Trend of passing exams illegally has begun in Maharashtra, feels Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai (PTI): The Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Wednesday targeted the state government over the alleged paper leak of Higher Secondary School (HSC) exams, saying a new trend of passing exams illegally has begun in the state.

An editorial in Saamana, the faction’s mouthpiece, said all results, right from the judiciary to the Election Commission, have been leaked, an oblique reference to the poll body’s decision to allot the “Shiv Sena” name and its “bow-andarrow” symbol to rival and Chief minister Eknath Shinde. The editorial said that questions have

Hike in service tax on cessed buildings set to be scrapped

First India Bureau Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that the increased monthly service tax levied on Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority’s (MHADA) cessed buildings will be abolished.

The state finance minister said tax of Rs250 per month will be levied, which was applicable till 2019.

Fadnavis announced this decision in response to a question raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ashish Shelar, who requested that either the tax must be waived or it must be charged at a nominal rate. Till March 2019, a service tax of Rs250 per month was being charged. From April 2019, this was increased to Rs500 per month, with a 10% increase every year.

been raised over the educational degrees of a few senior BJP leaders.

“Since the new government took over, there is a trend of illegally passing exams in the state,” it said in an apparent jibe at the government led by Eknath Shinde, whose coup toppled the Thackerayhelmed Maha Vikas Aghadi government last year.

It asked when the “real culprits” would be caught. “When there is an incompetent government, non-serious education minister, and lax administration, then the state will be destined to have papers leaked,” the editorial said.

A police case was registered in Buldhana district last week after the HSC Mathematics question paper leaked and its images were shared on social media, an official had said.

CM Shinde orders probe into Metro 6 PAP allotment scam

First India Bureau Mumbai: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to form a special team to conduct an inquiry into complaints of bogus beneficiaries’ list and irregularities in allocation of housing units.

MLC Kapil Patil, who raised the ques- nounced the help for onion farmers. We have given more than Rs7,000 crore in aid to farmers and we are still doing panchanama to help the farmers affected by the unseasonal rains but the Opposition just wants to create a ruckus.”

Any amount of protest by the Opposition can’t divert us from helping the farmers, he also said.

On February 28, the Maharashtra Legisla- tive Council was adjourned after opposition legislators created a ruckus on the issue of farmers demanding an appropriate price for onions as prices dipped.

The Opposition leader of the Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve said that they were demanding a discussion on the farmer’s issue with the government but the government did not do so, hence the council was adjourned.

Threat to mill owner, Patole’s bro booked

Gadchiroli (PTI): Police in Gadchiroli district of the state have registered a case against Vinod Patole, brother of Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole, and others for allegedly threatening a rice mill owner.

A complaint was filed in this regard by Pramod Salve, director of a nursing college in Gadchiroli district.

Vinod Patole had denied the allegations against him in a press conference.

tion in the Legislative Council last week, alleged a Rs90 crore scam in allocation of units to Project Affected Persons (PAPs) after displacement due to the Metro 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar-Vikhroli) corridor. He alleged involvement of the deputy collector responsible to verify the eligibility of slum dwellers affected by the project.

Accountability

As per the First Information Report (FIR), the family of the complainant’s sister had entered into a verbal agreement in 2020 to sell the rice mill owned by her to Vinod Patole for Rs51 lakh. Vinod Patole paid Rs20 lakh till 2021 but did not assure to pay the balance money. Hence, Salve sent a notice to him and issued an advertisement to sell the rice mill.

The FIR said Vinod Patole and four others stopped Salve in Chatgaon village on March

Vinod Patole had a verbal agreement to buy the mill for `51L, failed to pay `31L

03 when he was headed towards Gadchiroli city and threatened to kill him.

Vinod Patole and four others were booked on charges of criminal intimidation and wrongful restraint under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). No arrest has been made yet, and further investigation is underway, a police official said.

Pay ` 55.47 cr for environmental damage: NGT to bldg firm

It mined stone, sand and murram for projects in Nashik and Hingoli districts without prior environmental clearance

First India Bureau Mumbai: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a highway construction company to pay Rs55.47 crore for causing environmental damage by illegally excavating stone, sand and murram for its projects in Nashik and Hingoli districts of the state.

In two separate orders issued on February 22, the tribunal’s western zone bench in Pune directed Rajendrasinh Bhamboo Infra Private Limited to pay

Rs36.35 crore and Rs19.12 crore to the Maharashtra Pollution

Control Board (MPCB) within a month. The detailed orders were made available recently. “We find that since the activity of mining has been conducted by the project proponent (Rajendrasinh Bhamboo Infra) without taking prior environmental clearance, the same is treated to be violation which impacts the environment adversely,” said the NGT in an order. One Dattatraya Phal- ke had filed pleas with the tribunal saying that the company be blacklisted for having repeatedly “violated environmental norms for its commercial benefits”.

Earlier, the tribunal had punished the company by imposing “environmental compensation” on it, but it continues to violate the environmental norms, said petitioner Phalke.