day. As 236 patients recuperated on Sunday, the recovery figure increased to 79,91,302. The active case count now stands at 2,117, the official said. The recovery rate of the state is 98.15 per cent, while the case fatality rate is 1.82 per cent, he added. Mumbai city alone reported 123 new cases, followed by Thane city that logged 47 cases. Mumbai circle, comprising the city and its satellite townships, reported 212 cases, followed by 99 in Pune circle, 32 in Kolhapur circle, 16 in Nashik circle, 11 in Aurangabad circle, 10 in Nagpur circle, nine in Latur circle and eight in Akola circle, he .

Rs 6,000 aid for farmers by Maharashtra govt insufficient: Telangana CM

Telangana Chief Minister and BRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said the Rs 6,000 assistance for farmers announced by the Maharashtra government was inadequate. Speaking at a rally in Loha tehsil in Nanded district, around 450 km from Mumbai, Rao suggested that the Maharashtra government decided to give this financial aid to farmers only after he addressed a rally in Nanded last month. "I came here only once and a provision to give each farmer Rs 6,000 per year was found in the Maharashtra budget. Why was it never done earlier? "This aid is like sprinkling water on a fire. We do not want it. We want Rs 10,000 should be given to farmers per acre who can utilise it for investing in agricultural activities," the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader said. He claimed the Telangana government under him improved the condition of farmers over years. "Some eight-nine years ago, Telangana was in bad condition. Farmers were committing suicide in large numbers. But we changed the governa

Legendary singer Asha Bhosale conferred Maharashtra Bhushan award

Legendary singer Asha Bhosale on Friday was conferred the prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan award for her contribution to the field of art and culture. The award, for the year 2021, was presented to her at a glittering function at the Gateway of India. It carries a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh, a citation and a memento. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hailed Bhosale as the pride of Maharashtra and said her illustrious journey was an inspiration. Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar was present at the award function. Earlier in the day, members of the Maharashtra Legislative Council objected to the official invite for the event not having the name of Council deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe. Congress' Bhai Jagtap and NCP's Shashikant Shinde said such an oversight was happening for the first time and must be protested, while Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Sachin Ahir said Gorhe's name was not included intentionally. The Maharashtra Bhushan award was instituted when the Shivsena- BJP alliance came to power in

Maharashtra Police on alert over 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh

A day after Punjab Police issued a lookout circular and non-bailable warrant against 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh, the fugitive Khalistani sympathizer, Maharashtra Police said it is on alert

LIVE: Billionaire industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla receives Padma Bhushan

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Govt approves installation of 'Statue of Knowledge' dedicated to Ambedkar

The Maharashtra government has given approval for a 75-feet tall 'Statue of Knowledge' dedicated to Dr B. R. Ambedkar in Latur city, local MP Sudhakar Shrangare said on Wednesday. He had submitted a proposal in this regard, he said. On Tuesday, the state government issued an order regarding the statue and also the beautification of the Ambedkar Park in the city, the BJP MP said, adding that Rs 10 crore have been sanctioned for the entire project. Shrangare had last year installed a 75-feet replica of Ambedkar's statue and there was a demand from some organizations that a permanent statue should be installed in the city. The ground-breaking ceremony for the project will be performed on April 14, Dr Ambedkar's birth anniversary, the MP said.

BEST's 2nd e-double decker hits roads; issues faced in 1st one unresolved

Within a month of introducing the first air-conditioned electric double decker bus (e-bus), the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has started plying second such vehicle in the city, but the passengers, enthusiasts and staffers said they were left disappointed as the issues they had flagged in the first bus remained unaddressed in the latest service. The first electric double decker bus was introduced in the city on February 21. The second such bus, registered at the Vashi Regional Transport Office (RTO) on March 17, is being operated on route no 138 between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Backbay Depot in south Mumbai, besides being used for heritage tours, a BEST spokesperson said. A few minor internal changes have been done in this bus based on the passengers feedback given after the bus first was introduced, he said. The second electric double decker bus has been hired on wet lease from a private operator. The BEST staffers, passengers

Maharashtra MCA CET Admit Card 2023 released, Check complete details

The Maharashtra MCA CET admit card has been made available online by the State Cell. Candidates can download the MAH MCA CET hall ticket at mcacet2023.mahacet.org

Maharashtra reports 249 H3N2 infections, 417 H1N1 flu since Jan 1

The tally of H1N1 (swine flu) and H3N2 influenza infections reported in Maharashtra this year stands at 417 and 249, respectively, the state health department said on Tuesday. Presently 160 patients infected with flu viruses are being treated at various hospitals across the state, it said. So far this year Maharashtra has witnessed three deaths due to H1N1 and one death due to H3N1 virus infection, the report said. Three more suspected deaths including one in Pune city and another in Khadki cantonment area were reported due to the virus, but those are yet to be confirmed, it added.

Maha govt to give LoI for Dharavi project on confirming financial capacity

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the Adani group which has won the tender for Dharavi redevelopment will get the Letter of Intent (LoI) only after it establishes that it has the financial capability to execute the project. He was replying after Congress MLA Varsha Gaikwad, whose constituency includes Dharavi, raised concerns about the project in the wake of Hindenburg Research's allegations of stock manipulation against the Adani group. Gaikwad also asked if a fresh tender will be floated for the project. Fadnavis asserted that the tendering process was transparent. There was a global tender and three parties responded to it. The bids of two parties were proper and the highest bidder among them was awarded the contract, he said. "So it is incorrect to say that the process was flawed. The LoI has not been issued yet. This is because it is issued only after all the departments take that decision. "There is one decision (yet to be made) from the

Maha govt employees to get monetary benefits equal to OPS, call off strike

Maharashtra government employees agitating for restoration of the old pension scheme on Monday called off a week-long strike after a successful meeting between their representatives and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over key demand, a union leader said. Vishwas Katkar, the striking unions coordination committee's convenor, said the state government has 'in principle' agreed to extend monetary benefits equivalent to the OPS to employees who are part of the New Pension System (NPS). The government employees were on an indefinite strike since March 14 demanding restoration of the OPS, which was discontinued in 2005.

Action against Rahul a cowardly act by panic-stricken Modi govt: Patole

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has said the police action against party leader Rahul Gandhi was a "cowardly" act by the panic-stricken Narendra Modi government. He said the prime minister's attempt to suppress Rahul Gandhi's voice by using the police will not succeed and Congress will continue to seek answers on the alleged scam by industrialist Gautam Adani. Patole's comments came on Sunday when Rahul Gandhi faced a Delhi Police team that reached his residence to inquire about his "women are still being sexually assaulted" statement made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. "I condemn the police action against Rahul Gandhi which is a cowardly act by the panic-stricken Modi regime," Patole told reporters. He said Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party are not scared due to the oppression unleashed by the authoritarian Modi government. "The Congress party will bring the dark truth about Adani-Modi before the country," he added. "PM Modi is scared because Rahul Gandhi in the Lok S

T Raja asks Maha CM to follow footsteps of Yogi to demolish encroachments

Suspended BJP MLA from Telangana, T Raja Singh, on Sunday said Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde should imitate his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath and demolish illegal encroachments on government lands using bulldozers. Addressing a gathering in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, formerly Aurangabad, Singh said Shinde should ensure that encroachments from forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are removed and he should be known as "bulldozer Shinde". He was addressing a gathering after a morcha was organised by Sakal Hindu Samaj in the city demanding a law against "love jihad". "The Maharashtra Chief Minister should follow the pattern set by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The encroachments on government lands should be identified and they should be removed by procuring 100 bulldozers," he said. Singh also said the encroachments from the forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should be removed just like the tomb of Afzal Khan at the Pratapgad fort in Satara ...

State-owned SJVN Green Energy bags 200 MW solar project in Maharashtra

State-owned SJVN on Saturday said its green energy subsidiary has bagged a 200MW solar project entailing an investment of Rs 1,000 crore in Maharashtra. "Wholly-owned subsidiary of the company...SJVN Green Energy Ltd (SGEL) received a Letter of Award from Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) for 200 MW solar power project to be developed anywhere in Maharashtra," a BSE filing stated. The project shall be constructed in a period of 18 months which shall be reckoned from the date of signing of PPA (power purchase agreement) with MSEDCL. Tentative cost of construction / development of this project shall be around Rs 1,000 crore, it stated. The project is expected to generate 455.52 MU (million units) in the first year and the cumulative energy generation over a period of 25 years would be about 10,480.82 MU. Commissioning of this project is expected to reduce 5,13,560 tonne of carbon emission and would contribute towards government mission of 500 GW ..

Losing political ground

After a brief interregnum in the Opposition, Devendra Fadnavis made a comeback last year, but things have gone from bad to worse since then

Onion growers will be given financial relief of Rs 350 a quintal: Maha CM

The Maharashtra government has accepted most of the demands made by farmers who are marching from Nashik to Mumbai and onion cultivators will be given financial relief of Rs 350 a quintal, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told the state Assembly on Friday and urged the protesters to end their nearly week-long stir. Earlier in the day, representatives of the agitating farmers and tribals said their 200km 'long march' has been halted for now, but they will resume their walk to Mumbai if the state government does not come out with concrete steps to address their demands. The foot march by thousands of farmers and tribals, which started from Dindori town in Nashik district in North Maharashtra on Sunday last, has reached Vasind town, around 80km from Mumbai The chief minister informed the House that he had held discussions with a farmers' delegation over 14 points, including forest rights, encroachment of forest land, transfer of land belonging to temple trusts and grazing grounds to ...

Maha govt gives family pension to employees in case of death in service

The Maharashtra government on Friday decided to give the option to avail one-time ex gratia or family pension to its employees in case of their death while in service. The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde here, official sources said. At present, under the National Pension System (NPS), there is a provision of ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of a state government employee in case of death while in service. The sources said if the option of family pension is availed, ex gratia payment will be scrapped. The cabinet decision has come at a time when state government employees are on an indefinite strike since March 14 seeking restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which under a staffer gets a monthly pension equivalent to 50 per cent his/her last drawn salary. The contribution-based NPS was launched in January 2004.