1. Shiv Sena’s Verdict on Union Budget: It’s Old Plans Packaged in a New Format
A day after finance minister Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budget, the Shiv Sena, a key constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, took on the government by calling the budget “ordinary”.
In an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana on Friday, the party said the BJP has just packaged old plans in a new format.
Slamming the government over rising inflation, the Sena said Jaitley has made no mention of any measures to tackle inflation. “…there was no mention of the word ‘inflation’ while presenting the budget. A few years ago, the Congress [led] government was thrown out of power because of inflation. The new government had promised that it would tackle inflation, make the lives of people easier. But after destroying the economy with demonetisation, the truth is that the government has nothing to offer to the people,” the Sena said.
Source: The Hindustan Times
2. Mumbai Metro 3 Project: Bombay HC Panel for Trees Notes Poor Care Post Transplantation
Trees transplanted by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) for construction of the Metro 3 project are not receiving proper care, observed the junior tree committee appointed by the Bombay High Court. The committee has recommended that the Tree Authority of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) takes responsibility for the maintenance of the trees.
“From inspections made at the site it seems that the persons authorised by MMRC do not appear to take care of the transplantation at various sites. The authority requests the Hon’ble Committee that the Tree Officers of the Corporation should be entrusted to pursue and see that each tree transplanted is properly looked and maintained. Tree Authority may be directed to check frequently the maintenance of trees by MMRC Authority,” reads the report submitted by the committee, on Thursday, after its fifth inspection.
It states the trees have been transplanted well with “proper care for pruning the branches and displace the tree in proper manner”. But they have raised objections regarding maintenance post transplantation. “It is noticed at some of the transplantation sites that the trees are neglected. Specially the trees at PWD (Government Colony) at Bandra East and at Kandivali Sport Complex, the trees are not watered properly,” the report adds.
Source: The Indian Express
3. Cancer-Stricken Teen Thrashed by ‘Garam Khoon’ Classmate
The assault took place in a prominent school after the two girls, both aged 15, argued during a peace march; cops yesterday summoned accused’s mother.
Parents of a cancer-stricken girl studying in a prominent Mahim school have filed a police complaint saying she was brutally assaulted by her classmate during the school hours over a petty argument. According to the complaint, the girl, 15, a student of Std X, suffered injuries to her private parts and her head, which was repeatedly banged to the wall, by her 15-year-old classmate who accosted her in the school corridor.
The girl told the police that an argument broke out with her classmate during a procession of students on January 30. The students were a part of a peace march, and the girl, who suffers from leukemia, was repeatedly heckled by her classmate to walk briskly, the complaint said.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
4. Fire at Thane-Bound Train in Dadar Station, No Casualty
One of the coaches of a Thane-bound train caught fire while the local was pulling out from platform No. 1 of Dadar station around 9.24 pm on Friday. Some passengers in the fifth coach from Thane’s end saw smoke billowing from under the compartment and raised an alarm.
Nine coaches had already chugged out by then. Though reports said that some passengers jumped off the train, there was no casualty.
Everyone was evacuated. The fire brigade brought the fire, which was declared level II, under control by 10.40 pm. Train services were affected on the Central line for around an hour.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
5. Mumbai: Man Held for ‘Molesting, Stalking’ Veteran Actress
The Juhu police on Thursday arrested a 38-year-old man for allegedly molesting and stalking an actress. The accused was produced in court Friday and remanded in police custody till Sunday, the police said.
Last week, the 66-year-old actress had registered a complaint regarding molestation, stalking and obscene messages. The police said the actress had been in a relationship with the man after meeting him in July 2017 when he helped her out with a plot of land she owns.
Since then, the actress stated in her complaint, the man had created a ruckus several times at her building while being under the influence of alcohol and also sent her obscene and threatening messages.
Source: The Indian Express
6. WR Removes All Bottle Crushers From Stations
Western Railway (WR) has removed 10 bottle crusher units, which were popular among commuters who could avail discount coupons for their plastic waste, citing ‘lack of guidelines’. WR officials said the contracts for the machines had expired and a new contract was yet to be signed.
“As the contract has ended, we cannot allow the machines to function on stations. But renewal and extension of the contract too is impossible under the existing policy. We need to get fresh guidelines from the railway board for the same,” said a senior WR official.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
7. Kamala Mills Fire: Vikhe Patil Seeks Narco Test of All Accused
Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil demanded Narco test of all the accused in the Kamala Mills fire, which had claimed 14 lives on December 29, 2017.
Vikhe Patil, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, in a letter to the Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, said Narco test of all the accused will help nail the political leaders and civic officials, “who are conspirators”.
He said the test should be conducted on the owners of Mojo’s Bristo and 1Above pubs, Kamala Mills compound, ten officials indicted in the civic commissioner’s probe and fire officer Rajendra Patil. He said he was making the demand based on a news report that owners of Mojo’s Bistro and 1Above had reportedly confessed to the police that they had often bribed civic officials whenever they got a notice for illegalities.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
8. Farmer Bodies Threaten Protest Against Budget
Slamming the Union Budget 2018, Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav, on Friday, announced that a nationwide protest will be held from March this year, against the Minimum Support Price (MSP) declared by finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday. Yadav condemned the finance minister for misleading and fooling crores of farmers by not following the MSP formula made by the Swaminathan Commission.
The proposed hike of MSP should have been as per the formula for MSP recommended in 2006 by the National Commission on Farmers, which was led by Dr M S Swaminathan. Yadav demanded clarity from the central government on this. He said, “In technical terms, the Swaminathan formula of MSP is called ‘C2’ but Jaitley has levied another formula which is known as ‘A2+FL’, the latter is not going to help farmers by any means. This budget is nothing but betrayal of farmers,” Yadav said.
Yadav was talking at Mumbai Press Club along with Pratibha Shinde of Lok Sangharsh Morcha and Ravikant Tupkar of Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana among others. The press conference was held to give reactions to budget 2018 which is the last budget of BJP government before the next Lok Sabha election.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
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