1. Sena, NCP, Congress to Finalise Power-Sharing Pact
The three major parties in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi are expected finalise their power-sharing pact in the next two-three days until the swearing-in ceremony is held on 28 November.
While Uddhav Thackeray will lead the government as the chief minister (CM), the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) each will have a deputy chief minister in the cabinet.
The Congress and NCP have appointed Balasaheb Thorat and Jayant Patil respectively as their legislative party leaders and both are expected to be the deputy chief ministers. The NCP has not yet revealed whether Ajit Pawar would be a minister in the cabinet.
The parties have not finalised the number of ministerial berths to be shared between them.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. Maharashtra Lawmakers to Take Oath at Special Assembly Session
Pro-tem speaker Kalidas Kolambkar will administer oath to the 288 newly-elected lawmakers at a special session of the Maharashtra legislative assembly on Wednesday, an official said on Tuesday.
The special session of the assembly called by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari will begin at 8 am. Kolambkar of the BJP was appointed pro-tem speaker by Governor Koshyari on Tuesday evening.
The political impasse in the state had prevented the newly-elected members from taking oath even more than a month after the results of the assembly elections were announced.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. Three Arrested for Sand Mining in Thane Reserved Forest
The Maharashtra forest department arrested three people for illegal sand mining inside a reserved forest, near Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary, in Thane district on Monday.
In a seven-hour operation, a team of 15 forest officers from Shahpur division nabbed Gurunath Vagh, 32; Khandu Vagh, 23; and Dnyaneshwar Mukane, 26, from Khardi territorial forest zone. The officers seized three tractors and 2.5 brass sand (approximately 10,000 kg) during the operation.
“This is a large seizure from a territorial reserved forest zone where sand mining is completely prohibited,” said Prashant Deshmukh, range forest officer, Khardi. “While the confiscated sand is worth ₹20,000, the tractors are worth ₹2.5 lakh.”
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Guv Missing at 163rd Convocation of Mumbai University
The 163rd convocation of Mumbai University that saw 1.7 lakh students graduating from its portals lost some of its sheen with the governor, who is the chancellor of state universities, skipping the event.
B S Koshiyari was to preside over the ceremony and hand out medals and certificates to the graduating students, but he could not make it for the event. Vice-chancellor Suhas Pednekar presided over the function.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Rusty Society Gate Falls on 3 Guards, Kills 1
A 36-year old security guard who was employed at NRI Complex, Seawoods Estate (Phase 2) in Nerul was killed and two colleagues sustained injuries after a metal gate accidentally came off its hinges and fell on them on Tuesday around 10am.
Rajesh Khushwaha (36), who hails from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, is survived by his wife, a married daughter and two sons aged 12 and 10.
The injured guards are Pappulal Goswami (19) and Chotulal Goswami (23).
Senior inspector of NRI coastal police station said, “Gate one, which collapsed on the three guards, was closed for a month as road concretisation work was going on, on the premises. Gate two was being used for entry and exit. As gate one was reportedly rusted and needed repairs, it was tied up and kept closed. On Monday morning, after the work was over, eight security guards were opening the heavy entrance gate, when it dislocated and collapsed. Three guards came under it.”
(Source: The Times of India)