Oppn refuses discussion on drought, wants govt to compensate

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November 20, 2018

Opposition Congress and NCP on Tuesday refused to hold any discussion in the Maharashtra Legislative Council over the prevailing drought conditions in the state, but asked the government to immediately provide compensation to the affected farmers.

As soon as Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar called for the Question Hour, Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde (NCP) said farmers and farm labourers do not have any work left and there have been massive crop losses due to drought.

“Things have gotten so worse that farmers have to light their own pyre and commit suicide,” he said.

He claimed that even 22 days after drought was declared, the government was yet to undertake relief measures and water tankers were not being roped into service.

Munde demanded that the government should announce Rs 1 lakh per hectare as compensation to drought-hit farmers and waive the fees of students for the entire year.

He also sought that the electricity bills of the last year in drought-hit areas be waived.

“We do not want discussion on this issue until our demands are met. First, provide immediate relief then we can discuss it,” he said.

Raising the issue of Maratha reservation, Munde demanded that the report of the State Backward Class Commission be tabled in the House.

“The government does not seem serious on providing reservation either to Marathas or to Dhangars,” he added.

Responding to Munde, Leader of the House and Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil said the state cabinet has accepted the commission’s recommendations on the Maratha quota of forming a special category of ‘Socially and Economically Backward Class’.

“We will check whether the recommendations, if challenged, will stand legal scrutiny and then decide on whether to table the report in the House,” he said.

He said a cabinet sub-committee already set up for the implementation of the Maratha quota will take a legal opinion on whether the commission’s report can be tabled in the Legislature.

“The commission has recognised the Maratha community as socially, economically and educationally backward. Since the situation is extraordinary, the limit of reservation can be beyond 52 per cent,” he said, adding that the government would ensure that the reservation stands in court.

Before the House got adjourned for the day, it was adjourned twice for 30 minutes after Opposition created a ruckus over drought and Maratha reservation.

State mulling making Marathi compulsory in all schools: Tawde

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Afternoon Voice

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November 20, 2018

The Maharashtra government is mulling making Marathi compulsory from Class I to X in all schools, state Education Minister Vinod Tawde said in the Legislative Council Tuesday.

He said this in a written reply to a question by Sena MLA Vilas Potnis which contended that states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Kerala had made their local languages compulsory in schools from Class I to X.

Potnis had sought to know what action the Maharashtra government had taken on demands made here to make Marathi compulsory in schools.

In his response, Tawde said, “The proposal is under consideration of the government.”

Later speaking to reporters, Tawde said making Marathi compulsory in all schools was “difficult”.

MLAs lifted Speaker’s mace as last resort: NCP

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Afternoon Voice

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November 20, 2018

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Tuesday said the Opposition MLAs lifted the Speaker’s mace in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly as the “last resort” because the state government didn’t take note of the issues such as drought and the Maratha quota raised by them.

NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad also said that Speaker Haribhau Bagde should have adjourned the proceedings immediately after the incident.

Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Assembly on the second day of the Winter Session when the members of the Congress and the NCP lifted the mace and tore papers while demanding that the report of the state backward classes commission on the Maratha quota be tabled immediately.

“Lifting of mace is an insult to sovereignty of the House. Opposition legislators lift the mace as a last resort when their demands are not heard.

“Today, the Opposition members raised serious issues like the government’s approach regardingreservations and drought,” Awhad told reporters.

He said the proceedings of the House continued for 10-15 minutes even after the mace was lifted.

“This is the insult of the Speaker and to sovereignty of the House. This attitude of the government is a blot on democracy,” he alleged.

Identify afresh illegal shrines in Nashik: HC tells civic body

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Afternoon Voice

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November 20, 2018

The Bombay High Court has directed the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) to carry out a fresh exercise of identifying unauthorised religious structures in the city and follow the procedure laid down for it by the Maharashtra government.

The state government had issued a resolution on May 5, 2011 for regularisation of unauthorised religious shrines.

As per the government resolution (GR), the constructions carried out after September 29, 2009 are to be demolished.

Religious structures constructed before that will be categorised as those which could be regularised, those which create obstacles to traffic and hence cannot be regularised, and the third category of those which could be relocated to another suitable place.

The GR had laid down a specified procedure to be followed before deciding which structure needs to be regularised, demolished or relocated.

As per the GR, a committee had to be set up at the corporation and district council levels to undertake the exercise.

Two Nashik residents — Vinod Thorat and Kailas Deshmukh — approached the high court challenging the city civic body’s decision to issue notices of demolition to 530 unauthorised religious structures in August this year.

The petition claimed that the NMC had not followed the due procedure laid down in the GR and failed to give opportunity to the stakeholders concerned.

The corporation should have also issued a list of religious structures that would face demolition in newspapers before issuing demolition notices as mandated in the GR, the petition said.

The corporation in its defence said a list of 530 religious structures was put up on websites of the NMC and the Nashik police. An advertisement about this was also published in prominent newspapers in February 2016.

A division bench of Justices B R Gavai and M S Karnik earlier this month accepted contentions of the petition and noted that the GR mandated that the entire list of those religious structures that face demolition has to be published in prominent newspapers.

“Mere release of a press note in the newspaper that the list of structures categorised can be found on the website of the corporation is not sufficient compliance of the GR,” the court said.

It noted that the civic body arrived at the decision that 530 structures were constructed after September 29, 2009 without offering an opportunity to stakeholders to counter the claim and prove that the structures were constructed prior to that date.

“…therefore the corporation’s decision is in violation of the mandatory procedure prescribed in the GR,” the court said.

The high court directed the civic body’s committee to identify structures constructed prior and post September 29, 2009 afresh and by following the procedure laid down in the GR.

After this exercise, the corporation shall submit list of those structures that face demolition in prominent newspapers and invite objections to the same.

The civic body shall hear the objections and then take a final decision in a period of three months thereafter, the court said.

The bench, however, clarified that the structures located on footpaths or public roads and obstructing traffic shall be demolished and will not be covered under this order.

Amitabh Bachchan pays off loans of 1398 UP farmers

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Afternoon Voice

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November 20, 2018

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has helped farmers of Uttar Pradesh by paying off their loans.

The 76-year-old actor paid off loans of 1398 farmers from the state, that amounted to over Rs 4.05 crore.

He shared the news in his blog where he wrote, “Gratitude leans across to the desire of removing some of the burdens that farmers continue to suffer from…

“It was Maharashtra first, when over 350 farmers loans were taken care of… now its UP and 1398 of them that had out standings of loans on banks has been done with an outlay of 4.05 crore… and the inner peace it generates when the desired is completed.”

Bachchan has also personally arranged for 70 selected farmers to travel to Mumbai and receive their bank letters.

Vaishno Devi pilgrim from Maha dies in Katra

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Afternoon Voice

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November 20, 2018

A 70-year-old pilgrim from Maharashtra died after falling unconscious in Katra, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Pradeep Ashok Shah, a resident of Sholapur, who had reached Katra to pay obeisance at the famous shrine along with family, fell unconscious while travelling in a three wheeler Monday evening, they said

He was immediately rushed to a nearby community health centre, where doctors declared him brought dead, police officials said.

His body would be handed over to family members after completion of legal formalities, the official said.

Death toll reaches 6 in ammunition factory blast

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Afternoon Voice

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November 20, 2018

At least six people died in the explosion at Pulgaon Army depot in Wardha on Tuesday, officials said.

The deceased include an ammunition factory employee and three labourers.

The blast occurred at 7 am on Tuesday morning at the Army depot while unloading ammunition of 23mm at the demolition ground at the CAD, Pulgaon. The demolition ground was given to Ordnance Factory, Khamaria for their demolition activities. The blast occurred during the disposal process.

“While carrying out the demolition of old explosives by the staff of Ordnance Factory Khamaria, Jabalpur at the demolition land in Pulgaon there was an accident. In the incident, three labourers and one staff of ordnance lost lives,” said BB Pande, Defence PRO.

Ensure not even a single Congress candidate is elected: Modi

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Afternoon Voice

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November 20, 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked people to vote intelligently in the November 28 Assembly poll, asking them to ensure that “not even a single Congress candidate” is elected.

Addressing a poll rally here, Modi reminded voters that Madhya Pradesh has a “double-engine” as BJP is in power in the state and the Centre.

Targeting the Nehru-Gandhi family, Modi said, “History proves that no dynasty prevails after its fourth generation rule in Delhi and Congress will also meet the same fate”.

Modi urged people to think for a moment before voting about what Congress has done for them compared to 15 years of BJP rule in the state.

Asking people to be active participants in development process, Modi said, “If people work for 10 hours, then I will work for 11 hours for the country’s progress”.

Modi credited Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with developing the state. “He is in power for the last 15 years but effectively got only four and a half years as during rest of the period, the state always fought with the Centre for its rights in the UPA-led regime at the Centre, he said.

“In 55 years (of Congress rule), only 30 MW green energy was generated (in the state) while in our 15-year rule, 4,000 MW renewable energy is being generated,” he said.

Is fear of CBI delaying formation of ‘maha gathbandhan’, asks Shivpal Yadav

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Afternoon Voice

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November 20, 2018

The Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), a newly floated political outfit, on Tuesday suggested that opposition parties were delaying the formation of a “maha gathbandhan” due to the fear of the CBI.

“Why are they delaying the formation of the maha gathbandhan. Who do they fear? Are they afraid of the CBI,” the party’s founder, Shivpal Yadav, posed at a press conference.

His remarks came a day after Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu announced in Kolkata, following a meeting with Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, that a planned conclave of opposition parties for November 22 has been postponed.

Responding to a question, he ruled out the possibility of tying up with the BJP, either in the Lok Sabha or assembly elections.

“I had earlier said that they (non-BJP parties) should call me, talk to me. We want 50 per cent of the seats. To remove the BJP from power, we are with them (anti-BJP forces) and will remain with them, but we want 50 per cent seats. Include us,” he said.

While Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha seats, the strength of the state Assembly is 403.

The PSPL founder said, “The party which we have formed has permission of ‘Netaji’ (Mulayam Singh Yadav). And, let me tell you, we have been blessed by Netaji and will continue to be blessed by him. I have been with Netaji since childhood and hence I know him more than you (media).”

He also said that his nascent party will organise grand celebrations across the state to mark the birthday of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and a dangal (wrestling tournament) will be organized in Saifai — the ancestoral village of the Yadav family.

Mulayam, who will turn 79, was a wrestler before he took a plunge into politics in 1967.

After falling out with nephew and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav after a bitter family feud, Shivpal Yadav launched the Samajwadi Secular Morcha (SSM) on August 29 and announced his new political party last month after it was registered with the Election Commission.

Shivpal also announced that on December 9 his PSPL and Bahujan Mukti Party, a Dalit outfit, will organise a joint rally here on “Samvidhan Bachaao, EVM Hataao, Desh Bachaao”.

Delhi court awards death penalty to Yashpal Singh in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case

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Afternoon Voice

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November 20, 2018

A Delhi court on Tuesday awarded death penalty to convict Yashpal Singh for killing two men in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the first capital punishment in the case.

Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Pandey also awarded life term to co-convict Naresh Sherawat in the case.

The verdict pronounced in the Tihar Jail due to security concerns and attack on the convicts on the premises of the Delhi court.

On November 14, the court had convicted Singh and Sherawat for killing two men here during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots — the first conviction in the cases reopened by the SIT.

The Delhi Police had closed the case in 1994 for want of evidence. However, a Special Investigation Team on the riots reopened it.