Page 4 - Maharashtra

H3N2 virus: CM Shinde seeks public awareness, asks hospitals to be ready

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday chaired a review meeting of the Health department at Mumbai's Vidhan Bhavan to take stock of the state's preparedness

As Covid cases spike, Centre asks six states to keep a strict vigil

Among the states, Maharashtra has reported a rise in weekly cases from 355 to 668

CAI reduces cotton crop estimate to 31.3 mn bales for 2022-23 season

Cotton Association of India (CAI) on Thursday further reduced its cotton crop estimate for the 2022-23 season to 313 lakh bales as production is expected to decline in Maharashtra, Telangana and Haryana. The total cotton production in the last season is estimated at 307.05 lakh bales, the CAI said in a statement. The cotton crop season begins in October. The cotton production in the current season, which began in October 2022, is expected to decline by 2 lakh bales in Maharashtra, by 3 lakh bales in Telangana and by 1 lakh bales in Haryana, CAI added. The total cotton supply for October 2022-February 2023 is estimated at 192.73 lakh bales, which consists of the arrivals of 154.84 lakh bales, imports of 6 lakh bales and the opening stock estimated by the CAI at 31.89 lakh bales at the beginning of the season. Further, cotton consumption during October 2022-February 2023 period is estimated at 120 lakh bales, while the export shipments up to February 28, 2023, are estimated at 8 lak

Versova-Bandra Sealink project cost up by whopping 60% to Rs 11,333 cr

The cost of the Maharashtra government's marquee project, Versova Bandra Sealink, has shot up by a massive 60 per cent to Rs 11,333 crore, from Rs 6,993 crore in 2019.

As protesting farmers march towards Mumbai, Maha CM meet their delegation

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday met a delegation of farmers here even as thousands of farmers continued their march towards Mumbai from Nashik district to press their demands. The meeting was underway, said an official in the Chief Minister's Office. Earlier, the state government rushed ministers Dada Bhuse and Atul Save to hold a discussion with the farmers whose demands include an immediate financial relief of Rs 600 per quintal to onion growers, uninterrupted electricity supply for 12 hours and a waiver of agriculture loans.

Amid protest, Shinde, Fadnavis to meet Maha farmers' representatives today

The farmers have been holding a long foot march from Nashik to Mumbai in a bid to put forward their demands before the government

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to visit Ayodhya after end of Budget session

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh after the ongoing budget session of the state legislature ends later this month, his close aide said on Wednesday. Shinde will travel to Ayodhya to offer prayers to Lord Ram after the budget session ends on March 25, he said. A grand temple dedicated to Lord Ram is coming up in the Uttar Pradesh town. Incidentally, Shinde was in Ayodhya with then-Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray in mid-June 2022, just days before raising a banner of revolt against the Shiv Sena leadership which eventually triggered the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. After becoming CM in June-end, Shinde and MLAs supporting him had visited the famous Kamakya Devi temple in Guwahati. Shinde and MLAs supporting him had camped at a Guwahati luxury hotel for eight days after the revolt in the undivided Shiv Sena.

Karnataka to stop Maharashtra's health scheme in 865 villages: Bommai

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said his government would take measures to stop the Maharashtra government from offering its health insurance scheme in 865 border villages that the neighbouring state is trying to lay claim to. He was responding to Congress' criticism over his administration's alleged inaction over Maharashtra's Eknath Shinde government recently announcing an additional Rs 54 crore for implementing the 'Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana' in the border villages of Karnataka, which the neighbouring state is claiming for itself. Calling the Maharashtra's government's move an "insult" to Karnataka, state Congress President D K Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah earlier today demanded Bommai's resignation, accusing him of having "miserably failed" in protecting the interests of the state and Kannadigas. In response to a question from reporters about Congress' demand for his resignation, Bommai said, "If Maharashtr

Would not join hands with either BJP or MVA, Congress and NCP: Raju Shetti

Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana leader Raju Shetti on Tuesday said his party would not form alliance with either the Bharatiya Janata Party or Maha Vikas Aghadi of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP. Neither the BJP nor the MVA are working in farmers' interests, he said. He had joined hands with the BJP in 2014 as then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that the BJP government would implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan commission, Shetti told reporters here. But the BJP did not keep this promise, he alleged. He also blamed the saffron party for his loss to Shiv Sena's Dhairyasheel Mane in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The MVA supported the amendment to the Land Acquisition Act which was against farmers, he said. Shetti also claimed that Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrashekhar Rao had invited him to join his party and offered him the post of Maharashtra unit chief, but he declined politely. He praised the Telangana Chief Minister, saying Rao

Raut to give clarification on his remark about Maha legislature till Mar 20

Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said the time granted to him by the Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly for submitting a clarification for his "chor-mandal" remark has been extended till March 20. Last week, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar had said that he had accepted Raut's request for more time to submit a written clarification. Raut had been earlier asked to submit his reply by March 3. Asked about the extension, Raut told reporters, It is till March 20. Raut caused a furore last month when he dubbed the state 'Vidhimandal' (legislature) a "chor-mandal (council of thieves). Legislators of the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena submitted to the Speaker a notice for a breach of privilege motion against him.

Shinde govt rattled as 1.8 mn govt employees strike for Old Pension Scheme

Around 1.8 million Maharashtra government employees in various departments, schools, colleges, hospitals and other sectors started an indefinite strike to press for a return of the Old Pension Scheme

Nashik-Mumbai farmers-workers march: Delegation to meet CM Eknath Shinde

Leaders of a farmers-workers march that started from Dindori in Nashik will meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai on Tuesday, one of the organisers said. The march, organised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), started on Sunday and more than 10,000 participants reached Sarul here during the day. "We will meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mantralaya tomorrow. Former MLA JP Gavit who is leading the march, All India Kisan Sabha state general secretary Ajit Nawale will be part of the delegation," Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) national vice president DL Karad told PTI. The protesters had met district guardian minister Dada Bhuse as well. The demands include minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,000 per quintal for onions for 2023, Rs 600 per quintal grant for onions, export of onions on large scale, 12-hour supply of electricity for agriculture, reintroduction of Old Pension Scheme.

Farmers committing suicide is not new issue: Maharashtra agri minister

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar has said the farmers committing suicide is not a new issue and such incidents had been happening for many years. He was responding to a query by reporters who sought his comment on suicides committed by farmers in his constituency, Sillod, in Aurangabad district recently. "The issue of farmer suicide is not new. Such incidents are happening for many years. I feel suicides by farmers should not take place anywhere in Maharashtra, including my constituency," said Sattar, a member of the Shiv Sena faction headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. At least two farmers had ended their lives in Sillod during March 3 to 12, police had said. However, sources claimed at least six agriculturists had ended their lives in Aurangabad district in the Marathwada region during the same period, prima facie due to indebtedness. He said a committee has been set up under Agriculture Commissioner to study this issue. Sattar on Sunday inspected losses caused

Hyundai Motor considers buying General Motors India's Talegaon plant assets

A Term Sheet has been signed for the potential acquisition of identified assets of the plant like land and building, certain machinery and equipment situated at the General Motors India's plant

Maharashtra records 101 new Covid-19 cases, active tally reaches 551

Maharashtra on Sunday recorded 101 cases of coronavirus that raised the tally of infections to 81,38,437, an official from the state health department said. The toll remained unchanged at 1,48,424, while the count of recoveries reached 79,89,462 after 36 patients recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, the official said. With this, the recovery rate stands at 98.17 per cent and fatality rate in the state is 1.82 per cent, he said. The state now has 551 active cases, the official said. At least 8,922 swab samples were tested in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of tests conducted in the state to 8,65,01,776, he said. Mumbai saw 19 new cases on Sunday, which took its tally to 11,54,624, which includes 19,747 casualties. Of the latest infections, 40 were recorded in the Mumbai circle, followed by 25 in Pune, 16 in Nashik, seven in Kolhapur, six each in Latur and Akola circles and one in Nagpur, the official said Maharashtra's COVID-19 figures: Fresh cases: 101,

Islamic State conspiracy case: NIA searches 5 locations in MP, Maharashtra

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has carried out searches at five places in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra as part of its ongoing investigation to unravel a conspiracy hatched by the global terror group Islamic State to expand its activities in India, an official said on Sunday. The searches were conducted by different teams at the houses of the suspected persons at four places in Seoni (Madhya Pradesh) and one location in Pune (Maharashtra), a spokesperson of the anti-terror federal agency said. Following up on the investigational leads, the official said, NIA teams searched the houses of suspects Talha Khan in Pune and Akram Khan in Seoni in the Islamic State- Khorasan Province (ISKP) case. "This case was initially registered by Delhi Police special cell after the arrest of a Kashmiri couple - Jahanzaib Sami Wani and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh - from Okhla in Delhi. The couple was found to be affiliated with ISKP," the spokesperson said. During investigations, the role of

Maharashtra Medical Equipment Purchase Authority established: Sawant

The Maharashtra Medical Equipment Purchase Authority has been established to enable government purchases of medical equipment and medicines through a single body, Health Minister Tanaji Sawant said on Friday. The Health Department will also work to give a new lease of life to the state-run Haffkine Institute whose primary job is vaccine development and manufacturing, he said in a statement. A bill for the establishment of the authority was passed by both Houses of the state legislature in the ongoing Budget session. Until now every government department purchased necessary medical equipment and medicines separately, often at varying rates. Purchases of medicines, medical equipment, sonography machines, dialysis machines, ventilators, CT scan machines and furniture could be now made through this authority. Even the Union government and other states can make purchases through it. The authority will be chaired by the chief minister while the health minister, medical education minist

Shinde govt's 1st budget offers relief in professional tax, aid for farmers

The Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government on Thursday presented its maiden Budget for 2023-24 in which it proposed Rs 6,000 assistance to farmers and Re 1 crop insurance scheme while also offering relief in professional tax to working women, 50 per cent discount on ticket fares to women in state-run buses and a new scheme for the girl child. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state Finance Minister, presented a revenue deficit budget of Rs 16,222 crore in the Legislative Assembly with a total outlay of Rs 1,72,000 crore. Announcing a crop insurance scheme for farmers at Re 1, the deputy CM said the government will bear the financial burden of Rs 3,312 crore. "Under the earlier crop insurance scheme, the farmers had to pay two per cent of the crop insurance premium. Now, the farmers will not need to pay anything as the government will pay the premium amount," he said. Apart from this, the budget also proposed the 'Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Scheme', under whi

Maharashtra plans benefits to girl child, financial security of women

The government will open 700 clinics in the state under the Hindu HridaySamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhana offering free medical tests, therapy and treatment

Maharashtra govt cuts VAT on aviation jet fuel, gives carriers relief

New rate will be applicable in Mumbai, Pune and Raigad districts, says state budget