Former NCP corporator from Thane joins Shinde faction of Sena

First India Bureau

Thane: Former Thane corporator Hanumant Jagdale on Fridays aid he was quitting the Nationalist Congress Party and joining the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Addressing a press conference, he said he took this decision as it was not possible to carry out development works without the support of the ruling party. He said some other former corporators and workers of the NCP will join BSS on Sunday. Jagdale said he would work to ensure cluster development is allowed in his ward so that people benefit. Civic polls are due in Thane and several other cities in Maharashtra since early 2022.

In July last year, Uddhav Thackeray had also lost control of TMC when 66 out of 67 Shiv Sena (Thackeray) corporators left the party and joined Shinde camp after these men held a meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

First India Bureau

Nashik: Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Friday asserted the Electricity (Amendment) Bill will not be allowed to pass in Parliament in its existing form as it will stop the subsidy offered to power consumers.

Speaking at an event here, Pawar said the Opposition has clearly conveyed to the Union government that it will not allow the bill to be passed in its present form.

It may get passed in the Lok Sabha because of the majority enjoyed by the Narendra Modi government, but it will not get cleared in the Rajya Sabha, where the ruling dispensation lacks the required numbers.

—Sharad Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party president am neither a prime minister here nor a chief minister. I consider myself fortunate that I have something that few have. I have been connected to this family for 4 generations. All 4 generations have visited my home," PM Modi said.

It may get passed in the Lok Sabha because of the majority enjoyed by the Narendra Modi government, but it will not get cleared in the Rajya Sabha, where the ruling dispensation lacks the required numbers, Pawar said.

"Today, those who are in power decided to bring the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 Act. We have opposed

Mumbai’s `1,600 cr desalination plant at Manori; work order soon

First India Bureau Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) desalination plant project is going to be set up at Manori and the work order is likely to be issued by August, municipal commis sioner and adminis trator Iqbal Singh Chahal said on Friday.

The tender is cur rently being finalised, and bids will be invit ed on an international competitive basis.The plant is expected to be functional in the next four years and will process 200 million litres of water per day (MLD). It is estimated to cost Rs 1,600 crore and maintenance for the next 20 years will cost another Rs 1,920 crore.

The project has been undertaken to develop an alternative water source for the city due to changing patterns of rainfall. For the project, a provision of Rs 200 crore for 2023–2024 was suggested during the recent civic budget presentation. BMC earmarks 12 hectares for the plant

The BMC has earmarked 12 hectares for the plant. The project was first mooted in 2007 after a State Government-appointed high-level committee suggested setting up desalination plants

Project undertaken to develop alternative water source for city in Mumbai. The BMC had initiated the process to set up two such plants – one in south Mumbai and another in the western suburbs in 2016. However, the proposal was cancelled due to high cost and land issues. It was revived in October 2020 when former Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray showed interest in the project. because if it is passed in its present form then the subsidy offered to the power consumers will be stopped," he said.

The privatisation of public undertakings in the power sector is also under consideration, he claimed.

"The bill is before a parliamentary committee. Our stand is we will not allow this law to be passed in its current form," he added. Pawar said 40,00042,000 vacancies in various state-run power firms should be filled and priority must be given to those working on these posts on contract. He said Telangana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu have included such employees in service and Maharashtra should also do the same.