1. BEST Panel Fails To Discuss Strike As Only 3 Members Turn Up
Though the strike by 30,000 employees of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) entered the fourth day on Friday, leading to hardship for lakhs of Mumbaikars, most members of the BEST committee, the policy-making body of the utility, did not seem to be bothered about it.
The committee’s meeting was adjourned due to lack of quorum, as only three of the 17 members along with chairman Ashish Chemburkar were present. BEST officials said a quorum requires at least seven members.
Source: The Hindu
2. ‘Boat To Shivaji Memorial Capsized As Driver Took Shorter, Wrong Route’: Probe Panel
The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), probing the capsizing of a boat carrying a delegation to the Shivaji memorial site on October 24, 2018, has concluded the accident that led to one death was a result of “human error”. MMB will submit the probe report to the government soon.
The private boat, MRM1, mainly carrying political workers to the site off the Mumbai coast, hit a rock near Prongs Reef, as the master [driver] did not follow the channel and took a shorter route, according to MMB officials. “We are finalising the report, but the investigation points at human error. The master of the boat went too close to the reef, which led to the accident. He should have taken the channel and avoided the route he took,” said a senior MMB official, who did not wish to be named.
Source: Hindustan Times
3. Banker-Turned-Politician Meera Sanyal Dies Aged 57
Meera Sanyal, top banker-turned-politician, who contested the Mumbai South seat in the last two Lok Sabha elections, passed away on Friday evening at her South Mumbai residence. She was 57.
The former country head of Royal Bank of Scotland, Sanyal was battling cancer for over two years, and is survived by her husband and two children. Her colleagues from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the funeral would be a private affair.
Sanyal, a rare instance of an accomplished business honcho from Mumbai quitting the rat race to pursue social activism and foray into politics, was the daughter of much-decorated naval officer Vice Admiral Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani. A book she had penned on the adverse effects of the demonetisation of high-value currency notes on the Indian economy, was released just two months ago.
Source: The Hindu
4. After Tigress Avni’s Death, Maharashtra To Stop Hiring Hunters To Kill ‘Problematic’ Animals
Two months after tigress T1, better known as Avni, was put down by hired hunters on suspicions of having turned into a man-eater, the state animal welfare board has decided contract killing of ‘problematic’ animals will no longer be given to recreational or trophy hunters.
A resolution to this effect was passed by the board of 20 members, chaired by BJP MP Poonam Mahajan, during its meeting last month after advocate and member Ambika Hiranandani raised the issue. The information was made public on January 10.
“Maharashtra’s animal welfare board cannot keep silent in the wake of something so serious,” said Hiranandani. “It was unanimously decided that the state needs to ensure such cases are not repeated. More veterinary officers need to be trained to tranquilise and rescue schedule 1 species. No contract killer is to be hired in future instances of human-animal conflict cases.”
Source: Hindustan Times
5. ‘Society Doesn’t Like Women Raising Voice’
All efforts to tame the 92nd Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan failed when the widow of a farmer invited to inaugurate the meet chose to take sides with noted author Nayantara Sahgal to whom the invitation was withdrawn a few days ago.
At the inauguration in Yavatmal on Friday, Vaishali Yede said in her speech, “The society does not like a woman who raises her voice. She (Sahgal) was not called because she speaks and I was called (to inaugurate). But I will speak as well. I have not read literature but I understand humans. The system has killed our husbands. You (writers) write stories, books on our grief and get awards. But we have no value,” she said.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
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