Mumbai: No end to impasse as BEST bus strike enters 8th day, all eyes on HC

The high court on Monday said it would pass appropriate orders on Tuesday on the BEST bus strike if the union and state authorities failed to end the deadlock.

BEST Strike : In an unfavourable development for Mumbai's nearly 25-lakh daily bus commuters, the deadlock between BEST workers' union and the Maharashtra government entered eighth day on Tuesday, with both sides failing to reach an agreement before the Bombay High Court to end the stir.

The high court on Monday said it would pass appropriate orders on Tuesday on the BEST bus strike if the union and state authorities failed to end the deadlock, adding that "things cannot continue as they are". (Busniess Standard)

The high court bench also directed the high power committee, constituted by the Maharashtra government last week to negotiate with the striking union, to submit a report in a sealed cover clarifying its views on some of the urgent demands of the union.

The bench has been urging the union, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the state government and BEST undertaking to resolve issues in a "congenial environment" and ensure minimum inconvenience to the public.

The high court has been hearing, since last week, a PIL filed by lawyer Datta Mane urging the court to pass interim orders directing BEST workers to call off the strike immediately.

Over 32,000 employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) are on strike since Tuesday last week and 3,700 buses in its fleet are off the roads.

The employees are demanding higher salaries, merging budget of the loss-making BEST with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), deliberations on new wage agreement, resuming appointments on compassionate grounds and bonus equivalent to that of the civic body employees.

On Monday, the state and the BMC told the bench that while they had proposed several solutions to resolve the issues being faced by the BEST workers, the union was still adamant on not withdrawing the strike.

The advocate general and the BMC's counsel Anil Sakhre told the bench Monday that the authorities were ready to look into the grievance surrounding the pay scale of the junior level employees subject to the strike being called off.

The BEST has a fleet of over 3,200-red-colour buses and also operates in the neighbouring Thane district and Navi Mumbai. It is the second-biggest mode of transport in Mumbai after local trains, which ferry over 80-lakh passengers every day.

With its employees having gone on strike, the cash-strapped BEST is likely to face a loss of Rs 3 crore per day.

Help protect Dilip Kumar's bungalow from land mafia: Saira Banu to PM Modi

She named builder Samir Bhojwani, who has allegedly falsely claimed ownership of two plots in Pali Hill on which Dilip Kumar's bungalow is built.

Veteran actor Saira Banu has reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi begging him for help in tackling the "land mafia" and protecting her husband and legendary star Dilip Kumar's "only house".

Tweeting from Kumar's official Twitter account on Tuesday night, she said Modi was her last hope in the case because repeated entreaties to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had been futile.

She named builder Samir Bhojwani, who has allegedly falsely claimed ownership of two plots in Pali Hill on which Dilip Kumar's bungalow is built.

"To the honourable @PMOIndia Shri @narendramodi. Awaiting for appointment. I'm tired of repeated assurances from CM @Dev_Fadnavis "I Am Trying". Sir you are the last hope of protecting Dilip Sahab's only house from land mafia Samir Bhojwani. I beg (sic)."

Modi was in Mumbai on Tuesday for a day and met producers and actors to discuss issues related to the Hindi film industry but Saira Banu could not meet him.

She said she plans to follow up with the PM on the matter.

"I did not meet the prime minister here as he has been busy. But I have learnt that his office has asked people here to look into the matter. I have tweeted about it.

I will meet him in Delhi if needed. I have no idea how I will follow this up. But I will follow it up," the 74-year-old told PTI on Tuesday.

Fadnavis said on Monday that he will speak to Kumar, 96, and his family to allay their fears over the property issue involving Bhojwani.

Kumar's bungalow is located in the upscale Pali Hill area of Bandra.

Earlier this year, Saira Banu had approached police and lodged a complaint against Bhojwani.

In January, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police registered a case of cheating against the builder for allegedly trying to grab the veteran actor's bungalow.

After the offence was registered, a team of EOW sleuths raided Bhojwani's residence in Bandra from where they seized weapons, including knives and daggers, officials said.

Bhojwani was arrested by EOW in April and has since been released from jail.

Business Standard

Maha stays land acquisition for Nanar refinery after talks with Sena, CM

The Sena, rooted firmly in the Konkan region, has been opposing the project.

The Maharashtra government has stayed the land acquisition process for the controversial Nanar refinery project after consulting the Shiv Sena, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Legislative Assembly Wednesday.

The Sena, a ruling ally of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government, has been opposing the project on the grounds that it is against the interest of the farmers and would destroy ecology in Ratnagiri district in the coastal Konkan region.

"The government has not issued any new notice for land acquisition. After talks with Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, the entire process has been stayed," he said.

The issue came up after Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patiltold the House thatjournalist Alok Deshpande of English daily The Hindu was manhandled by police at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai Tuesday night while covering a protest against the upcoming project.

To this, Fadnavis said he would seek information about the incident and take appropriate action.

Meanwhile, fourpersons, including two women seated in the visitors gallery of the House,were detained by the Vidhan Bhavan security for raising slogans demanding scrapping of the refinery project.

Three Indian oil majors had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on April 11 this year with Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to develop a refinery and petrochemicals complex in the coastal district.

The Sena, rooted firmly in the Konkan region, has been opposing the project.

In April this year, senior Shiv Sena leader and Industries Minister Subhash Desai had announced in Ratnagiri that a government notification for acquiring land for the project in Nanar stood cancelled.

Desai's statement was negated by the chief minister who said that the order had not been cancelled.

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Maharashtra farmers' protest: Thousands begin march from Thane to Mumbai

The participants are mostly from Thane, Bhusawal and Marathwada regions.

Farmer's Protest : Demanding compensation for drought and the transfer of forest rights to tribals, thousands of farmers and tribals began a two-day march from Thane to Mumbai on Wednesday, eight months after a similar protest that started from Nashik.

Magsaysay award winner Dr Rajendra Singh, also known as Waterman of India, is among the marchers. They started walking Wednesday afternoon and will reach the Somaiyya Ground in Mumbai's Sion area where they will halt for the night.

They will reach Azad Maidan in south Mumbai early on Thursday and will try to hold a demonstration near Vidhan Bhawan, where the state legislature session is underway, a leader of the march said.

The participants are mostly from Thane, Bhusawal and Marathwada regions, he said.

The farmers are demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Committee report, which suggested that farmers must have assured access and control over resources such as land and water. They are also demanding an increase in the Minimum Support Price and a judicial system to ensure its implementation.

The farmers, struggling to cope with the agrarian crisis, are demanding proper implementation of the loan waiver package announced by the BJP-led government in the state last year, land rights for farmers and compensation for farm labourers.

"We have been consistently asking the state government to fulfil our long-standing demands but the response has been lukewarm. We are forced to launch this agitation," said Pratibha Shinde, general secretary of Lok Sangharsh Morcha, which is organising the protest.

"We are taking maximum care to ensure that Mumbai citizens are not inconvenienced," Shinde said.

In March, thousands of farmers, led by the Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha, took out a 180 km long march from Nashik to Mumbai in March to press for their demands.

That protest saw a sea of red, formed by farmers in red caps, converge in Mumbai from across Maharashtra.

Business Standard

Shiv Sena attacks Centre for not taking action against MJ Akbar

In the editorial, it also criticised the Maharashtra government's proposal of online sale and home delivery of liquor.

People involved in misconduct towards women are in the Cabinet, Bharatiya Janata Party ally Shiv Sena said Tuesday.

Sena, without naming anyone, attacked at the Centre for not taking any action against Union minister M J Akbar, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment. Several women journalists have come out and accused Akbar, a former newspaper editor and now the Union minister of state for external affairs, of sexually harassing them during his stint as a journalist.

Akbar has rejected the allegations as "false, fabricated and deeply distressing", and also filed a private criminal defamation complaint in a Delhi court Monday against one of journalists who levelled charges against him.

Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana' said, "The BJP (prior to 2014 Lok Sabha polls) had promised food, clothing and shelter to all and also to make a 'moral country'. But people involved in misconduct towards women are in the Cabinet while decisions are taken to encourage alcoholism."

In the editorial, it also criticised the Maharashtra government's proposal of online sale and home delivery of liquor.

It said amid water scarcity in Maharashtra, the state was also suffering from an "intellectual drought".

Excise Minister Chandrakant Bawankule said Sunday the BJP-led government had decided to allow online sale and home delivery of liquor in the state, but later stated that only a proposal for this was received.

The Sena said the government cited two reasons behind such a proposal - that it would bring down cases of drunken driving and check liquor adulteration.

"The state is facing water drought but now it seems there is also an 'intellectual drought'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not made any promise before the Lok Sabha polls of home delivery of liquor," it said.

What is the guarantee that people will not drive after getting drunk at home? it wondered.

"The government is so careful of people that it decided to deliver liquor at their doorsteps. The figures of people dying due to malnutrition and of unemployment are already out. Has the government found home delivery of liquor a solution to this? the Marathi daily taunted.

How much revenue the government will get from such a decision is not known, but the proposal must have been mooted after forging a "deal" with liquor makers, the Sena claimed.

"This is how large amount of funds are raised for election. The BJP's fund raising formula is now open...this has exposed the party's real face," it said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has clarified that there was no proposal to sell liquor online, then why his Cabinet colleague spoke about it? it sought to know.

Business Standard

Maratha reservation: Sambhaji Brigade chief talks about genesis of demand

It looks like the Marathas, unconvinced about the assurances given by Devendra Fadnavis government, are upping the ante.

A bandh was recently observed in different parts of Maharashtra, as part of the series of protests in the ongoing agitation of the Maratha community which is demanding reservation in education and employment sectors. Over the last two years, almost 60 silent marches have been held, all of them peaceful, except for the last few when violence broke out in parts.

It looks like the Marathas, unconvinced about the assurances given by Devendra Fadnavis government, are upping the ante.

The demand itself goes back 34 years. A leader of Mathadis (headloaders) Annasaheb Patil had committed suicide in 1982 over demands for Maratha reservation. The community, which is said to form 33% of Maharashtra’s population is the largest group in the state, enjoys a sizable representation in politics and in the sugar co-operative sector. Even several chief ministers of Maharashtra have been Marathas.

At the same time, it is relatively backward when it comes to the education and employment fronts. Now, community leaders, under the banner of several groups, have been agitating across the state and have been demanding the Other Backward Class (OBC) status along with a 16% quota.

Among the many groups agitating is one of the oldest Maratha organisations, Sambhaji Brigade, known for its radical anti-Brahmanical stand. The organisation’s chief Pravin Gaikwad met The Wire at the office of his construction company on Pune’s MG road recently and discussed several issues including the genesis of the community members’ demands, its history and its apparent backwardness. He says political games are being played out in the name of reservations for the community.

Sukanya Shantha (SS): The agitation demanding reservation has intensified over the past month even after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured he would look into the community’s demand. Is there a sense of distrust among Marathas? If so, what are the reasons for it?

Pravin Gaikwad (PG): Two years ago, when we first started the Maratha Mukh Morcha (silent march), Fadnavis had appeared on a Marathi channel Sahyadri and claimed even if he were to lose chief ministership, he would stand by us and ensure we get what is due. He had agreed to 16% reservation for the community as recommended by the Narayan Rane Committee. But in these two years, he has given only assurances. Our movement is not political, but a socially motivated one. People are losing patience now.

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Maharashtra bandh: Security beefed up, schools and colleges remain open

All departments and affiliated colleges of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad will remain closed today.

Maratha Bandh : Security has been beefed up in Maharashtra as Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups has called for a state-wide bandh on Thursday over reservation issue.

Addressing the media, a leader of the Sakal Maratha Samaj, Amol Jadhavrao said that the state-wide bandh would be observed in a peaceful manner from 8 am to 6 pm. However, the bandh will not be observed in the Navi Mumbai.

ALSO READ: State scan: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis up against Maratha challenge

"We have called for a state-wide bandh on August 9. The bandh will not be observed in Navi Mumbai, due to some sensitive issue. Essential services, schools and colleges have been excluded from the bandh called by us," Jadhavrao said.

He also urged the community members to not commit suicide over the issue and maintain their calm.

Meanwhile, police officials have also been deployed across the state to contain any unpleasant situation. "Adequate police deployment has been done to ensure peaceful bandh," Manjunath Shinghe, Mumbai Police PRO said.

All departments and affiliated colleges of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad will remain closed today in view of the bandh.

The Maratha community has been agitating across the state demanding reservation in government jobs and education. Last month, Maratha Kranti Morcha had taken to streets to press for the community's demand for reservation. Some of its members had also committed suicide during the protest.

Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured that his government will provide reservation to Marthas in accordance with law.

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Maratha Bandh: Internet blocked in Navi Mumbai after clashes, arson

Police on Wednesday evening lobbed teargas shells and used baton-charge in the Kopar Khairane area after a group of protesters stoned vehicles and clashed with local people.

Maratha quota stir : Internet services in the neighbouring Navi Mumbai township have been suspended since early Thursday, a police official said.

The decision was taken in the wake of the situation in areas like Kopar Khairne, which witnessed violence during the Maratha quota agitation on Wednesday, he said.

The situation in Kopar Khairne was still tense, the official said.

Last evening, the police had lobbed teargas shells and used baton-charge in Kopar Khairane area after a group of protesters stoned vehicles, clashed with local people and indulged in arson.

Miscreants had also set fire to a police outpost.

The incidents took place after the Maratha organisations, seeking reservations in government jobs and education, had called off the bandh.

A group of protesters who were returning home last night had hurled stones at vehicles of local people in Kopar Khairane, a police official earlier said.

Later, some members of local communities had gathered at the spot and clashed with protesters, he said.

The mob then hurled stones in which some offices and shops were damaged.

They also set fire to a police chowky (outpost) near D-Mart supermarket in sector 6.

Five to six cars and over a dozen two-wheelers parked in front of the chowky were also vandalised and torched.

A hotel was set on fire in sector 3, the official said.

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Maratha quota stir: Mumbai bandh today; Navi Mumbai, Panvel to also be shut

As the Maratha quota stir intensified, agitators clashed with the police and torched vehicles at several places on Tuesday.

Mumbaikars on Wednesday braced for a Mumbai bandh after large-scale violence marred a state-wide protest on Tuesday by Maratha outfits demanding reservations for the community in Maharashtra, where a constable died and nine other policemen were injured amid a suicide attempt by three agitators.

As the stir for reservations in jobs and education intensified, the Maratha Kranti Morcha, which is spearheading the agitation, is taking its battle to Mumbai where it has called for the shutdown. Another outfit, the Sakal Maratha Samaj, called for a bandh on Wednesday in Navi Mumbai and Panvel as well.

On Tuesday, stone-pelting and arson were reported from several parts of the state, which remained on edge. Agitators clashed with the police and torched vehicles at several places, while internet services were suspended in rural areas of Aurangabad district to prevent any untoward incident. In Jalna, the police fired in the air to scatter protesters.

The impact of Tuesday's bandh was more visible in Aurangabad and adjoining districts in the central region of the state, a day after the death of a protester.

Quotas for Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, has been a hugely contentious issue.

One constable dies

A constable, deployed near the funeral venue of the protester who jumped to death on Monday, died. Police said the cause of death is yet to be ascertained.

"The postmortem report is awaited. Some injury marks were seen on his hands and legs," a police official said, adding another constable there got injured in stone-pelting.

Protester Kakasaheb Shinde (27) had jumped to death from a bridge over the Godavari in Aurangabad on Monday.

Shiv Sena MP manhandled

Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire faced the ire of the protesters when he went to attend his last rites at his Kaygaon village on Tuesday.

Khaire was manhandled by the crowd and had to beat a hasty retreat, police said, adding there was stone pelting on his car too.

The police at the venue caned protesters and lobbed tear gas shells, Aurangabad SP Arti Singh told PTI. "The situation in Aurangabad is under control. Police are alert to avert any unwanted incident."

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BJP to go alone in Maharashtra? Amit Shah meets leaders, sparks speculation

Shah also reviewed the BJP's performance of 2014 polls, as Maharashtra is the second largest state in the country going by the number of Lok Sabha seats after Uttar Pradesh.

BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday held a closed-door assessment meeting of senior party leaders here with the focus on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and strengthening the cadre in Maharashtra.

After attending the meetings, Shah met melody queen Lata Mangeshkar at her home in south Mumbai as part of the party's "contact for support" campaign.

Earlier in the day, the BJP chief, who was supposed to reach Mumbai before noon, landed at the city airport at 1 PM due to some developments in New Delhi.

He spent the entire day in 'Vasant Smruti' building, the BJP headquarter, in south-central Mumbai, a BJP official said.

At the meeting, Shah laid down a 23-point working strategy and discussed issues such as increasing the party strength, addressing new voters' groups based on their profession, gender, likings etc and a regular follow up of the voters by the local party workers.

"The national president plainly stated that the strategy has to be implemented in all the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in the state. At present, the BJP shares its political space with the Shiv Sena and a couple of smaller allies. It is a message that says 'prepare for contesting elections alone'. We will have to rush as the general election are now less than a year away," said a senior BJP minister who attended the meeting.

Shah also reviewed the BJP's performance of 2014 polls, as Maharashtra is the second largest state in the country going by the number of Lok Sabha seats after Uttar Pradesh.

Of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, BJP had won 23, the Shiv Sena (18), the NCP four, the Congress two, and the Swabhimani Paksh, a former ally of the BJP, one.

Apart from meeting the 'Vistaraks' of the party whose mandate is to increase the network of the BJP in different geographies, Shah also interacted with the members of the 'Lok Sabha Toli', a group that consists of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state unit chief Raosaheb Danve, Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar, Chandrakant Patil and Pankaja Munde, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, among others.

"The mandate of the group is to identify weaknesses of the party in certain areas, (ways) to overcome them and the current key issues related to the people of Maharashtra. The candidates who had contested and won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the current image of the candidates in the same constituency was also discussed at the general-level in this meeting," the BJP official said.

He said the BJP is also mulling over holding some events with a view to demonstrate its strength and communicate with the people.

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Nagpur to Mumbai in 5 hours! Indian Railways plans high-speed service

The government says the high-speed rail tracks will run parallel to an expressway and benefit thousands of passengers, farmers and traders in both directions.

Soon, you will be able to reach Nagpur from Mumbai in just five hours!

Indian Railways is planning to construct a dedicated high-speed railway line alongside the under-construction Nagpur-Mumbai Super Express, which is also known as Samriddhi Mahamarg. The high-speed railway line will reduce the travel time by up to 10 hours once it is completed. Currently, it takes around 13 to 14 hours to reach from Mumbai to Nagpur and vice-verse via rail.

"The line will run parallel to the Expressway and benefit thousands of passengers, farmers and traders, in both directions,” Piyush Goyal said.

Indian Railways, Maha Metro Rail Corporation Limited and the state government have signed a MoU to build a Mass Rapid Transit System in Nagpur. The aim to is to connect the railway line with the existing metro coaches.

Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Water Resources Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were also present at the MoU signing ceremony.

Gadkari proposed to the Ministry of Railways to introduce modern air-conditioned Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) rakes on the broad gauge railway lines connecting Nagpur with towns of Kotal, Bhandara, Ramtek and Wardha — all within a distance of 40-60 km.

The rakes will run at a speed of up to 120 kmph and help reduce the travel time in the congested sections, a ministry statement said.

The proposed train will equip the daily commuters with the option of faster, easy, time-saving, air-conditioned travel.

Indian Railways has also allocated a record sum of Rs 67 trillion (Rs 67,000 crore) for the development of Suburban railway network in Mumbai. Mumbai railway network is one of the largest railway networks in India and used by one-third of total railway passengers in India.

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After bitter Palghar bypoll battle, Fadnavis for pre-poll alliance with Shiv Sena

The chasm between the Sena and the BJP has grown further since the results of the recent by-polls in Maharashtra were announced

Days after estranged National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies -- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena -- ran an acrimonious campaign against each other ahead of the Palghar bypoll, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday called on BJP office-bearers to try for a pre-poll alliance with the saffron ally.



"Fadnavis asked the party's state office-bearers to try for a pre-poll alliance with the Shiv Sena. But, he said that if the alliance does not materialise, we should prepare to contest alone," Raosaheb Danve, the BJP's state unit chief, told news agencies on Monday.



The allies had exchanged sharp barbs during campaigning for the Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya by-polls, held on May 28. While the BJP won Palghar by a margin of 29,572 votes, it lost Bhandara-Gondiya to the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine.



A few days ahead of the by-election, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray released an audio clip, purportedly of Fadnavis asking BJP workers to use all possible means to win the by-election.



Subsequently, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut launched a scathing attack on Fadnavis, saying that the chief minister is full of arrogance. "We have all seen that in politics, even a dog starts considering himself a tiger after coming to power," Raut had told agencies.



In response, the BJP targeted Shiv Sena for "not acknowledging" the "achievements" of the Narendra Modi government in the past four years.

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