Why did you not waive off farmer loans when in power? Shiv Sena asks BJP

Without naming the BJP, it said one can provoke people by playing politics of sentiments, but he/she needs courage to take a decision in the interest of farmers.

Hailing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government for declaring loan waiver of up to Rs two lakh for farmers, the Shiv Sena on Monday hit out at the BJP for seeking to write off debts fully and asked why it did not address the issue when it was in power.

In a veiled attack on the BJP-led central government, the Shiv Sena, in its party mouthpiece 'Saamana', noted that the Thackeray government took the decision of farm loan waiver at a time when the country is "burning" over the issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Without naming the BJP, it said one can provoke people by playing politics of sentiments, but he/she needs courage to take a decision in the interest of farmers.

The Maharashtra government on Saturday announced a loan waiver of up to Rs two lakh for farmers, with a cut off date of September 30, 2019.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray made the announcement in the Legislative Assembly on the last day of the state legislature's winter session in Nagpur.

The BJP staged a walkout seeking full loan waiver.

"The chief minister announced the decision at a time when the country is burning over the issue of the citizenship law. One can provoke people playing politics of sentiments, but needs spunk to take a decision in the interest of farmers," the Shiv Sena said in sarcastic remarks.

This is the first step of the new government towards writing off farmers' debts completely, the Marathi daily said.

It said the demand for full farm loan waiver was made by Sena president Thackeray himself during the tenure of the previous Devendra Fadnavis-led government.

The Fadnavis government could have also given full loan waiver, but it did not do so then and is now seeking writing off debts completely when the BJP is in opposition, the Shiv Sena observed.

"You are not appreciating the government's decision to write off farmers' loans of upto Rs two lakh, but questioning whether full loan waiver has been extended. You were in power in Maharashtra for five years. Why did not you give it then? You should tell this first," it said.

Business Standard

Hundreds stranded in Mumbai as heavy rain disrupts railway service

Schools and colleges in Mumbai and neighbouring districts were also closed on Monday following a warning by the weather office.

Hundreds of passengers were stuck in India's financial capital, Mumbai, and nearby towns on Monday after two days of heavy rain flooded rivers and undermined railway tracks, forcing authorities to cancel or divert dozens of long-distance trains.

Rivers in the western state of Maharashtra were flooded after authorities released water from dams made full after many parts on the west coast received more than 200 mm (8 inches) of rain.

Trains were cancelled due to the heavy downpours and because a boulder fell on one line, railway authorities said on Twitter.

Schools and colleges in Mumbai and neighbouring districts were also closed on Monday following a warning by the weather office of heavy rainfall, the Maharashtra chief minister's office tweeted.

Financial markets were open in Mumbai, which is often touted as a potential rival to China's financial powerhouse Shanghai but, like many Indian cities, is hampered by poor infrastructure.

Hundreds of houses and a few Hindu temples on the banks of the Godavari river were flooded in the neighbouring town of Nashik after floodwater was released from a dam.

Business Standard

Bihar population problem: 94% women know about contraception, 20% use them

In roughly five years, or by 2024, the population of India is expected to surpass that of China, according to a 2017 United Nations (UN) projection.

Married early, Premlata Devi had had four children by the time she was 24 years old--a boy and three girls. A homemaker from Tikari block in southern Bihar’s Gaya district, she had had a copper intrauterine device (IUD, the most common brand name being Copper-T) inserted for contraception after the birth of her second child.

Six years later, she had got it removed because of abdominal pains and increased uterine bleeding, both known side-effects of the device. “I no longer want to use Copper-T,” she said.

After the removal of the IUD, Premlata Devi went on to have two more children that she had not planned for. Neither she nor her husband know of alternative methods of contraception, she said. And the health workers, who under the National Health Mission are supposed to counsel women like her, never did show up.

Stories like these are common in Bihar, India’s fifth poorest state and third most populous, with India’s highest total fertility rate (TFR)--3.4 children per woman, according to 2015-16 government data, the latest available. This TFR exceeds that of India’s most populous states: Uttar Pradesh (2.74) and Maharashtra (1.87). The national average is 2.18. (Sikkim and Kerala had the lowest TFR for 2015-16: 1.17.)

In roughly five years, or by 2024, the population of India is expected to surpass that of China, according to a 2017 United Nations (UN) projection. China’s population will peak at 1.44 billion in 2029 and then start declining.

Due to what is called population momentum--a higher proportion of people in the reproductive age group--as well as higher life expectancy, India’s population will only peak in the 2060s, before it starts to decline, according to current estimates.

However, Indian fertility rates are declining, and some of these estimates are revised constantly. For example, according to earlier UN estimates, India was to overtake China in 2022. Ten years ago, India had a TFR of 2.68; today, according to the National Family Health Survey 4 (NFHS 2015-16), out of the 36 states and union territories (UTs), only four--Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Meghalaya and Nagaland--have a TFR more than or equal to 2.68.

Yet, as many as 12 states have a TFR above 2.1, termed the replacement-level rate, at which the population remains constant.

Business Standard

Delay in monsoon pushes rainfall deficiency to 45% in first 9 days of June

The rainfall deficiency in June could be higher due to the sluggish pace of the monsoon and a weak El Niño, a phenomenon associated with heating of Pacific waters.

A delay in the arrival of monsoon has pushed the country’s rainfall deficiency in the first nine days of June to 45 per cent, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Monsoon made an onset over Kerala on June 8, a week after its normal arrival date. This has also delayed its arrival in different parts of the country. The country received only 17.7 millimetres of rainfall as against the normal precipitation of 32.4 millimetres, which comes to around 45 per cent, it said.

The rainfall deficiency in June could be higher due to the sluggish pace of the monsoon and a weak El Niño, a phenomenon associated with heating of Pacific waters.

An on-going cyclonic circulation in the Arabian Sea could slow down the progress of monsoon over the next few days, it said. “A low pressure area has formed over southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep area and east central Arabian Sea.

It is very likely to concentrate into a depression during the next 48 hours over southeast and adjoining east central Arabian Sea. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and intensify further into a cyclonic storm subsequently,” the IMD data said.

Of the four meteorological divisions of the country, the deficiency was 66 per cent — the highest in the country — in central India that covers the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Gujarat and Kutch and Saurashtra sub-divisions of central India have clocked a deficiency of 100 per cent, it said.

Business Standard

Adlabs Imagica gets relief from Bombay HC over tax benefits under GST

The issue relates to subsuming of entertainment tax into GST which deprived the company of the entertainment tax incentives it was promised by the state government and the corporation.

Adlabs Imagica — which has theme and water parks in Maharashtra and is owned by Adlabs Entertainment — got relief from the Bombay High Court on Friday in a case relating to denial of entertainment tax incentives post GST.

Abhishek Rastogi, the petitioner’s counsel, said the court ordered that a committee be formed with representatives from the Maharashtra government and the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, and that the committee come out with a report on extending entertainment tax benefits to the company.

The committee will determine the methodology for extending the benefits to Adlabs Imagica

The issue relates to subsuming of entertainment tax into the goods and services tax (GST) which deprived the company of the entertainment tax incentives it was promised by the state government and the corporation.

Entertainment tax collected from visitors used to be transferred to the company to incentivise it for its investments under the older tax regime in accordance with the tourism policy of the state, 2006. The two parks were promised Rs 8 billion of incentives till 2023-2025.

Hence, the company moved the court, saying it should continue to get the benefits under the doctrine of legitimate expectation and promissory estoppel.

The doctrine of promissory estoppel allows a party to recover the benefit of a promise made even if a legal contract does not exist.

Similar cases are also being litigated in other states. Courts in Allahabad and Jodhpur have also given relief to petitioners, Rastogi said.

Business Standard

Women in Kashmir mean business, battle social norms to be entrepreneurs

In recent times, many Kashmiri women have turned into successful entrepreneurs in the conservative society. Many of them are now bravely chasing their own dreams.

In the Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir, shutdowns and curfews often bring life and business to a standstill. Setting up a new business could be disastrous for anyone but for women, who must battle social norms about their role in the workplace, the obstacles are tenfold. Despite this, there is a generation of women who are breaking down barriers and establishing their own businesses.

Mufti Sadia started her business when there were no women in the clothing sector of Kashmir. Her boutique was among the first in the Srinagar after she decided to opt out of her previous job and work independently in the valley.

Facing many hurdles and challenges, Sadia started her own brand called ‘Hangers, the closet‘ in 2014 at a shopping mall. Despite the negative comments, she has never looked back:

“My father wasn't sure what I was doing because I was just 24-year-old back then, but now he also supports me in what I am doing,” says Sadia while attending a customer.

Her family has been a source of inspiration for Sadia, who always helped her cope with the difficulties of being a new, female entrepreneur in the volatile state. Hangers is now a known brand in the Kashmir region.

Sadia draws most of her customers through Instagram and Facebook. Most of her designer wear is aimed at giving the western touch to the Kashmiri traditional wear. Starting from zero, she has expanded and hired a salesgirl among eleven others.

“The response is good so far, I get negative comments on social media, even by women, but I think the negative comments given to me have helped me grow into a better person to a better designer,” Sadia adds.

While Saida has inspired many girls to set up their own clothing line, there is another woman in the old city of Srinagar whose business acumen saved her family from impending bankruptcy.

Rifat Masoodi is a mother of two and soon after the death of her father-in-law, the family was thinking about closing down the bat manufacturing factory located in one of the most volatile areas of Srinagar.

Braving all odds, Rifat convinced her husband to let her run the factory which employes many local workers. Despite the social backlash, she took the up the challenge in the year 2000:

Every morning after sending her kids to school, she steps into the small unit near her house to oversee the work. Today, Rifat's bat unit produces thousands of bats per month which are transported to many states, including Maharashtra and Kerala.

“It is difficult to manage everything. In the morning I do my work at home, then I come to this unit. Later, when the kids come at 4 PM, I go to see them. I also take care of my mother-in-law,” says Rifat.

Article Source BS

Massive farmers' march highlights India's apathy towards agriculture sector

Among other things, the farmers are asking for loan waivers and better prices for their produce.

Business Standard : On the night of November 29, 2018, as many as 100,000 farmers from all over India arrived, via trains and tractors, in New Delhi, the country's capital. The next day, tens of thousands more marched to the parliament to draw the Central Government's attention to the deepening agrarian crisis and resulting farmer suicides.

Among other things, the farmers are asking for loan waivers and better prices for their produce.

The two-day long protest, called the Kishan Mukti March (Farmer's Freedom March), was led by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), a joint platform of about 150 farm organizations, formed in June 2017. A press release published on the website Dilli Chalo (Let's go to Delhi) explained that successive governments have failed to address the demands of millions of farmers. The group accused the authorities of ignoring the farmers’ plights, saying their apathy has turned into increasingly brutal antipathy.

The farmers’ charter of demands includes the passing of two bills in parliament, which have the potential to relieve their predicament — the Farmers’ Freedom from Indebtedness Bill, 2018, and the Farmers’ Right to Guaranteed Remunerative Minimum Support Prices for Agricultural Commodities Bill, 2018.

They also want the Minimum Support Price (MSP) — a form of market intervention by the government to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices — to be fixed at the market rate. The current MSP, as determined under the 2018-19 Union Budget, is 40 per cent less than the recommended price.

In a protest in March, 35,000 farmers walked 182 km — barefoot — from Nashik to Mumbai, to demand land rights and fair prices for their goods.

Over the past two decades, several hundred thousands of farmers have committed suicide in India. Suspected push factors include poverty, climate change, increased health costs (in the absence of insurance), and debt following failed harvests.

In solidarity, photographers started an innovative support campaign; hashtagging it #PhotographersForFarmers, they encouraged people to share images of the protests to raise awareness of the farmers’ challenges.

Apathy towards the agriculture sector

Nearly half of India's 1.3 billion people, especially in rural areas, work in the agriculture sector, though it contributes only about 17 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Since 2014, during the tenure of the present government, India has witnessed a period of low food inflation, thanks to proactively managed food supplies and prices. However, the move also decreased rural incomes and burdened farmers with larger debts... Read More

Water conflicts on the rise in Maharashtra, say experts

Water conflicts on the rise in Maharashtra, say experts.

Business Standard : Issues of unequal distribution, lack of planning, political interference and growing demand for water were giving rise to disputes among the different regions of Maharashtra, according to experts on the subject.

Maharashtra received inadequate rainfall this monsoon and the government recently declared drought in 151 out of the 353 talukas in the state.

Citing lack of a state-level policy for water distribution and storage, Sanjay Lakhe Patil, president of the Marathwada Backlog Removal and Development Forum, blamed politicians.

"They have always invested heavily in their own areas. Maximum dams have been constructed per hectare area, resulting in water imbalance and conflictsbetween different regions, talukas and districts," he said.

"Our water policy has always remained flawed. Needs of the region were never considered while sanctioningirrigation projects. Political leaders only thought about regions of their influence," Lakhe Patil claimed.

Giving an example, Lakhe Patil said the huge expenditure on Krishna Valley irrigation projects resulted in water disparity in western Maharashtra.

While Baramati, Kolhapur, parts of Satara, Sangli and Pune benefited, other areas like Sangola, Maan, parts of Satara, Sangli, Pune, Solapur and Atpadi remained without water, he said. Continue Reading- Maharashtra Drought

Lakhe Patil said the Tembhu-Takari irrigation project in Sangole in western Maharashtra, a perennially drought-prone area, is incomplete due to lack of funds.

Similarly, additional water storage capacity dams were built in the upper catchment areas of Jayakwadi Dam which, he said, went against irrigation rules.

"Additional storage capacity breaks the catchment water which is meant for Jayakwadi in Marathwada. The conflict started because Jayakwadi does not get enough water," he claimed.

In 2016, the Bombay High Court passed a historical judgement regarding equitable distribution of water and held that water is owned by the state and not any particular district, region, person or personality, he said.

The Mendhegiri Committee set up by the state government laid down a formula on distribution of water from the upper catchment area dams in Ahmednagar and Nashik districts as and when Jayakwadi Dam faced scarcity, he added.

The Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Sugar Factory and Mula Sugar Factory moved the Supreme Court against the release of water from these dams to Jayakwadi Dam but their plea was rejected by the apex court, said Lakhe Patil.

Following the SC order, Nashik authorities released water earlier this month into Jayakwadi Dam.

Lakhe Patil added that 90 thousand million cubic feet of water from west-flowing rivers like Damanganga, Aurangiya, Ambika, Nar, Par goes into the Arabian Sea and no efforts had been made to store this water.

He added that Mahrashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority, with its chairperson being a retired Indian Administrative Officer with rank equivalent to the state Chief Secretary or a high court justice, had enough powers to tackle water conflicts.

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.

Article Source BS

Mumbai flood highlights: Flashback of 26 July 2005, 13 years of Mumbai floods

26 July 2005, a date etched in the memory of every Mumbai citizen. Through pictures, we look at the deadly deluge the city suffered.

26 July 2005 : The rains paralysed the city.The city received a rainfall of 944 mm, a 100-year high, in a span of 24 hours. The rain continued and at least 1,000 people lost their lives and 14,000 homes were destroyed.

37,000 auto rickshaws, 4,000 taxis, 900 BEST buses were damaged, and 10,000 trucks and tempos were grounded. The city had to bear a direct loss of about Rs 5.5 billion.

Local trains came to a halt due to the water-logging on the tracks. 52 local trains were damaged. Water logging led to a dramatic increase in trafiic on road and low-lying regions like Dharavi and Bandra-Kurla Complex were submerged.

There was no Facebook and Twitter then. Thousands of people were stranded due to flooding and could not reach home for up to 24 hours.

The rains could not defeat the indomitable spirit of the Mumbaikars. They were not just helping the fellow citizens but also rescued stray animals.

At present, the monsoon rains and the subsequent flooding keeps on bringing back the memories of the 2005 floods. Almost every year, the monsoon season brings scenes of distress from all across the city, depicting its struggle with rains.

The 2005 floods devastated the city. With the city receiving more rain, more construction, and more garbage, it is now indeed more vulnerable than what it was in 2005.

Wetlands and mangroves need to be looked at as vital infrastructure, as they help reduce the impact of torrential rains by abosrbing water. It is essential to protect them. In addition, one must segregate the waste and should refrain from dumping it in storm-water drains and waterways.

Article Source BS

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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