1. CR Starts Shifting CST Offices for Museum
The plans to set up a rail museum inside the heritage wing of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus are moving at a brisk pace with Central Railway asking some departments functioning there to relocate.
About 400 employees work in the groundplus-two building, a world heritage site famous for its stone dome, turrets, and pointed arches.
Staff members in the offices of the principal chief engineer and principal chief personnel officer on the first floor have been asked to move into the traffic accounts building near the station’s platform number 7. The department of CR chief public relations officer will be relocated from the ground floor of the heritage wing to the second.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
2. Key ’93 Blasts Conspirator Takla Arrested in Delhi
On the run for 25 years, Mohammed Farooq Mansoor, alias Farooq Takla, a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, was extradited from UAE and has been remanded in CBI custody till March 19.
Twenty-five years after the 1993 serial bomb blasts claimed 257 innocent lives in what was still known as Bombay, the CBI arrested accused No 196, Mohammed Farooq Mansoor, alias Farooq Takla, a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, on Thursday.
Dawood Ibrahim masterminded the serial blasts, along with Tiger Memon and Mohammed Dossa. Takla was extradited from UAE on March 8, from where he had provided logistical support to other accused before and after the blasts. On Thursday, he was produced before a judge and remanded in CBI custody till March 19.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
3. Maharashtra Assembly Bill Pushes for Redevelopment of Dilapidated Buildings
In a bid to push redevelopment of dilapidated buildings, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Thursday approved a legislation for modification to the four-decade old Maharashtra Apartment Ownerships Act. As per the amendments, repairs and reconstruction of dilapidated buildings or a complex of buildings, containing a number of individually-owned apartments, can now be undertaken with 51 per cent consent from apartment owners. The original provision was for seeking consent of all apartment owners.
“It has been observed that certain buildings covered by the same Act though require reconstruction and redevelopment. But it is not possible to undertake such reconstruction as the consent of all the members of the association of apartment owners is required. It has been also noticed that if such buildings are not reconstructed or redeveloped in time, there is a likelihood of risk and difficulties. Therefore, it is considered expedient to amend the said act suitably,” states the legislation.
To ensure the relaxed provision is not mis-utilised, the government has introduced a rider that the provision would become applicable only for such buildings, which have been declared dilapidated by the local body or the town planning agency.
Source: The Indian Express
4. Congress Leader Patangrao Kadam Remains on Ventilator
Congress leader Patangrao Kadam remains on ventilator support in Lilavati Hospital, Bandra, for the third day even as the hospital management claimed his condition has witnessed improvement.
The 72-year-old politician was admitted in the hospital for renal condition. His condition has remained poor for last three months.
On Monday, the former Forest Minister was shifted on ventilator support due to kidney dysfunction. “His condition has improved a little bit, but there is no significant change. He remains on ventilator,” said Dr Ravi Shankar, chief operating officer at the hospital.
Source: The Indian Express
5. 'Phatka' Attacks Drop After RPF Deploys Decoy Teams on Tracks
Deployment of decoy teams on Western Railway (WR) has resulted in a sharp decline of ‘phatka gang’ attacks on passengers. Officials have recorded only four cases in the past fifteen days, as against a yearly average of three such robberies per week reported last year.
“No cases of phatka robberies have been reported between Bandra and Mahim stations which was earlier most notorious for the problem. But now, we are witnessing a change in trend from midway phatka attacks to those at platforms,” said Chief Security Commissioner of RPF, AK Singh.
To curb the menace of phatka gangs, Railway Protection Force (RPF) had formed a team of 22 men who would disguise themselves as drug addicts and truck drivers and position themselves adjacent to the railway track. The undercover cops, who were posted at seven most notorious spots along the stretch between Mahim and Khar, successfully arrested perpetrators of four robbery attempts.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
6. Five Killed in Vehicle Pile-Up on Mumbai-Goa Highway
Five persons were killed in a vehicle pile-up on Mumbai-Goa highway near Mahad in Raigad district on Thursday morning -- four were charred to death when a truck and trailer rammed into each other and one person riding a two-wheeler was killed when he crashed into the trailer.
According to the police, a truck loaded with tiles was going towards Goa from the Mumbai side. As it was crossing Mauje Loner village around 5.40 am, it collided head on with an empty trailer that was coming from the opposite direction.
Both the vehicles caught fire just after the accident and two persons from each of them were charred to death.
Around the same time a speeding two-wheeler, which was passing that stretch, rammed into those vehicles and then it came under the rear side of the trailer. Tushar Gawde, who was driving the two-wheeler, suffered severe injuries on his head and other parts of his body. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but was declared dead there. Gawde, 26, was a resident of Vadgaon, a nearby village.
Source: The Hindustan Times
7. Pressure on Uddhav to Follow TDP Example
With the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ministers pulling out of the NDA government at the Centre, a large section of Shiv Sena leaders urged party president Uddhav Thackeray to up the ante against the BJP. While the Sena hasn’t taken any call yet, senior Sena leaders said that Uddhav was mulling over the possibility of asking Anant Geete, the lone Sena minister in the Modi government, to step down. However, a Sena functionary close to Matoshree said that no such call had been taken so far.
Uddhav held a meeting of party leaders on Thursday morning where some of those present reportedly suggested that the party should take an aggressive stand and ask Geete to step down.
Rajya Sabha MP and Sena Spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that after Naidu asked the TDP ministers to resign from the Union cabinet, other parties too will walk out of NDA. Raut said that the party had expected this to happen. “Other parties have walked out of NDA too. Allies no longer have good relations with BJP,” Raut said. Last week, Naidu had even called up Uddhav and the two NDA allies exchanged views on the BJP’s attitude towards partners, said Sena sources. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee too has been dialling Matoshree and vice versa over the last few months, the sources added.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
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