1. 30,000 Maharashtra Farmers March to Mumbai, Plan to Block Access to State Legislature Bldg
Around 30,000 farmers, led by the Maharashtra unit of the farmers’ outfit Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha (ABKS), are marching towards Mumbai to block access to the state legislature building from Monday until their demands are met.
The farmers’ march, which started in Nashik on Wednesday, reached Thane district’s Shahapur town on Thursday. They are planning to reach Mumbai by Sunday evening. The protest is likely to create trouble for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government as budget session of the state legislature is underway.
Farmers in the state, who are struggling to cope with the agrarian crisis and natural calamities, are demanding the proper implementation of the loan waiver package announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in 2017, the implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, and protesting the government’s, what they call, anti-farmer policies.
Source: The Hindustan Times
2. BJP MP’s ‘regressive’ Bill Slammed by Activists
The Supreme Court upheld Hadiya’s marriage to Shaf in Jahan on Thursday in the Kerala ‘love jihad’ case, enabling her to finally live with her husband. Perhaps alarmed at the prospect of more 18-year-old women being inspired by Hadiya and choosing their husbands themselves, the BJP MP from North Mumbai introduced a private member’s bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, seeking to raise the age at which a woman can marry – if the marriage does not have her parents’ consent.
MP Gopal Shetty introduced the private member’s bill on Friday, seeking amendments to Section 4 of the Special Marriage Act, 1954, to raise the age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 if the adult woman is marrying without her parent’s consent. However, Shetty feels there should be no change in the marriage age if the union is taking place with the consent of the adult woman’s parents.
Opposition parties and activists have slammed the move, saying it exposes the ruling BJP’s regressive mindset.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
3. Man Held for Molesting German Tourist
A 52-year-old man was arrested early on Friday for allegedly molesting and threatening a German woman at his residence in south Mumbai. The woman, who arrived in the city only three days ago, was a guest at his house. The Marine Drive police registered an FIR against the man and later a court remanded him in their custody till March 12. He denied the charges.
According to the woman’s statement, she became acquittanced with him on Facebook, and he invited her to Mumbai after she said she wanted to visit India.
The south Mumbai resident offered her accommodation, but things went wrong on Thursday night. “The woman alleges he touched her inappropriately at his house. She called her friend, who advised her to dial 100,” an officer said. The woman later lodged a complaint.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
4. 3 Dead as 40 Blasts Rock Chemical Factory Near Mumbai, Tremors Felt 12km Away
At least three people were killed and 15 injured when a series of blasts and a fire ripped through a chemical plant of a pharmaceutical company in Maharashtra’s Boisar near Mumbai late on Thursday.
According to preliminary reports, the blasts occurred in 25 drums containing 200 litres each of solvent at Novephene Specialities’ plant in Boisar MIDC at around 11:15 pm.
Three unidentified bodies were found in nearby factory of Arti Drugs when firemen entered the premises for cooling operations, Palghar SP Manjunath Singe said.
The 15 injured, three of whom are critical, have been admitted in three hospitals in Boisar, Singe said, adding that the number of casualties could go up.
Palghar district collector Prashant Narnaware, who reached the site early on Friday, said 40 blasts heard from the plant. Police, fire, revenue and health personnel were at the spot carrying out rescue operations.
Source: The Hindustan Times
5. Maharashtra Budget 2018-19 | Highlights: ₹7,502 Cr Approved for Bandra-Versova Sea Link
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government presented its fourth budget in the legislature on Friday afternoon.
Burdened as it was with the farm loan waiver and commitment towards implementing the Seventh Pay Commission for state employees, state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar’s budget remained loaded with populist measures, though with limited allocations. The focus: farmers and youth, the two disgruntled segments in the state.
He also provided for big-ticket projects such as the Bandra-Versova sea link and Chief Minister’s pet project, the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway.
Source: The Hindustan Times
6. Bombay High Court to State: Inform About Steps Against Pesticide Poisoning
Taking note of rising cases of deaths of farmers in the state due to pesticide poisoning, the Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to inform the court about steps taken to check this. A bench of Justices, Naresh Patil and Anuja Prabhudessai said that the government must create awareness on use of excessive pesticide or spurious pesticides among farmers in the rural areas. The bench suggested that the state must involve gram panchayats and gram sabhas in such awareness programmes.
The bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by an NGO from the city seeking directions for prohibiting use of excess pesticides by farmers, use of chemicals by retailers for ripening fruits and vegetables, and the use of antibiotics and growth hormones for poultry. The petition had also sought a complete ban on sale of genetically-treated chicken and chicken containing antibiotics by some fast food retailers.
The bench directed the concerned authorities to also submit whether there existed any prescribed regulations to check against the use of antibiotics by poultry farmers.
Source: The Indian Express
7. Removal of Illegal Hoardings: Bombay HC Warns State, Municipal Corporations With Contempt Action for Non-Compliance
The Bombay High Court on Friday warned municipal corporations and the state government stating that it would initiate contempt action against them unless there was substantial compliance to the court’s orders related to removal of illegal hoardings. “We find that most of the corporations have not complied with the court’s directions. We give one last opportunity to all parties, including the state, to file an affidavit by April 4. Thereafter, the same will be examined on April 13. If we find that substantial compliance has not been made then action under Contempt of Courts Act will be initiated,” said Justice A S Oka.
A division bench of Justice A S Oka and Justice A A Sayyed was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by NGO Janhit Manch alleging that political parties and their members put up illegal hoardings, banners and posters in the state.
In January last year, the court had passed several orders in the matter saying that it was time for the Election Commission of India and the State Election Commission to step in, especially in terms of formulating a policy related to display of such hoardings etc.
Source: The Indian Express
8. Collector Wipes Out Hsg Society’s Bank Balance Over Dues
A housing society in Andheri (West) finds itself with no money to pay security guards or fix the lift as the suburban Collector has ordered a bank to transfer all their money to the government due to alleged default of dues.
The Harshawardhan Co-operative Housing Society on a government layout in Juhu-Versova Link Road had a total of Rs 16.7 lakh in its account with the Versova branch of the Greater Bombay Cooperative Bank. The account was not just frozen by the Tehsildar but all the amount was ordered to be transferred to the state government’s account through a Demand Draft (DD).
In June last year, the society, which houses 25 families, got a notice from the Tehsildar saying the society had to pay over Rs 83 lakh as development dues. Ajay Munjhal, the society’s treasurer, said that they replied to the Collector’s notice and also paid the principal amount of Rs 28.7 lakh.
They contested the remaining amount, which was for taxes, penalties and interest. According to officials, if any society refuses to pay dues despite repeated notices, revenue officials can freeze bank accounts and force the bank to transfer money, unless there is a stay order.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
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