1. State Eyeing Tax on Petrol to Fund Nagpur Expressway
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) which is developing the 710-km Mumbai Nagpur Expressway, also known as Samriddhi Corridor, has proposed to levy surcharge on sale of petrol and diesel in 10 districts from where it passes.
The 10 districts through which this corridor passes are Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ahmadabad, Buldhana, Jalna, Washim, Amravati, Wardha and Nagpur.
MSRDC vice-chairman and managing director Radheshyam Mopalwar said, “This is one of the many proposals which MSRDC has sent to state government for raising funds for the project.”
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
2. 6,000 City Chemists Will Down Shutters Today
Eight lakh chemists across the country, and over six thousand in the city, will down shutters today. The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has called for a one-day strike to protest against the health ministry’s stringent rules to regulate the sale of medicines through an e-portal and to focus attention on the pressure on their margins. The chemists are especially concerned about the government’s e-portal, which will track the movement of drugs from the manufacturer to the retailer, and are against the Centre’s proposal to allow sale of medicines online.
Manufacturers must register on the portal and enter data relating to sale of drugs to distributors – chemists, too, will have to upload details of the patient -- according to the draft of the proposal. The government also wants wholesalers, retailers and e-pharmacies to register on the portal.
The AIOCD, however, said that the e-portal was not a feasible option. “Every manufacturer, retailer and wholesaler will also have to pay 1% of their earning to the government. This is a new imposition,” said Jagannath Shinde, president of AIOCD.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
3. 7 Held After Gau Rakshaks Thrash 3 for Carrying 'Beef'
Seven people were arrested in Washim district after they allegedly beat up three youths on the suspicion of possessing beef. One of the cow vigilantes also recorded the act on his mobile phone and circulated the video on social media.
The incident took place on May 26 in the state’s Rajora village and the seven suspected cow vigilantes were arrested from the village on the same day. The police have also booked the three victims for the possession of “beef”, a police officer said.
As the video of the incident was doing rounds on social media, the police were maintaining a strict vigil to avert any untoward incident during the festive season of Ramzan, Washim Superintendent of Police Mokshada Patil said.
The incident occurred when the three youths were allegedly carrying the meat to sell it in their community for consumption, she said. When some cow vigilantes got wind of this, they went to the village, beat up the youths and shouted slogans, the SP said.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
4. Greedy Crooks Try to Extort Money From Robbery Victim, Get Caught
Even after robbing a businessman of Rs 2.18 lakh a week ago, three miscreants were not satisfied with what they got. To get some more money, one of them started making extortion calls to the victim, which finally landed two of the accused in police custody.
The arrested duo has been identified as Imam Patel (21) and Faruk Patel (33). The crime branch has handed them over to the DN Nagar police for further investigation.
According to the police, the robbery happened on May 23 around 6pm, when the victim was at his office in DN Nagar. The trio entered his office and physically assaulted him. Thereafter, they asked him to give Rs 10 lakh at knifepoint. However, the victim managed to pay R2.18 lakh, after which they fled with the money.
(Source: Mid-Day)
5. Priyanka Chopra Wins Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award
Actress Priyanka Chopra will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award for being an international icon.
The Baywatch star will be given the award under the newly introduced Internationally Acclaimed Actress category.
"Priyanka will be receiving an award in the new category specially introduced for her- Internationally Acclaimed Actress. Priyanka's hard and sincere efforts have helped her place herself on an international platform with grace. She is representing India on a global level and that has made every Indian proud of her work. This compelled us to introduce this fresh category in the awards," said Ganesh Jain, Chairman of Dadasaheb Phalke Academy and Award Committee.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
6. I-T Officer Used 5-Rupee Notes as Signals for 2-Crore Bribe
An income tax officer who was arrested earlier this month in a Rs 2-crore bribery case went about his illegal deeds Bollywood-style, using serial numbers of five-rupee notes as handover signals.
BB Rajendra Prasad, income tax commissioner (appeals; Mumbai), was arrrested on May 2 for accepting a bribe from a corporate house to give it a favourable order in a case pertaining to a trust with which the company is involved.
(Source: Times of India)
7. Gymkhana Can Buy Street Parking Slots
Parking peeves for the members of the elite Bombay Gymkhana will end soon.
The traffic police have issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the club to buy space on the road from the BMC under the latter’s street parking policy. With the NoC in place, the club can now buy parking slots outside its premises along the MG Road for members to station their vehicles.
The NOC, issued by Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), last week, is, however, valid for a trial period of six months.
“The contractor will have to display boards, clearly earmarking the parking slots and stating their number. The contractor will also install a clock at the entry and exit of the parking lot to avoid any malpractices,” the NoC, a copy of which is with Mumbai Mirror, says.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)