Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde salutes the national Flag. Mumbai, Maharashtra News Highlights (August 15): Maharashtra Chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said that the state has begun its journey to become a “leader of the country”. During his Independence Day speech, he said that no public welfare schemes were stayed by the new government. “A new government has been formed and we have started working from day one. Our first preference of working is common citizens and farmers,” said Shinde after hoisting the tricolour at state government headquarters. Shinde said that no schemes aimed at public welfare were stayed by his government amid accusations from the Opposition that his government had stayed schemes and projects approved by the earlier government.
In other news, Maharashtra’s new cultural affairs minister Sudhir Mungantiwar wants government employees to answer their phone calls with ‘Vande Mataram’ and not with the foreign word ‘hello.’ “This is the 75th year of Indian independence and to mark the achievement, all officers and employees in government offices will start the telephonic conversations by saying Vande Mataram and not hello,” said Mungantiwar, hours after cabinet portfolio distribution was announced. “Vande Mataram is our national song. It is not just a word but a symbol of the sentiments of Indians towards Mother India. Written by Bankimchandra Chatterjee in 1875, this song served to energise freedom fighters. Expressing the feeling, ‘O Mother, I bow to you,’ Bankimchandra evoked a spark of patriotism in the hearts of many,” he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde allocated portfolios to his 18 Cabinet ministers on Sunday, a week after they were sworn in. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari approved the portfolio distribution in the evening. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ensured that the majority of important portfolios were allocated to it with deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis managing to keep both Home and Finance departments. CM Shinde kept the Urban Development Department (UDD), which he handled in the previous MVA government. He will handle Information and Technology, Public Works (Public undertakings), Transport, Marketing, Social Justice, Relief and Rehabilitation, Disaster management, Soil and water conservation, Environment and Minority Affairs.
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence, the Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha Monday felicitated 75 war veterans from Apshinge, the only military village in India, in Satara district, Maharashtra, and families of 25 fallen soldiers at the Shanmukhananda auditorium in Sion, Mumbai.
Apshinge is the only military village in India with a population of 3,000 comprising 350 families. Here every family has one member in the Army till now. The villagers from this village laid down their lives in the Indo-Pak war in 1965 and 1971 and the 1962 China war. Forty-six men from the village made the ultimate sacrifice in World War 1. The children in this village are given training in the schools for military services. (Read more)
MAHARASHTRA CHIEF Minister Eknath Shinde allocated portfolios to his 18 Cabinet ministers on Sunday, a week after they were sworn in. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari approved the portfolio distribution in the evening.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ensured that the majority of important portfolios were allocated to it with deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis managing to keep both Home and Finance departments. CM Shinde kept the Urban Development Department (UDD), which he handled in the previous MVA government. He will handle Information and Technology, Public Works (Public undertakings), Transport, Marketing, Social Justice, Relief and Rehabilitation, Disaster management, Soil and water conservation, Environment and Minority Affairs. (Read more)
Former Mumbai zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation complaint against former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, based on which the city police have registered a case against the NCP leader, an official said.
Wankhede lodged the complaint on Sunday after getting a clean chit from the Mumbai district caste certificate verification committee of the Maharashtra Social Justice Department, following a probed for allegedly submitting a fake caste certificate to get a government job. Malik had alleged that Wankhede submitted a fake caste certificate to get a government job.
"Sameer Wankhede approached Goregaon police station and lodged the complaint against Nawab Malik, who is behind bars in an alleged money laundering case," the official said on Sunday. "Police on Sunday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Malik for defamation on the complaint lodged by the former NCB officer," the official said. (PTI)
An unidentified person on Monday made a phone call to a hospital in Mumbai and threatened to kill the family of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, a police official said. The person made three to four calls on a landline number of the Reliance Foundation Hospital in Girgaon area around 10.30 am, he said. After receiving information about the calls, the Mumbai police initiated a probe into it. A preliminary enquiry suggested the caller was mentally unstable, the official said. A process was on to register an FIR in this connection, he added. (PTI)
#WATCH | Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani along with his wife Nita Ambani and grandson Prithvi Ambani celebrates Independence Day
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said his government's priority is to work for the common man and it is committed to extending the reservation benefits to the Other Backward Classes, Maratha and Dhangar communities.
Speaking on the country's 76th Independence Day after hoisting the national flag at the state secretariat as the CM for the first time, Shinde said several parts of the state have witnessed floods due to heavy rainfall.
“We started working from day one and our priority is to work for the common man, farmers, the working class,” he said.
“The government is committed to extending the benefits of reservation to the OBCs, Maratha and Dhangar (shepherd) communities,” he added.
The CM said 15 lakh hectares of land in 28 districts of the state has been affected due to floods. The assistance to the affected people has been doubled, he said.
“To find a permanent solution to the floods, we are undertaking a programme of deepening and desilting of rivers in a scientific manner,” he said. PTI
Picture Source: Deputy CM office
Average Rainfall in city from August 14, 8am to August 15, 8am was recorded at 6.01 mm. Mumbai experienced a generally cloudy sky with moderate rain in the city and its suburbs Today at 8am.
Tide Table
High Tide:14.18 hours: 4.66 mtr
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Low Tide : 20.30 hours - 0.79 mtr
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High Tide next on August 16, 2022 at 02.41 hrs- 4.27 mtr
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Low Tide next on August 16, 2022 at 08.17 hrs - 1.05 mtr
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said India got freedom after a lot of struggle and it needs to be self-reliant.
Addressing a gathering at the RSS headquarters in Maharashtra's Nagpur city after hoisting the national flag on India's 76th Independence Day, Bhagwat said the country will give the message of peace to the world. He also said people should think what they can give to the country rather than ask what the country or society is giving them.
"Today is the day of pride and resolution. The country got freedom after a lot of struggle, it needs to be self-reliant. Those who want to be independent need to become self-reliant in everything," he said.
Bhagwat said the RSS has worked for creating an awareness about "desh bhakti" (patriotism) and imbibing it in the people of the country. "You need to maintain relations with the world but on your own terms, and for it you need to become that capable. Those who want to be independent should also become capable in respect of their security," he said.
Bhagwat said the tricolour tells us how the country should be and how it will be when it becomes big in the world. PTI
75th Independence Day celebration at Konkan Divisional Level Navi Mumbai.
Express photos by Narendra vaskar
#WATCH | Maharashtra: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat hoists the tricolour at RSS Headquarters in Nagpur.
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde attends a flag-hoisting ceremony at midnight in Thane city, on the occasion of Independence day.
Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus illuminated in tricolours on the occasion of 76th Independence day.
Shiv Sangram Party leader and former member of Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) Vinayak Mete will be cremated with state honours in Beed city on Monday afternoon, an official said on Sunday night.
Mete's body will be taken to Beed from Mumbai in an ambulance via road. His mortal remains will be kept for public viewing from 8 am to 10.30 am on Monday, the Shiv Sangram Party said.
A funeral procession will be taken out in the afternoon and Mete will be cremated with state honours at around 4 pm once official events marking Independence Day are concluded.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis, Union minister Ramdas Athawale and other leaders are expected to attend Mete's last rites, the Shiv Sangram said.
Mete, 52, was killed when his car headed towards Mumbai hit a truck from behind on the Mumbai-Pune expressway near Madap tunnel in the Raigad district early in the morning, police said. PTI
An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and two Naik Police Constables (NPCs) were conferred with Shaurya Chakra for extraordinary courage during the Mardintola forest encounter in which 27 Maoists were killed in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli on November 13, 2021.
The 27 slain Maoists included Milind Teltumbde, the Central Committee (CC) member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
The Shaurya Chakra award was conferred on IPS officer Somay Munde and two NPCs Ravindra Naitam and Tikaram Katenge by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Munde, then Additional Superintendent of Police (Operations), Gadchiroli, had chalked out and led the operation involving 15 C60 commando parties, reads the citation. PTI
Mumbai has already started with celebrations of the Independence Day 2022. The Gateway of India, Bhatsa lake can be seen beautifully decorated with the Tricolour while in Boriwali a Grand Tiranga Yatra was organised.
Tata Sons Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, center leaves after paying homage to the mortal remains of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala who died earlier at his residence, in Mumbai on Sunday.
Express Photo By Ganesh Shirsekar
Hours after distribution of portfolios, Maharashtra 's new Cultural affairs minister Sudhir Mungantiwar asks government officials to not use 'Hello' over telephone but instead use 'Vande Mataram' in government work related calls.
Maharashtra on Sunday recorded 2,082 new coronavirus positive cases and three deaths, which raised its overall tally to 80,72,340 and toll to 1,48,171, an official said.
The count of recoveries rose to 79,12,067 after 1,824 patients recuperated from the infection in the last 24 hours, he said.
The latest fatalities were reported from Mumbai, Pune and Satara, the official said, adding that the state is now left with 12,102 active cases.
As per the official data, Mumbai circle recorded 1,352 new cases, followed by Pune with 284, Nagpur 150, Nashik 119, Kolhapur 66, Latur 46, Akola 38 and Aurangabad 27.(PTI)
Police investigating the death of Shiv Sangram Party leader Vinayak Mete in a road accident on Sunday prima facie concluded the driver of his car lost control of the vehicle which hit a truck from behind on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
The accident occurred at 5.05 am near Madap tunnel under the jurisdiction of Rasayani police station in the neighbouring Raigad district when Mete was coming to Mumbai from Beed, officials had said.
Mete's SUV was in a second lane of the six-lane expressway at the time of the accident, an official said.
As per the preliminary investigation, the car driver, Eknath Kadam, lost his control at wheel and the vehicle hit a truck from behind in which Mete was seriously injured, he said.(PTI)
On the occasion of Seventy-five Amrit Mahotsav Independence Day Thane Koli community hoisted the National Flag in their boats and sailed in Thane creek.
Express Photo by Deepak Joshi
The superintendent of Thane Central Jail in Maharashtra has been awarded the President of India's Correctional Service Medal for meritorious service on the occasion of Independence Day, an official said on Sunday.
As per an official release, the Correctional Service Medal was awarded to Harshad Bhikanarao Ahirrao who is posted as the superintendent of Thane Central Jail since 2019.
In his 27-year-long career, Ahirrao has served in the jails of Yerawada, Nashik, Nagpur and Mumbai, it was stated.
The officer effectively controlled and dealt with terrorists, bomb blast accused, notorious criminals, ISIS suspects, gangsters and the accused in the 26/11 attacks.(PTI)
With Maharashtra cabinet finally getting formed, the list of ministers with their portfolios has been released. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis gets home and finance. CM Eknath Shinde gets urban development, General administration department, It, transport
Central Bureau of Investigation officers probing the coal scam case and tasked with internal vigilance are among the 30 sleuths of the premier agency awarded police medals on the 76th Independence Day, officials said Sunday.
The awards were announced on the eve of Independence Day.
Six officers received the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPMDS) while 24 were honoured with the Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PMMS), the CBI said in a statement.
Additional SP Alok Kumar, who is part of the Special Unit of Mumbai tasked with preventing corruption within the agency, received the PPMDS, it said.
The other five officers who received the PPMDS are Deputy SPs Atul Hajela, Tejprakash Devrani and T.Sridharan, Sub-Inspector (SI) Gurmeet Singh, and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Narpat Singh.(PTI)
Akasa Air, which took to the skies just a week ago, will honour the legacy, values and beliefs of its late billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala by striving to operate a "great airline", according to its chief Vinay Dube.
"Conceived and born in 12 months", Akasa Air's identity even before it started flying has been much associated with Jhunjhunwala, one of the backers of the venture.
In the high growth potential and increasingly competitive Indian civil aviation space, the trajectory of Akasa Air, which started off its first flight on August 7 on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, will be closely watched.
Dube, founder and CEO at Akasa Air, said, "We are deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala this morning." He also mentioned about the billionaire investor being an early believer in the team and putting his trust and faith in them to build a world-class airline.(PTI)
“Rakesh Jhunjhunwala believed in India and the sheer potential of the country. This conviction led him to consistently make bold decisions throughout his life and career. He had tremendous regard for the Tata Group. Mr. Jhunjhunwala’s passing is an irreparable loss and we extend our deep condolences to his family and friends.”-N Chandrasekaran, Chairman ,Tata Sons
The Central Railway is planning to increase the popularity of the wider view vistadome train coaches in the picturesque Mumbai-Goa Konkan belt, after receiving a huge response on the scenic Pune Western Ghats section.
The vistadome coaches, which have huge windows and transparent roofs allowing a hindrance-free view of the surroundings, have become popular among passengers on the 21 km long Bhor ghat section between Mumbai and Pune.
This is one of the steepest ghats in the country with 28 tunnels and provides a breath-taking view of the Sahyadri mountains, the Ulhas river valley and surrounding areas. The Mumbai-Goa route has a similar terrain. Read more.
Condolences started pouring in as the news of the death of 62-year-old billionaire stock investor and founder of recently launched airline Akasa Air Rakesh Jhunjhunwala broke. Read more.
Jhunjhunwala, who was popularly known as India’s Warren Buffett, had an estimated net worth of more than $5 billion, according to Forbes. He was also included on the Forbes 2022 list.
Even though he had been keeping unwell for some time and was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in July for a check-up, the investment fraternity expressed shock at his demise. While he was known as a risk taker, many feel that Jhunjhunwala inspired millions of retail investors through his positivity as he was always positive about the Indian economy and markets in the long term. A long-term investor holding several of his investments for more than a decade now, Jhunjhunwala was a true investor, say market participants. Read more.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the whole world looks towards India for managing diversity.
He was speaking at a function on ‘Bharat@2047: My Vision My Action’ in Nagpur city of Maharashtra.
“The world points at India when it comes to managing diversity efficiently. The world is full of contradictions but managing dualities will only come from India,” he said. Read more.
Following the sudden demise of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Akasa Air released a statement today. News agency ANI had tweeted the release.
It said: We are deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala this morning. Akasa Air will honour Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s legacy, values, and belief in us by striving to run a great airline: Akasa Air on the demise of its founder Rakesh Jhunjhunwala
As many as 219 new cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Maharashtra's Thane district, taking the tally of infections to 7,36,562, a health official said on Sunday.
With the addition of the latest numbers on Saturday, the district currently has 1,376 active COVID-19 cases, he said.
No death was reported on Saturday and the fatality toll in the district stood at 11,937.
The recovery count in Thane has gone up to 7,23,771, he added. PTI
The historical hanging yard of the Thane jail in Maharashtra where many luminaries of the freedom struggle were hanged to death will soon be opened for the public. The spruced-up execution yard, which is being renovated under the district plan development fund, will be ready by Diwali.
It will have a separate entrance from the Kalwa side that will be managed by the jail police, said Jail superintendent Harshad Ahirrao.
Amongst the prominent figures to be executed were Anant Kanhere, Krishnaji Karve and Vinayak Deshpande who conspired and murdered British officer A M T Jackson at Nashik on April 19, 1910. Read more.
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's antim Yatra will commence at 5.30 pm today from IL Palazzo, behind Malabar Hill Club and the cremation will take place at Banganga crematorium, Malabar hill.
The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) caught a 48-year-old police constable red-handed on Saturday while he was allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a person against whom the police had initiated preventive legal proceedings, also known as ‘chapter proceedings’ in Pune, officers said.
The police identified the arrested constable as Vijay Eknath Shinde, who is posted at the office of the assistant commissioner of police (ACP) of Kothrud division under Pune city police. Read more.
Shiv Sangram party chief, former MLC and prominent Maratha community leader Vinayak Mete died in a road accident Sunday morning on the Mumbai-Pune expressway near Khalapur toll plaza while on his way to Mumbai. He was 52.
Mete, who hails from Rajegaon village in Kej tehsil of Beed district in the Marathwada region, had been a member of the state Legislative Council for five terms though he came from a family without any political background. Read more here.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, "Vinayak Mete's death is shocking and painful. We have lost an honest warrior who fought for the cause of Maratha community. He was coming to Mumbai to attend the meeting on Maratha community-related issues, called by me. He remained committed to the cause and to social movements in the state till his last breath."
The Prime Minister in his tweet said: Rakesh Jhunjhunwala was indomitable. Full of life, witty and insightful, he leaves behind an indelible contribution to the financial world. He was also very passionate about India’s progress. His passing away is saddening. My condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.
Express photos by Narendra vaskar
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at MGM hospital.
The Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari tweeted: Shocked and saddened to know about the demise of Vinayak Mete, President, Shiv Sangram Sanghatana in a road accident. His dedicated work for the upliftment of backward classes was noteworthy. Deepest condolences
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said in Pune on Saturday that patriotism was the only way to keep India united, adding that crores of houses in India have hoisted the Tricolour on a clarion call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Bommai launched the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign at the Amanora Township in Hadapsar area in Pune on Saturday in the presence of Aniruddha Deshpande, managing director, City Corporation Limited (CCL), C T Ravi, member of Karnataka Legislative Assembly, Aditya Deshpande and Vivek Kulkarni from CCL. Read more.
Versova MLA Bharati Lavhekar of BJP and an aide of Mete said that he was coming to Mumbai for a meeting on Maratha reservation and was again going to his hometown Beed for Independence day rally.
Good morning! Welcome to today's blog. We bring to you all the latest news updates from Mumbai, Pune and Maharashtra.