The decades-old Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute that has turned into a battle of nerves between the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai and the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, both of the BJP, is unlikely to be resolved soon. No wonder then, that the BJP government at the Centre has refrained from taking any position, leaving the leaders of two neighbouring states to address the problem within the legal framework in the Supreme Court. The bone of contention between the neighbouring states is rooted in their carving out along linguistic lines via the State Reorganisation Act, 1956.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ wife Amruta Fadnavis on Friday came out in support of the state’s Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari who has come under fire over his recent comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji. Amruta told reporters in Mumbai on Friday that Koshyari “talks about things and they get misunderstood”, before adding, “But he wants what is good for Marathi people. He is a Marathi manoos at heart.”
In other news, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against the bail granted to scholar-activist Anand Teltumbde in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli said it would not interfere with the Bombay High Court order granting bail to Teltumbde.
BMC frames comprehensive parking plan for Mumbai
After the Bombay High Court (HC) on November 21 said that there has to be designated parking spaces in Mumbai amid an increase in the number of vehicles, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that it has finished framing the nine-step comprehensive parking management of The Mumbai Parking Authority (MPA), and is set to legally incorporate the authority in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act.
At present the civic body has no legal authority to impose fines for illegal parking. However, the provisions in the drafted MPA will empower it to act against the menace.
Newly-launched water taxi to start service between Belapur and Mandwa this weekend
The newly-launched water taxi Nayan XI in Mumbai will begin weekend-only services between Belapur and Mandwa starting Saturday, November 26.
According to the operator, Nayantara Shipping Private Limited, the water taxi will depart from Belapur at 8 am and arrive at Mandwa at 9.15 am. The service from Mandwa will be at 6 pm and it will arrive at Belapur at 7:45 pm via the Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCW) ferry wharf. The ticket price will be Rs 300 for executive class and Rs 400 for business class.
Almost 150 days after he led a group of Shiv Sena MLAs to Guwahati by launching a rebellion against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena that resulted in the collapse of the Thackeray led MVA government, Eknath Shinde, now Chief Minister of Maharashtra, along with 45 MLAs, 12 MPs, several corporators, office bearers and other leaders of his faction of the Sena, reached Guwahati, the capital of Assam, on Saturday, officially to pay a visit to the renowned Kamakhya Devi temple and “thank the goddess for her blessings”.
The Western Railway will impose five hours of jumbo block on both ‘up’ and ‘down’ slow lines between Churchgate and Mumbai Central stations from 10.35 am to 3.35 pm on Sunday. Officials have cited maintenance work of tracks, signaling and overhead equipment as the reason.
During the block, all slow line trains will be operated on fast lines between Churchgate and Mumbai Central, due to which a few up and down suburban trains will remain cancelled, informed the Western Railway. Read More
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A man was arrested for allegedly hacking the email account of actor Puneet Issar, sending a mail and getting a show of his play cancelled at a premier south Mumbai venue and pocketing Rs 13.76 lakh the latter had paid as booking and other fees, a police official said on Saturday.
The incident came to light on Tuesday when Issar tried to access his email account and found something amiss, after which he approached Oshiwara police station, the official added. (PTI)
Actor Vikram Gokhale passed away on Saturday at a hospital in Pune due to multi-organ failure. A veteran of Marathi theatre, Gokhale was a popular figure in Hindi and Marathi films. But before gaining popularity, Vikram went through a few difficult days in Mumbai but it was actor Amitabh Bachchan who helped him through that phase.
In an earlier interview, Vikram had revealed that Big B had once helped him in securing a roof over his head. He shared with The Times of India that at one point in his life, he was going through a “huge financial crunch and was looking for shelter in Mumbai.” When Big B got to know about the same, he wrote a letter to the then-Chief Minister of Maharashtra Manohar Joshi. Read More
The Congress on Saturday slammed Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for not removing his footwear while paying floral tributes to the martyrs of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
Koshyari and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paid floral tributes at the memorial of martyrs, who had laid down their lives while fighting terrorists during the 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai, in the premises of the Police Commissioner's Office this morning. (PTI)
At Sewri, amidst the grey of the industrial units and parked trucks, an installation on a traffic island of a bright pink pair of flamingos brings in much-needed colour. Standing tall at 16 feet each since April, the flamingos are hard to miss and can be seen from the passing Harbour line trains nearby too.
Unlike its counterpart in the satellite city of Navi Mumbai, which has the migratory bird painted and installed across city walls and public spaces, Sewri’s wetlands which had also been a home for flamingos till recently between November and May for many years, had no sign to represent its connection to them. Read More
Vikram Gokhale passed away on November 26 after facing multiple organ failures. See Express Photo Gallery
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is expected to offer prayers at the Kamakhya Devi temple in Assam’s Guwahati Saturday, accompanied by MPs and MLAs of his faction of the Shiv Sena as well as leaders from the BJP.
Shinde’s visit comes five months after he led a rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray, and formed an alliance with the BJP to become Chief Minister. Read More
The Maharashtra government will install face recognition cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) to help rein in street crime in Mumbai, as part of the second phase of the Mumbai surveillance plan, said Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a statement on Friday.
“Today Mumbai is a city that is free of fear. In the past eight years, there has been no incident in Mumbai that can be termed a terror attack. There has also been a heavy crackdown on organised crime on extortion,” Fadnavis said at an event organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in South Mumbai. Read More
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with his MLAs and MPs, on Saturday reached Guwahati airport by a special flight. They plan to visit Kamakhya devi.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangralay Museum in Mumbai has been given the highest award of excellence in UNESCO Asia Pacific awards event.
At Sewri, amidst the grey of the industrial units and parked trucks, an installation on a traffic island of a bright pink pair of flamingos brings in much-needed colour. Standing tall at 16 feet each since April, the flamingos are hard to miss and can be seen from the passing Harbour line trains nearby too. Unlike its counterpart in the satellite city of Navi Mumbai, which has the migratory bird painted and installed across city walls and public spaces, Sewri’s wetlands which had also been a home for flamingos till recently between November and May for many years, had no sign to represent its connection to them.
“I thought there had to be some installation to show that flamingos make Sewri their home by arriving at the Sewri jetty every year. So many people across the city would visit Sewri to view the flamingos and there was nothing to reflect that,” Sachin Padwal, former corporator of the area, says. Read more.
Students of Class X to get free Vaccination for Cervical cancer. The initiative was jointly launched by MGM hospital in Vashi and New Bombay City school.
(Express photo by Narendra vaskar)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid his tributes to the victims of Mumbai terror attack during the Constitution Day celebrations. He said, "Today is also the anniversary of #MumbaiTerrorAttack. 14 years ago, when India was celebrating its Constitution and citizens' rights, enemies of humanity carried out the biggest terror attack on India. I pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the attack."
On the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said the nation remembers with gratitude all those it lost and paid homage to the security personnel who fought valiantly and made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.
On November 26, 2008, 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan arrived by sea route and opened fire, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others during a 60-hour siege in Mumbai.
"On the anniversary of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the nation remembers with gratitude all those we lost. We share the enduring pain of their loved ones and families. Nation pays homage to the security personnel who fought valiantly and made supreme sacrifice in the line of duty," Murmu tweeted. PTI
Maharashtra Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis joins people in paying tribute at Gateway of India and outside the Taj Hotel on the 14th anniversary of 26/11.
NCP MP Supriya Sule pays tribute at the Tukaram Omble memorial in Mumbai on the 14th anniversary of Mumbai Terror attack.
Marking the 14th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, President Droupadi Murmu Saturday paid homage to the people who lost their lives to terrorism in 2008.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, remembering the victims, said on Twitter, “Terrorism threatens humanity. Today, on 26/11, the world joins India in remembering its victims. Those who planned and oversaw this attack must be brought to justice. We owe this to every victim of terrorism around the world.
In a video released by the minister, he remembered the 140 Indian nationals and 26 citizens from other countries who lost their lives. “When it comes to terrorism India will never comprise,” he stated.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday paid floral tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives while fighting terrorists who had attacked the metropolis on this day 14 years ago. They paid tributes at the martyrs’ memorial in the premises of the Police Commissioner Office in south Mumbai, where Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, minister Deepak Kesarkar, Chief Secretary Manu Kumar Srivastava, state Director General of Police (DGP) Rajnish Seth, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and other officials were present. Read more.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday paid floral tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives while fighting terrorists who had attacked the metropolis on this day 14 years ago.
They paid tributes at the martyrs' memorial in the premises of the Police Commissioner Office in south Mumbai, where Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, minister Deepak Kesarkar, Chief Secretary Manu Kumar Srivastava, state Director General of Police (DGP) Rajnish Seth, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and other officials were present.
Family members of the policemen, who lost their lives during the November 2008 attacks, also paid tributes to the martyrs.
On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists arrived by sea route and opened fire indiscriminately at people killing 166, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others, besides damaging property worth crores.
The then Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, Army Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Mumbai's Additional Police Commissioner Ashok Kamte and Senior Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar were among those killed in the attack.
The attack had begun on 26 November and lasted until 29 November. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, the Nariman House Jewish community centre were some of the places targeted by the terrorists.
Ajmal Kasab was the only terrorist who was captured alive. He was hanged four years later on November 21, 2012. PTI
The US Embassy India observed the 14th anniversary of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, chief minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis lay wreaths and pay tribute at the Police Memorial.
Naor Gilon, the ambassador of Israel to India, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan on Saturday visited the Chabad house and remembered all the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
Minister of external affairs S Jaishankar releases video marking 14th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
Chairman of Mahindra Group Anand Mahindra remembered the officials who lost their lives to the terror attack and tweeted: No, I will never forget. But it’s not the horror or the terror that I will remember. It’s these Heroes who I will remember and who will remain in my heart and head forever.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday claimed that the issue of Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute has been raked up to divert people's attention from Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's “insult” to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Last week, Koshyari had said during an event in Aurangabad that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was an icon of “olden days”. His statement had drawn flak from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction.
Raut said that earlier Koshyari had insulted Marathi-speaking people with his comment that Mumbai will not remain the country's financial capital if Gujaratis and Marwaris left the city. ''At that time, to divert attention from this insult, I was arrested," said Raut, who was booked in a money laundering case related to the Patra Chawl redevelopment project. The Sena leader was granted bail earlier this month after spending 100 days in jail. (PTI)
As on March 2020, 60,094.33 hectares of forest area in Maharashtra was encroached upon, according to data of the Maharashtra Forest department, Government of Maharashtra. This encroached forest area constitutes roughly 0.9 per cent of the total forested area in Maharashtra, which in 2020 was 61951.76 Sq. km, according to the department’s annual administration report 2019-20.
The issue of encroachments on forest land had recently gathered steam with the Maharashtra government removing such structures around the tomb of Afzal Khan at Pratapgad on November 10. The state government has been coming down on forest encroachment with a heavy hand, a senior forest official (conservation) told the Indian Express. Read more
Maharashtra Public Health Department minister Tanaji Sawant on Friday directed authorities to form a task force to suggest methods and control the spread of measles in the state.
The state government will rope in religious leaders, teachers, NGOs and elected representatives to spread awareness about the vaccination against measles. With 13 deaths over the last month and a sharp spike in cases, Mumbai and its surrounding areas are staring at a measles outbreak.
“Health machinery should be updated with the means to control the spread of measles in the state. A district wise task force will be formed to ensure that the outbreak of the disease is under control,” said Sawant after holding a meeting with officials from the state’s public health department via video conference. Read more
Water supply in Andheri east and west will be affected for 24 hours between November 29 (Tuesday) and 30 (Wednesday). Besides Andheri, water supply will also be affected in other parts of western suburbs, including Bandra, Jogeshwari and Goregaon and Dadar, Mahim and Matunga areas in Central Mumbai, a notification by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday said.
Civic officials cited repair works in the pipeline that supplies water from the Powai reservoir as the reason behind the water supply being affected.
"The work of repairing a leakage in the Powai High Level Reservoir will be taken up. Also, with this another inlet of the Veravalli reservoir will be realigned. The work will start from 8.30 am on November 29 and will finish on 8.30 am the next day. During this period, there will be no water supply and citizens are requested to use water cautiously," BMC officials said.
The Nationalist Congress Party on Friday ridiculed Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for reportedly meeting an astrologer and said superstition would not help him as his future lay in the hands of his deputy Devendra Fadnavis.
Shinde's rebellion in June had brought down the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, and he was sworn in as chief minister with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has a far higher number of legislators than his faction.
As per reports, Shinde went to meet an astrologer to learn about his future but the fact is his future seems to lie in the hands of Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis, said NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto. "This is visible in their behaviour in the past few months since their government was formed. It is evident who is calling the shots," Crasto said. (PTI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday condemned the alleged incidents of painting of Karnataka buses with pro-Maharashtra slogans and appealed to the Eknath Shinde government to take immediate steps to put a stop to this.
Bommai also said such incidents will create a division among the states and ence Maharashtra should act swiftly. Reports from Pune said a group of activists allegedly from a pro-Marathi outfit painted state-owned buses with slogans such as "Jai Maharashtra'' in black ink and raised slogans against Bommai.
The alleged incidents come amidst a war of words between leaders of the two states over the inter-state boundary dispute over Belagavi. "Our India is a union of states. Every state has got its own rights. These states were formed under the State Reorganisation Act. The law is very clear and it is the duty of the respective government to maintain peace, law and order and see that there is peace and tranquility between the states," Bommai told reporters. (PTI)
The police in Maharashtra's Thane city took action against 1,653 traffic violators and collected more than Rs 10 lakh in fines during a combing operation, an official said on Friday.
An "all out” combing operation was conducted in the entire Thane police commissionerate on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, the official said. At least 1,653 persons were penalised for traffic violations and Rs 10.07 lakh was collected fines, he added.
As many as 91 cases of drunk driving were detected during the operation, while action was taken against 1,340 persons for different violations, a release said. A total of 141 traffic policemen participated in the operation. Besides this, in the five zones, the drive was conducted separately, in which 285 police officials took part, it said. At least 177 offences were registered and 184 persons arrested by the police, the release said. (PTI)
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed a two-lane road bridge that will go over the Central Railway tracks near Bhandup station to decongest Lal Bahadur Shastri Road and Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road in the eastern suburbs.
The bridge will connect Ganesh Mandir on Veer Savarkar Road in Bhandup East with GKW Colony on Lal Bahadur Shastri Road in Bhandup West.
The area sees heavy congestion during peak hours as it has high-footfall landmarks such as the V K Krishna Menon College, Ramanand Arya DAV College, IES Secondary School and many residential colonies on the eastern side, and St Xavier’s High School and Junior College, and Naval Hospital on the western side. Read more
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis Friday attended the pre-budget consultation meeting chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Fadnavis shared a tweet summarising key developments in the meeting.
Later speaking to reporters in Delhi, Fadnavis said, " I brought to the Centre's notice that at present financial institutions don't come forward for loans for land acquisition. Therefore, GoI should provide some scheme to facilitate loans for big infra projects and land acquisition."
Another request raised by the minister at the meeting was that the NDRF should incorporate some changes keeping pace with climatic changes. For example 65 mm and above rainfall was considered as a criteria for compensation. But over the years, rains occur continuously for a long time or the rainfall intensity is high in a short time span. In any case, the farmers are adversely affected. So, the changing climate patterns should be considered and farmers' concerns addressed by the NDRF.
Backing Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari amid a row on his remarks about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' wife Amruta Fadnavis Friday said Koshyari's words might have been 'misconstrued' by the people.
'I know the governor. He is probably the only Governor who after coming here has learned Marathi. He has immense love for Marathi. A lot of times it so happens that he is saying something and it gets misconstrued by people. He is someone who genuinely loves Marathi People,' Amruta said.
Koshyari has been facing flak from the opposition in Maharashtra by labelling Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as an icon of ‘olden days’ and instead calling Dr BR Ambedkar and Union minister Nitin Gadkari ‘icons of modern times’.
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against the bail granted to scholar-activist Anand Teltumbde in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli said it would not interfere with the Bombay High Court order granting bail to Teltumbde.
The high court on November 18 had granted bail to Teltumbde, noting that prima facie the only case made out against him relates to alleged association with a terror group and support given to it, for which the maximum punishment is 10 years in jail. (PTI)
Former Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray’s meeting with RJD leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav in Patna on Wednesday has invited sharp criticism from its estranged ally BJP.
Reacting to the meeting, BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar said: “Has Aaditya gone to take lessons on embezzlement of funds? RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav has been imprisoned and subjected to trial in the fodder scam. When Aaditya goes to meet Lalu’s son Tejashwi Yadav, it makes one wonder what he is going to imbibe.” Shelar was addressing the BJP’s 14th meeting as part of the Jagar Mumbaicha campaign at Prabhadevi in Mahim Assembly constituency on Thursday night. Read more
The Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai police Friday seized 5,500 e-cigarettes worth Rs 58 lakh that were meant to be sold in shops across Mumbai. The seizure was made from a tempo at the spot where these cigarettes had been kept.
The team had been looking for Noman Khan (26) who they believe was the one who supplied e-cigarettes to other shops in the city. Earlier this week, based on a tip-off, the Crime Branch Control unit laid a trap and arrested the accused from Agripada. Inspector Nitin Patil who led the raid said, " We suspect these cigarettes were imported from China by the accused who then supplied it to various shops across the city. He has been placed under arrest."
An officer said that since July they have registered offences against 19 persons for selling e-cigarettes, which is banned as per law.
Justice Makarand S Karnik of the Bombay High Court on Friday recused himself from hearing the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea against bail to Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut and his alleged associate, businessman Pravin Raut, in a money laundering case lodged by the central agency.
After ASG Anil Singh for ED mentioned matter, Justice Karnik said, "It will not be appropriate for me to take this matter. Not before me. "
A special court had granted bail to Raut and his alleged aide on November 14 and rapped the ED for the “illegal arrest” in its order. Raut was arrested on August 1 and had been lodged at Arthur Road jail.
A pair of lions (male and female) reached the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) on Friday morning. The lions were procured from the Sakharpa Zoo in the Junagadh district of Gujarat under an exchange programme, that was approved by the Central Zoo Authority of India. The lions are currently being marked as D-11 and D-22, and have not been given any conventional names yet.
(Express Photos)
Sultanpur, a village in Maharashtra with a population of around 1,000 and 600 houses, will now be known as 'Rahul Nagar' as the local residents have changed its name in memory of its native, who laid down his life while fighting terrorists during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.
Rahul Shinde, a constable of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) attained martyrdom during the terror attacks 14 years ago. Shinde, who hailed from Sultanpur in Madha tehsil of Solapur district, was amongst the first police personnel to enter the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in south Mumbai after reports of firing by terrorists. Shinde was hit with a bullet in his stomach by terrorists, in which he died. (PTI)
Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik on Thursday offered 750 grams of gold ornaments worth Rs 37 lakh at Tulja Bhavani temple at Tuljapur in Osmanabad district.
Sarnaik is the MLA from Ovala-Majiwada constituency in Thane.
The MLA and his family visited the temple on Thursday for a darshan of the goddess and offered the gold. Speaking to the media, he said that he offered the jewelry to fulfill his vow. “Tulja Bhavani is our family deity. Vows were taken during the weddings of both my children and we came here to fulfill our vows…”. Read More
Voter registration cards will now be among mandatory documents a candidate above 18 years of age will have to produce while seeking admission to universities in Maharashtra. Aimed at improving awareness regarding voting, this is expected to help dismal voter registration among college-going youth.
State Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil announced this during a meeting with of vice-chancellors (V-Cs) of all public universities, called by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in his capacity of Chancellor to all state universities. The meeting was also attended by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Read More
The Central Railway (CR) on Thursday said it will run 14 unreserved special trains to clear the extra rush of passengers travelling on the occasion of Dr B R Ambedkar's death anniversary, observed as Mahaparinirvan Diwas, on December 6.
A CR press release said of the 14 special trains, 3 trains will run from Nagpur to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (Mumbai), 6 from CSMT Mumbai/ Dadar to Sewagram/Ajni/Nagpur, 2 between Kalaburagi and CSMT, 2 between Solapur and CSMT and one from Ajni to CSMT.
Besides, the Railway has decided to augment train no 11401 CSMT-Adilabad Express departing on December 6, with one general second class coach for the benefit of passengers traveling on the occasion of Mahaparinirvan Diwas, said the release. (PTI)