Mumbai Scan

Hawkers postpone stirThe Maharashtra Hawkers Federation has postponed its proposed statewide agitation scheduled for August 3, 1998 by a ...

Hawkers postpone stir

The Maharashtra Hawkers Federation has postponed its proposed statewide agitation scheduled for August 3, 1998 by a fortnight to allow Chief Minister Manohar Joshi to resolve the hawkers issue. Speaking at a press meet, Federation president Sharad Rao said, the decision was taken in view of the assurance given by Joshi on July 21, 1998 that he would solve the issue immediately after the Assembly session gets over by the August 7, 1998. Joshi promised to convene a joint meeting and find a solution to the issue, Rao said. quot;We told him that the decision should be implemented all over the State. If no decision is taken by then, we will embark on our agitation,quot; Rao said adding that he will tour Maharashtra extensively to ascertain the preparedness for the stir. Rao also informed that the Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat will launch a statewide agitation from August 14, 1998 against soft drink giants Coca Cola and Pepsi. They will pick major hotels who serve these drinks and demonstratein front of them, Rao informed. This was part of the drive against multinationals who had swallowed local markets, he said. Privatisation of Maharashtra State Electricity Board is also on the agenda, Rao informed.

MBBS, BDS admission

The process for admission to the MBBS and BDS courses statewide will commence in the third week of August and the State merit list of candidates will be displayed at all government medical colleges on or around August 10. Director of Medical Education and Research, Dr V L Deshpande, says a separate notification regarding the dates will be released seven days prior to counselling and interviews for admissions. He added that the rules for admission to both the MBBS and DBS courses in Maharashtra for 1998-99 have been amended in view of an order by the Supreme Court. Candidates can obtain a copy of the amended rules from deans of any government medical college. This will be available free of cost and will help candidates understand the revised admissionprocedure.

State lottery to have 6 draws a week

Maharashtra State Lottery will soon resume its six draws a week following a decision taken by the Finance Minister Mahadev Shivankar. The State had reduced the draws to three per week since February this year. Shivankar has also decided to reduce the price of a ticket which had a bumper prize of Rs 21 lakh from Rs 15 to Rs 10. Meanwhile, lottery agents have demanded that Shi Sena supremo Bal Thackeray should draw the Diwali bumper lottery of Rs 1 crore jackpot on October 29.

Tributes to Lokmanya Tilak

Citizens of Maharashtra, various political leaders and senior bureaucrats today paid tributes to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his 78th death anniversary. Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, Chief Secretary P Subrahmaniam, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Ajit Warty and other senior officials garlanded a photograph of Tilak. At Vidhan Bhavan, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Prof Sharad Tasre, Law and Judiciary MinisterLeeladhar Dake, Minister of State for Social Welfare Vijay Girkar, MLCs Arun Mehta, N D Mahanor and Neela Desai and Legislature Secretary Ramesh Kambli garlanded a bust of Tilak.

Sales tax on liquor, beer

Hotels, beer bars, permit rooms and clubs graded below four stars will henceforth be taxed 13 per cent of their annual beer and liqour sales and those with a gradation above four stars will be taxed 20 per cent, according to a notification issued by the State Government on July 20. Dealers with a licence to sell liqour were not asked to pay sales tax as they claimed their annual sales amounted to less than Rs 40 lakh. However, they will now have to pay the stipulated tax irrespective of their annual sales, according to a State press release.