In view of allegations that sub-standard ‘chikki’ was supplied to government schools in Maharashtra, the state told the Bombay High Court that a new policy has been formed which sets out procedures to be followed before purchasing such items.

Advocate General Shrihari Aney informed a division bench of justices V M Kanade and Revati Mohite Dere that a government resolution dated October 30 has been issued setting up a policy ‘Manual of Office Procedure for Purchase of Stores by Government Department’.

“Under the policy several categories have been formed setting out procedures that will have to be followed by the state departments before purchasing any items. Financial constraints have been set so as to reduce any allegation of corruption,” Aney said.

As per the policy, the process of e-tendering has been made compulsory for any and every purchase.

“If the purchase is between Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 50,000 per annum then e-tenders will have to be issued. If the purchase is between Rs. three lakh to Rs. one crore then quotations will have to be called before issuing tenders,” Aney said.

He added that before any purchase is made prior approval of the state government is a must.

“Proposals for any purchase will have to be submitted before February 15 every year and the same will have be sanctioned by the government before March 15. No sanctions will be given after March 15,” the advocate general said.

The HC was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Sandeep Ahire and others seeking an inquiry by a retired High Court judge into the alleged Rs 206 crore ‘chikki scam’, for which Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde had come under fire.

The court today sought to know if any inquiry was set up by the government in the alleged ‘chikki scam’ to which Aney said no inquiry as such was ordered but the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration had conducted checks on the quality of the ‘chikki’ and found it to be fine.

The court has now posted the petition for hearing on December 10.

Opposition Congress demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself should visit the drought-affected districts of Maharashtra, alleging that the relief measures were ineffective.

Leader of opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said a Central team’s tour of the drought-affected districts from Wednesday would not serve any purpose.

“Three Central teams have visited the state earlier and nothing has been done for the state which has seen suicides of nearly 3,000 farmers this year,” the Congress leader said.

“Prime Minister is done with the Bihar polls and the UK tour. At least now he will have the time to listen to the grievances of farmers,” said Vikhe Patil.

Vikhe Patil said he had sought details from the government about how many students in the drought- affected districts had to give up the studies because of inability to pay the fees.

“Cotton production has declined this year and the government has set up only 21 procurement centres. Farmers are not bringing their produce to these centres,” he said, adding that despite the assurance to set up more procurement centres for soybean, maize and cotton, nothing happened.

The BJP-led government lacked the willpower to bring down the prices of essential commodities, Vikhe Patil alleged.

State NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said his party had asked its district units to ascertain the ground reality of relief.

Reports would be submitted to him within eight days, he said.

“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sent a reply to (NCP president) Sharad Pawar’s letter about the drought relief. The CM’s letter speaks about how the situation is improving after his government’s efforts. We have asked our district units to check whether the water supply by tankers has stopped and whether the youths are going to schools and colleges,” he said.

A woman officer, who was posted on deputation at a Special Branch unit of Mumbai Police, was dismissed for levelling false allegations against her colleagues and seniors.

State Director General of Police (DGP) Pravin Dixit has dismissed Sujata Warane, who was posted on deputation at K unit of Special Branch (SB-1) here, from service on November 11, DCP (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni said.

The officer was designated as chief intelligence officer in SB-1 that deals with dispatch of files and applications from the branch, Kulkarni said.

“There were several complaints against the officer by her colleagues and seniors that she behaved rudely, insulted and abused them on various occasions,” the officer said.

A departmental inquiry was initiated against Warane, which found that in one such incident which took place between February 2010 and October, 2011 period, the officer had abused and insulted one of her senior officers Chandrakant Bhosale and an inspector by passing comments referring to their caste, Kulkarni said.

It was also found that Warane in her personal police diary had falsely written that she was abused by her colleagues, he said.

After the inquiry, Warane was dismissed for behaviour against the disciplined force, the DCP said.

A special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court adjourned the trial in the journalist J Dey murder case till November 23 after it was told by Mumbai Police that the state government has handed over all cases against underworld don Chhota Rajan to CBI.

“The case is adjourned on the ground that the government has handed over (J Dey) case to CBI. The copy (of notification) is not yet received and defence (advocate) has no objection. In view thereof (the case) is adjourned to November 23 for recording of evidence,” observed MCOCA Special Judge A L Pansare during proceedings in the case.

The court directed Mumbai Police to produce the copy of the notification at the earliest.

However, the judge sought to know if the entire trial is transferred or further investigation is transferred to CBI.

“CBI may carry out further investigation but what about the present trial,” the court asked.

“Make an application why the trial should not proceed, there should be some reason,” the judge said when Assistant Police Commissioner Sunil Deshmukh told the court that the case has been transferred to CBI.

When Deshmukh submitted that since the case has been taken over by CBI, the matter has to go to the special CBI court, judge Pansare said that CBI court notification was not required.

“No law says that CBI-investigated case has to go to CBI court,” the judge said.

Rajan was arrested at Bali airport on October 25 on the basis of an Interpol Red Corner notice after he reached there from Australia. He was deported to India on November 6.

On the eve of his deportation, the Maharashtra government had handed over all the cases against the underworld don to CBI because of its expertise in “handling transnational crimes”.

The number of Mumbai local train first class passengers, who travel ticket less or do not take tickets corresponding to the class or length of their journey, has come down significantly in the last six months, a senior Central Railway (CR) official said.

The total number of first class passengers, who were caught holding second class tickets, were over-journeying, or were ticket less, in the Mumbai suburban trains dropped from 5,584 in April to 3,304 in October this year, he said.

In the April 2015-October 2015 period, a total of 25,911 first class passengers were booked by the CR and fine of Rs. 94.43 lakh was collected from them, he said.

Of these 25,911 cases, 18,186 passengers were travelling either ticket less or without a valid ticket, while 7,725 commuters were found over-journeying.

“We were receiving many complaints about lower class ticket holders travelling in higher class compartments. Hence, we launched a ticket-checking drive,” the official said.

“We undertook ticket-checking at all the major stations, including CST, Byculla, Dadar, Kurla, Thane, Kalyan, Mulund, Bhandup, Titwala, Badlapur, etc,” he apprised.

Upon confrontation, most of the defaulters said they were forced to enter first class compartments because second class compartments were overcrowded, the official said, adding they were penalised under relevant sections of the Railway Act.

Railway activist Anees Khan said, “The menace of ticket less passengers or those not carrying valid tickets has been on a rise. It’s good that the railway officials have started paying heed to the problem. We hope that punitive action against such passengers continues in future as well.”

Noted historian Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare has lauded Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for announcing to set up Sena supremo late Balasaheb Thackeray’s memorial.

The memorial will be developed by Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), which is currently ruled by the MNS.

“Raj Thackeray is not only a politician but also a good artist. Hence, the memorial which will be built under his supervision will be a source of inspiration for not only our state but for the entire country,” Purandare said.

Purandare had accompanied Thackeray on Monday in the city during their visit to the memorial site.

Mayor Ashok Murtdak, NMC officials and MNS corporators were present.

Thackeray had earlier this year had announced to set up a memorial for Balasaheb Thackeray.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday warned political parties of contempt action for putting up illegal hoardings, posters and banners across Maharashtra despite an undertaking given by them that they would not do so.

The court was hearing two PILs alleging that political parties, in total disregard to the rules and laws, had put up illegal hoardings and banners all over the state thereby defacing private and public properties in the towns and cities.

Justices Abhay Oka and Gautam Patel said the parties had violated their own undertakings by erecting hoardings and banners without permission of the authorities and despite notices issued to them by the court commissioners appointed to check this practice.

“It is painful to hear that despite assurances such practice continues… We will take stern action against the concerned by passing an order on November 20,” the judges said while going through the reports submitted by various commissioners appointed by the high court to stop this.

Adjourning the matter until then, the bench said it was inclined to issue contempt notices to various political parties and municipal bodies which had failed to remove illegal hoardings, banners and posters.

One petition was filed by Bhagwanji Riyani of Janhit Manch and the other by SuSwaraj Foundation.

Earlier, NCP, Congress, Shiv Sena and MNS had filed separate undertakings in affidavits to the high court assuring that their workers would not put up such illegal hoardings, posters and banners.

In response to high court orders, the political parties had even issued advertisements in local newspapers asking their party workers to refrain from putting up posters without permission of authorities.

Riyani argued today that several political parties had put up illegal hoardings and banners all over Mumbai on the occasion of Chaat puja, thereby defying the earlier orders of the high court.

He pleaded that contempt action should be taken against the parties concerned and guilty officers of municipal bodies who failed to check this illegal act.

The petitions claimed that political parties were not taking permission from the local authorities to put up hoardings and banners and thus did not pay the necessary charges.

Moreover, after erecting such illegal banners the parties did not remove them for several months thereby violating laws and rules of the local authorities, the PILs added.

In August last year, while hearing the petitions, the high court had appointed nodal agencies to check illegal hoardings all over the state and asked them to take strict action against the guilty.

The bench also ordered senior police inspectors in Mumbai and officers in-charge of police stations concerned outside the city to provide protection to the municipal team which removes such illegal posters and hoardings.

The court had ordered police protection because municipal bodies complained that workers of political parties beat up their staff whenever they moved in to remove such hoardings.