Maharashtra bandh: Security beefed up, schools and colleges remain open

All departments and affiliated colleges of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad will remain closed today

Security has been beefed up in Maharashtra as Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups has called for a state-wide bandh on Thursday over reservation issue.

Addressing the media, a leader of the Sakal Maratha Samaj, Amol Jadhavrao said that the state-wide bandh would be observed in a peaceful manner from 8 am to 6 pm. However, the bandh will not be observed in the Navi Mumbai.

"We have called for a state-wide bandh on August 9. The bandh will not be observed in Navi Mumbai, due to some sensitive issue. Essential services, schools and colleges have been excluded from the bandh called by us," Jadhavrao said.

He also urged the community members to not commit suicide over the issue and maintain their calm.

Meanwhile, police officials have also been deployed across the state to contain any unpleasant situation. "Adequate police deployment has been done to ensure peaceful bandh," Manjunath Shinghe, Mumbai Police PRO said.

All departments and affiliated colleges of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad will remain closed today in view of the bandh.

Read More On : Maharashtra Bandh

 

Farmers Strike:10-day farmers' strike from today to disrupt fruit, vegetables, milk supply

Another farmers body, ABKS a parent body of 10 associations in Maharashtra, says it will gherao offices of district collectors across the state in protest at non-implementation of the earlier announce

Supply of fruit, vegetables and milk is likely to get disrupted in some pockets of India, with a 10-day strike call from Friday, given by a Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh (RKM), describing itself as an umbrella body of nearly 110 farmer associations.

However, among those saying they are not part of this stir are Confederation of Indian Farmers’ Association (CIFA) and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (led by Raju Shetty, MP). Hence, the impact is likely to be partial.

Also Read : Farmers' strike in MP to increase veggie prices; BJP dubs it Cong agitation

Another farmers body, Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, a parent body of 10 associations in Maharashtra, says it will gherao offices of district collectors across the state in protest at non-implementation of the earlier announcement of loan waivers, said its state secretary, Ajit Nawale.

“We are not supporting any organisation like RKM. We are ourselves representing to the government for the farmers’ cause,” said R V Giri, president of CIFA.

An RKM-like strike was convened in Maharashtra last year, when farmers dumped produce on the road to protest at prices below their cost of production. Thousands of litres of milk was also poured away in the stir.

Read More On → Farmers Strike

Padmavati row: Karni Sena wants Bharat Bandh, Bhansali gets security cover

Bhansali has been facing the ire of various groups and self-styled experts on what they term as 'erroneous' depiction of Rajput queen Rani Padmavati.

The Shri Rajput Karni Sena on Wednesday called for a 'Bharat Bandh' (shutdown) on December 1 if Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movie "Padmavati" releases on that date, while the Maharashtra government provided a precautionary security cover for the filmmaker in view of the increasing controversies and growing threats.

"We will hold rallies across the country, including Gurugram, Patna, Lucknow and Bhopal before the release date," Lokendra Singh Kalvi, founder-patron of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, told media persons in Jaipur.

He said all communities, including Muslims, supported the Sena on the issue.

"We demand a complete ban on the film. Now, we don't want any pre-screening of the movie. All we want is a ban," he said.

He claimed that as per the Cinematography Act, the government can withhold the release of a movie for three months even after a go-ahead by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and it can be extended further.

"We request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter," Kalvi said.

Bhansali has been facing the ire of various groups and self-styled experts on what they term as 'erroneous' depiction of Rajput queen Rani Padmavati.

There have been protests and violence against Bhansali and opposition to the film right from the time it was being shot at various locales in different parts of India and now, as it prepares for release globally soon.

Barring these groups and individuals, the entire film fraternity and civil society members have expressed support to Bhansali for his latest film venture.

The Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) has thanked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for providing security cover to Bhansali, who lives and works in Mumbai.

Click Here To Read → Padmavati Row

Modi govt's new restrictions on cattle slaughter will hurt farmers the most

The government’s move will lead to an explosion in the number of ‘stray’ cattle

Gazette No. 396, issued by the Government of India on May 23 and titled the ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017’, promises to be the final death knell of cattle and buffaloes in India, and along with them, the destruction of what little remains of a dignified life and livelihood for farmers.

This completely innocuous sounding amendment, issued under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act – a Central law – imposes in section 22 a set of ‘Restrictions on sale of cattle’. These require the owner of cattle being brought to the market for sale, in other words the farmer, to produce and submit to the Animal Market Committee a written declaration stating that “the cattle has not been brought to the market for sale for slaughter”. In turn, the buyer of the animal has to undertake “that the animal is being bought for agriculture purposes and not slaughter”

The committee will further keep records of the sale of animals to ensure they are not resold within six months of purchase. They will also keep ID records of the buyer, seller and animal.

The rules defines ‘cattle’ to mean “cow, calf, bull, bullock, buffalo, heifer, steer and camel”.

By equating ‘slaughter’ with cruelty and criminalising the trade and transportation of animals for slaughter at animal markets as an act of cruelty, the Central government has effectively enforced a country-wide ban on the slaughter of buffaloes and cattle, and the consumption of beef, despite statements of denial from the environment minister.

Animal markets are crucial nuclei of the production cycle of animals, through which animals pass from farmers to others and vice-versa. These new rules effectively choke the free movement of animals via the market space and, more critically, completely undermine the freedom and rights of farmers, traders and all others whose livelihoods are linked to this production cycle, which ultimately is what sustains cattle and buffaloes of this country.

The right of farmers to life and livelihood is at stake: their dairy livelihoods and bullock-based agricultural livelihoods stand to be completely destroyed with this cruel law – cruel for farmers and cruel for animals.| READ MORE….

Devendra Fadnavis's chopper crash-lands in Latur; CM tweets 'I'm safe'

Went to Latur for a statewide campaign to reach out to farmers; chopper developed a technical snag

Breaking News : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' helicopter crash landed at Nilanga in Latur district on Wednesday after it suffered a snag, but he escaped unhurt.

"Our helicopter did meet with an accident in Latur but me and my team is absolutely safe and ok. Nothing to worry," Fadnavis tweeted after the mishap.

A senior official of the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) said it was an accident and the chopper suffered substantial damage.

Fadnavis had gone to Latur in Marathwada for the BJP's 'Shivar Samwad Sabha', a statewide campaign to reach out to farmers.

"I am safe. There was a minor accident involving the helicopter. People shouldn't believe in rumours," Fadnavis later told media persons.

The chopper developed a technical snag while taking off from the helipad at Nilanga where the chief minister had gone for an event.

"Nobody got hurt. My media advisor Ketan Pathak has suffered minor injuries. With the blessings of 11 crore people of Maharashtra, I am safe," he told reporters at Nilanga. ReadMore…

Shift all IPL matches out of Maharashtra after Apr 30, Bombay HC tells BCCI

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday ordered that all Indian Premier League (IPL) matches scheduled in Maharashtra after April 30 be shifted elsewhere in view of the severe drought in the state.

This gives the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) 18 days to look for new venues for 13 matches in May, including the final in Mumbai on May 29.

The order came despite an assurance by the BCCI that IPL franchises of Mumbai and Pune had agreed to contribute Rs 5 crore to the chief minister’s drought relief fund.

The court said: “We agree that merely shifting of IPL matches out of the state will not be a solution but this can be a beginning to address the drought situation in Maharashtra. Several people are dying because of water scarcity in the state. This court cannot ignore the plight of such people.”

Sources close to both the Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants said the team promoters were now waiting to sit with the BCCI to chart the way forward.

“In 2014, when the IPL moved to Dubai for the first leg of the season, the BCCI had, after consulting the teams, agreed to partly compensate the added expenses on the teams for travelling and staying abroad. Both teams expect a similar resolution,” said an executive.

The loss of revenue for the teams will become clearer when new venues are decided. As a rule, if a team is unable to play at its home stadium for any reason, the ground that the match shifts to becomes the team’s home ground for that period.

For example, if Mumbai Indians’ matches are held at Eden Gardens, the Kolkata ground will be treated as Mumbai Indians’ home ground and the proceeds from the gate revenues will go to the Mumbai team, as they would have at the Wankhede Stadium.

“One of the main things that the teams would want to discuss with the BCCI is the new venues. There has to be some following of the Mumbai and Pune teams at the new venues,” said another executive close to the development.

The court order came on a public interest litigation filed by non-government organisation Loksatta Movement, which challenged the use of more than six million litres of water for ground-management, despite Maharashtra facing drought. It had wanted all the matches shifted out of the state.

The court also noted that several districts in Maharashtra were not even getting water for sanitation and other purposes, and the non-potable water being used by the stadiums to maintain pitches can be of use in such districts. “In such cases, one would have expected the BCCI and other respondents (Maharashtra Cricket Association and Bombay Cricket Association) to come forward on their own and shift the matches out of Maharashtra. However, unfortunately, nothing has been done. This court has now no other option than to direct the BCCI to transfer matches out of Maharashtra.”

All matches to be held from April 30 onwards in Maharashtra will have to be shifted to another state. We are giving the authorities 15 days to make all necessary arrangements.”

After April 30, 13 matches were scheduled to be held in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.

Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh on high terror alert for Shivratri

Delhi was today put on high alert after Police received inputs that 10 suspected LeT and JeM terrorists believed to have entered India from Pakistan through Gujarat may have sneaked into the national capital for an attack even as four elite NSG teams were rushed to the western state. Read More

Hit and run case: SC issues notice to Salman Khan

The Supreme court on Friday issued notice to filmstar Salman Khan on the Maharashtra government's petition challenging a Bombay High Court verdict acquitting him in a 2002 accident case.

Read Full Article Over Here: Business Standard

Aamir to partner Maharashtra govt

Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao have launched the Paani Foundation, which will partner the Maharashtra government in its efforts to communicate and educate people at the grass root level about water conservation and watershed management.

The Paani Foundation and the government announced the first initiative called the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup, a competition to popularise water conservation and watershed management in the rural areas of the state.

Read Full Article Over Here: Business Standard

Govt to increase number of e-Seva centres in villages to 250,000

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Communication and Information Technology Minister, said the government was planning to increase number of common service centres in the country while speaking at Make In India Mumbai edition.

Currently, there are 150,000 such centres in the country.

“We want to increase centres to cover 250,000 gram panchayats soon,” said Radha Chouhan, CEO, e-governance, IT.

These centres, she said, will enable “village-level entrepreneur to talk to national-level experts” for guidance, apart from being an e-services distribution point. Chouhan, who followed Prasad at IT and electronics seminar, said the government was also focusing on partnering with private cloud companies to take services online.

Read Full Article Over Here

Make in India week: Probe into fire at venue in Girgaum Chowpatty begins

All aspects including sabotage angle will be investigated while ascertaining the cause of the massive fire that gutted the stage during a cultural programme at the Make in India Week event here last night attended by many VIPs, an official said today.

Fire brigade authority has begun an inquiry into the blaze.

"We will probe all aspects, including finding out if there was a sabotage angle involved," a fire brigade official said.

No casualties were reported as the venue at the Girgaum Chowpatty area was emptied within minutes.