Tag: Maharashtra

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Big story

Bigger fleet taxis on Mumbai’s roads soon?

State Government okays the re-granting of 7,844 cancelled taxi permits for bigger fleet cabs in Mumbai Metropolitan Region and outside.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

We are currently counting down to General Elections 2014, and if ruling parties want to make a difference to their fortunes, the time is now. The Congress-NCP Government in Maharashtra is taking a step in this direction by tackling two problems at once – the problem of congestion on the city’s roads, and that of cabs having a carrying capacity of just four passengers.

Today, the State Government decided to reissue 7,844 of the taxi permits it cancelled for phone fleet taxis. From last year, the Government had cancelled 19,687 permits in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and nearby areas. However, the Government has recently been mulling the idea of radio cab operators adding vehicles that have a passenger carrying capacity of five or six passengers, plus a driver. The need for a larger vehicle has long been felt, it feels, with some families having to hire two cabs when going out because of the present low carrying capacity of taxis. Hence, by hiring one vehicle instead of two, the congestion on the city’s roads may be reduced.

There is already a draft notification in place that proposes that the operator of a radio cab service ensures that at least 10 per cent of its cabs have a seating capacity of five or six passengers, plus the driver. Today, the Government also emphasised that the operator must have at least 1,000 permits in the MMR. As on October 2010, the Government had decided to grant at least 4,000 licenses to phone fleet taxis. By amending the rules, the Government is also looking to restrict the number of permits given to a single operator so that more operators can put their vehicles on the road and prevent any one company from monopolising the market.

However, there is no clarity on how much a ride in a fleet taxi will cost.

(Picture courtesy www.thehindubusinessline.com)

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Learn

Chavan pushes for regulator in housing

The Maharashtra CM writes to the Centre asking for President’s assent for Housing Bill, citing the recent Campa Cola controversy.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The recent Campa Cola controversy – and the brickbats that the State Government got over its handling of the issue – has spurred Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to push for the Housing (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2012.

A release from Chavan’s office announced that the CM has written to Girija Vyas, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, requesting her to get President Pranab Mukherjee’s assent for the Bill – the Maharashtra State legislature has passed the Bill about 16 months ago.

Citing the recent Campa Cola issue, Chavan has said (in the release) that it is now important to have a regulator in housing and real estate, to prevent Development Control Rules being violated by builders. Chavan also feels that the Bill will go a long way in safeguarding the interests of home buyers and ensuring transparency in property deals. The biggest benefit of the Bill is that home buyers and investors can lodge complaints against builders (in cases of violations and non-compliance of agreement) to a regulatory authority, which will study the issue and pass an order within three months of the complaint being lodged.

The Bill also seeks to penalise builders and developers for not giving possession of flats at a stipulated date, for making changes in the original plan or flat design without the buyer’s consent, for not making a full disclosure about the land and the proposed project on it, among others.

(Picture courtesy www.indianexpress.com) 

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Big story

State to award Rs 3,00,000 to rape survivors

Government decides to award a minimum of Rs 2,00,000 to survivors of rape and acid attacks, apart from medical expenses.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The recent gangrape of a young photojournalist inside Shakti Mills in Mumbai has spurred the Maharashtra State Government to take measures to both fast-track the dispensing of justice and compensation for those affected by sex crimes. In a cabinet meeting yesterday, the State Government decided to award a minimum sum of Rs 2,00,000 as compensation to victims of rape (women and children), sexual assault and acid attacks.

Apart from this, a sum of Rs 50,000 will also be awarded for medical expenses and a separate corpus will take care of the victim’s rehabilitation and counselling both during and after the course of treatment.

The initiative, titled ‘Manodhairya Yojana’ will come into force from October 2, 3013. The funds will be provided by the State Government as of now, and if need be, funds will be solicited from the Central Government’s schemes for women and children.

What do you think of this initiative? Is it enough or not sufficient to help those affected by sex crimes and other violence? Tell us in the comments section below.

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Big story

Shops will remain open despite LBT strike

It’s Sharad Pawar to the rescue as the agitation over LBT is suspended to Friday; Pawar has promised final solution.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

After a serious hit to business and several problems caused to consumers as shops – small and big – threatened to remain shut indefinitely in protest of the State Government’s decision to implement LBT (Local Body Tax), NCP chief Sharad Pawar has staved off the agitation for a while.

After a meeting held with representatives of various trading and retailer organisations at his residence at Yeoor today, Pawar has asked the traders to suspend their strike and meet him again on Friday, May 24, at his residence for a final meeting on the LBT issue. “He has assured us that the meeting will continue for as long as it takes to resolve the issue,” said Viren Shah (President of the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association) to The Metrognome, minutes after the meeting was completed with Pawar today. “We had a wonderful meeting with him and he has assured us of a solution to the issue,” Shah added. As of now, Shah clarified, “The strike continues but FRTWA has asked all individual shops to remain open.”

Pune and Thane have already suspended the strike. It is likely that Mumbai’s traders will also follow suit by tomorrow.

LBT (Local Body Tax) is the tax which will be imposed by municipal bodies on the entry of goods into a local area for consumption, use or sale. It relies on a self assessment or account-based method of paying local tax, where the trader himself declares his tax liability by submitting his records.

The representatives included Navi Mumbai Merchants’ director Amarshi Karia, APMC Director Kirti Rana, Siddhivinayak Chairman Subhash Mayekar, FRTWA’s Viren Shah and Navi Mumbai Merchant Chambers’ Girish Rana, among others.

On his part, it is learnt that Pawar has agreed that if octroi is payable on a good/commodity, then dealers are not required to undergo the registration for LBT. He is also said to have been convinced that shopkeepers need not register if there is no octroi or LBT payable by them, and that he realised that traders wished to pay tax without any harassment or extra paperwork. Pawar also requested traders to open for business without causing further problems to the public.

What happened in the meeting

The meeting opened with the representatives explaining that traders were on strike for the last 27 days, and retailers for six days. “I argued that shopkeepers, who have nothing to do with goods brought from outside the city, have nothing to do with LBT. So why do they need to take registration and file any returns?” Shah (in pic on right) said. Another point raised was that traders were willing to pay tax, but that they refused to go for “extra registration and extra assessment”.

As per the current framework of LBT as laid out by the Government, even the smallest shops with a daily turnover of Rs 822 and above would have to take a separate registration, to which Pawar was said to be shocked. The assembled group suggested that the Sales Tax Department should handle the administration of LBT and also the assessment, as against the idea of the local municipal body doing the same, since the latter are “not experienced enough to do the assessment”.

The representatives also pointed out several lacunae in the proposed LBT move. “For instance, officers ask for assessment proceedings along with details, which are impossible for dealers to produce,” explained Shah. “Hence, corruption is happening in Vasai and many have shifted to Gujarat. Again, in Navi Mumbai, those items for sale such as fruits and spices that are not liable for LBT are also charged LBT. This has led to a ‘double taxation’ in Navi Mumbai’s APMC market.”

(Pictures courtesy www.jaimaharashtranews.com, photogallery.indiatimes.com, www.topnews.in)

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Do

Asha Bhosale gives Rs 5 lakh for drought relief

The Maharashtra State Government has already received upwards of Rs 116 crore via donations from within the State and without.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The State of Maharashtra has responded well to the Government’s call for help to supplement its efforts in combating the drought situation that the State is currently facing. Hearteningly, a little over Rs 116 crore has been collected already, via donations from students, artists, businesspersons, banks, NGOs and Trusts, and private individuals.

Today, noted playback singer Asha Bhosale visited Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan at his official residence, Varsha, to hand over a cheque of Rs 5,00,000 towards drought relief. Of this, Rs 1,00,000 was the prize money she won at the recently-held Hridayesh Arts event, which commemorated her contribution to the film industry. The rest was contributed by Bhosale.

“It is our fundamental duty to contribute for those who are affected by the ongoing drought crisis in the State. All of us must help the Government in the relief efforts it is carrying out,” she said while handing over the cheque to Chavan.

The biggest donations thus far – both Rs 25 crore each – have come from the Mumbai-based Siddhivinayak Trust and the Shirdi-based Shri Saibaba Sansthan.

(Picture courtesy DGIPR, Mantralaya, Mumbai)

Categories
Deal with it

No going back for suspended Government employees

Keeping in mind the ‘tarnishing’ of its image when suspended officials are reinstated, State draws up tough rules for reinstatement.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Activists and citizens, please note. If you’ve been wondering and agonising over how those in Government service caught and suspended from duty after being part of wrongdoing, are reinstated after a while, take heart: the State Government of Maharashtra is taking steps to see that things change, at least slightly.

As per a Government Resolution (GR) dated April 20, 2013, the Government feels that the prior (albeit unofficial) system of reinstating a Government employee in the same position after he/she has been cleared of charges, or after he/she has carried out whatever punishment was meted out to them, shows the Government in a poor light. “Officials suspended on grounds of criminal offences or disciplinary grounds are reinstated as per a Government decision dated October 14, 2011, which clearly states the terms under which such officials may be reinstated to work. However, reinstating such an official at the same designation and place of work as before, maligns the image of the Government,” the GR states.

“Hence, the General Administration Department clarifies that in the event that a Government employee is to be reinstated to work following a spell of suspension from duty, he/she may not be reinstated in the same position, division, taluka or zilla as before. Further, he/she may be accorded a non-executive post.”

This new set of rules is to be complied with across all departments; clearly, these amendments mean that a reinstated Government official stands every chance of being transferred, apart from being posted to a job that keeps him/her away from further wrongdoing and controversy.

(Picture courtesy prokerala.com)

 

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