Senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil met Maharashtra Election Commissioner J S Saharia and demanded strict action against the BJP for allegedly breaching the election code of conduct in the Kalyan-Dombivili Municipal Corporation polls.

Submitting “detailed proof” of the same, Vikhe also complained to the Commissioner regarding the “partisan role” of KDMC Commissioner Ravindran favouring the BJP.

The Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly also reminded the EC that no action had been taken regarding their previous complaint made against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for violating poll code by declaring Rs 6,500 crore package for KDMC during his Dombivili campaign meeting, when election code of conduct was in effect.

“We all know that Fadnavis is a BJP star campaigner in KDMC polls, but BJP’s specially created Facebook page for KDMC polls blatantly uses KDMC Commissioner E Ravindran’s photo for their campaign, making him their star campaigner too,” Congress MLC from Kalyan, Sanjay Dutt, who accompanied Vikhe to the SEC, said.

“If this is not breach of model code of conduct, then what else is. Why is state EC not taking cognizance and appropriate action in the said matter?

“Is Ravindran a BJP functionary that his photo can be so misused by the BJP in their election campaign? Why is he quiet about it or has he given his silent consent for it. The question is can he,” Dutt asked.

His partisan behavior only reinforces doubts in the minds of people that he is permitting his office to be misused to favour the BJP, he said.

“His (Ravindran’s) action of targeting Congress’ district president and corporator Sachin Pote alone, without proper enquiry, for disqualification on alleged grounds of abetting unauthorised construction, when more than a dozen party corporators (mainly those belonging to BJP and Sena) who have been indicted on similar grounds, have been allowed to go scot-free, clearly proves his bias,” Dutt alleged.

“Congress is committed to seek justice from the highest quarters against such unfair prejudiced conspiracy to deprive our party leader of his fundamental constitutional right to seek public mandate through the democratic process of polls. From their such desperate actions, it is obvious, that the BJP wants to score in KDMC polls, through hook or crook,” he said.

The Bombay High Court issued notice to the Maharashtra government seeking its response on the increasing number of farmer suicides in the state due to drought.

The court took suo moto cognisance of the issue following media reports stating over 600 farmers have committed suicide this year in the state.

“Tell us what steps you are taking and what is the ground level situation,” a bench of justices Naresh Patil and S B Shukre said.

The government pleader informed that counselling rounds are being held for farmers by psychiatrists. He said loans and electricity charges are waived, banks and cooperative societies have been told not to recover loans and water is released for drinking purposes.

The bench said the government must come up with long-term measures to address this socio-economic issue.

The court also sought to know about the condition of the family members of those farmers who have committed suicide.

“Visit them and take note if their grievances,” it said.

The bench appointed senior advocate Ashutosh Kumbhakoni as amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter and posted the hearing on October 8.

Maharashtra government has declared 14,708 villages in the state as drought-hit.

The Bombay High Court suggested that the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner form a team of officers to investigate cases where the sale deeds of flats are prepared on the basis of forged and fabricated documents by builders, and where people are being duped of their money.

A division bench of justices A S Oka and V L Achiliya was hearing two public interest litigations by residents Rajiv Mishra and advocate Mayura Maru raising concerns over illegal constructions in Navi Mumbai.

The bench had last week taken a stern view of the issue and said the police has to initiate criminal action against the builders.

The court was today informed that FIR has been registered and an inquiry is on.

“This is a serious issue. The Navi Mumbai Commissioner should form a team of officers to be headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). We will ask MIDC, Cidco and other civic authorities to inform the police if they come across any illegal construction. The police can then go to the site and see the sale deed agreement. If the documents are forged then criminal action can be taken,” the court said.

The court also suggested that the police can give the public a notice, calling for people to come forward and lodge complaints against builders.

The court has posted the petition for hearing on October 28.

The state government last week informed the court that it was planning to regularise all illegal constructions in Navi Mumbai, and said it will be framing a policy on this soon.

The court had, however, said that even if such a policy is formed it shall not be implemented until the court gives permission.

“The state formed a similar policy for Ulhasnagar. That is still understandable as there were lot of refugee camps there in the past. But not for Navi Mumbai,” the court said.

The Bombay High Court dismissed an application filed by a social worker urging the court to suo motu hear a petition challenging the discharge of BJP president Amit Shah in the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Shaikh.

Justice Anuja Prabhudessai, while dismissing the application filed by Rajesh Kamble, observed that he was not an aggrieved party in the case and, hence, has no ‘locus’.

Kamble filed the intervening application after Sohrabuddin’s brother Rubabuddin Shaikh moved a plea to withdraw a petition he had filed earlier challenging a special CBI court’s order discharging Amit Shah from the charges levelled against him.

In his application, Kamble claimed that even if the applicant (Rubabuddin) wants to withdraw his petition, the court can continue hearing the case suo motu (on its own).

Another social activist Harish Mandal made an oral plea to the court seeking to intervene in the case. The Judge, however, refused to hear him.

The HC yesterday gave one month’s time to Rubabuddin to think again on withdrawing his petition.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) MI-17 chopper on Wednesday made an emergency landing at the Bandra Kurla Complex following a technical snag, a Defence spokesperson said. “A MI-17 aircraft of the IAF was on a routine training sortie during which it developed a technical snag,” he said.

He said the aircraft carried out a precautionary landing at the Bandra Kurla complex in suburban Mumbai this afternoon. “The aircraft and all the four passengers on board are safe while a technical support team has been dispatched to the spot to assess the aircraft,” the spokesperson added.

Rich tributes were paid in Mumbai on Wednesday on the Police Commemoration Day to policemen who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, Director General of Police (DGP) Praveen Dixit, Mumbai Police Commissioner Ahmad Javed, city Mayor Snehal Ambekar were among others who attended the event.

“We would not allow their sacrifice to go without notice. Committed to the cause for which they laid down their lives!” DGP Dixit said.

During the commemoration ceremony, names of over 400 policemen, including 10 from Maharashtra, were read out who sacrificed their lives across the country while on duty.

“The names of police martyrs of state, police and paramilitary forces were read out, to acknowledge with pride the supreme sacrifices made by them,” Mumbai Police spokesman Dhananjay Kulkarni said. He also said that names of those policemen who showed extra-ordinary dedication towards their duty, would be shortlisted and sent for Gallantry medals.

Inspector Manohar Gawale supervised the parade held at Naigaon police headquarters here in which 100 security personnel of Mumbai Police, railway police and SRPF took part.

The history of commemoration day traces back to October 21, 1959, when a patrol party of CRPF, led by Sub-Inspector Karam Singh, was ambushed by the Chinese forces at Hot Springs Laddakh and 10 jawans were killed. It is the commemoration of the bravery and resultant sacrifice of jawans fighting at 16,000 ft altitude in extremely cold conditions and against all odds.

The Annual Conference of Inspectors General of Police of States and Union Territories held in January 1960 decided that October 21 would henceforth be observed as Commemoration Day in all Police Lines throughout the country to mark the memory of those martyred policemen killed in Ladakh and all other police personnel killed on duty during the year.

The debt-ridden Maharashtra government is mulling to dispose of its unused land of commercial value of around Rs. 5,000 crore, after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gave a target of raising Rs. 12,000 crore to give a boost to the state exchequer.

Fadnavis recently chaired a meeting to take stock of the state’s financial status and discussed measures to raise additional revenue.

Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Sudhir Kumar Srivastava and other secretaries were present at the meeting.

According to a senior finance department official, the Chief Minister has given a target of increasing revenue by Rs. 12,000 crore for the current financial year.

“The CM has pointed some sectors through which revenue can be generated. He is in favour of bringing policies that will increase the use of land for residential and non-agriculture purposes,” the official said.

“An additional premium for additional Floor Space Index (FSI) if a developer asks for it, additional premium for additional Transferable Development Rights (TDR) and also additional premium for the change of use land of from agriculture to residential or commercial purposes were the few suggestions made by the Chief Minister,” he said.

An additional revenue of at least Rs. 5,000 crore is expected if these measures are implemented, he said.
Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that a change in the class of lease land will also add revenue of around Rs. 2,000 crore to the state exchequer.

“There are several government-owned lands across the state that are allocated to various trusts or people on a lease basis. If we will change its class from lower class to A class, its rent amount will increase and ultimately, an additional revenue will be generated,” the minister said.

“We are considering to dispose of unused government land having scope of development systematically and in a transparent way. We expect that it will generate at least Rs. 5,000 crore for the state exchequer,” he said.

However, Mungantiwar said there is no need to dispose all government lands.

The state is overburdened with more than Rs. 14,000 crore due to various provisions for drought, LBT and exemption from toll to vehicles, he said.

The CM had in January this year given a special target to road transport, urban development, revenue and housing departments. However, the performance of these four major departments till August end was poor.