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Mumbai to get a law university

Mumbai, Nagpur and Aurangabad to get their own law universities, on similar lines as the existing one based at Bengaluru. Maharashtra State-based students will pay very nominal fees.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

On a day when the ongoing Session of the State Legislature drew to a close, the State Government okayed a number of key proposals – the key one being the in-principle approval of three National law universities for the State. These universities will be located at Mumbai, Nagpur and Aurangabad.

The Maharashtra National Law Universities in all three locations are to be fully operational in the next three years, with the first one to come up at Aurangabad. A site in Uttan has been approved for the Mumbai Law University. As per a release from the Chief Minister’s office, issued this evening, it seems that a sum of over Rs 75 crore has been set aside for the project. The Government expects that the Universities will be operational by the 2014-2015 academic year.

The release also said that each University will have about 120 students, and Maharashtra-based students will pay nominal fees for their studies. Additionally, reservations for seats will be decided as per the provisions outlined in the Constitution of India.

(Picture courtesy mopolaw.com) 

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Missing children to get ‘kidnapped’ case status

Maharashtra State Government orders police stations to register a case of kidnap whenever a child below 14 years of age goes missing.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

At a time when crimes against children are on the rise, where incidents of little children are being lured away from their play areas by preying paedophiles, or minors are being picked up and made away with to settle personal scores with the child’s parents are being heard of almost daily, it is time for prompt and strict police action. Hearteningly, the Maharashtra State Government is taking steps to ensure better police handling of missing children’s cases.

As per a Government Resolution (GR) issued by the State’s Home Department last week, all reported cases of children under the age of 14 missing from their homes are not to be entered under a Missing Persons complaint, but are to be treated and registered as a case of kidnap.

“As per the writ petition number 75/2012 Bachpan Bachao Andolan v/s The Government of India and others, and as per the directions issued by the Supreme Court of India on January 17, 2013, it is being conveyed that in the event of an official complaint filed by the parents/guardian of a child below 14 years of age that is missing, the said complaint is not to be entered in the Missing Persons complaint book but is to be treated and recorded as a case of kidnap and a First Information Report (FIR) is to be filed in the matter immediately,” the GR says.

After the kidnap case is registered, the police will be required to investigate the case at once and not accord the usual, unofficial ’24-hour window’ that most police personnel allow for the child to return, or to hear of the child’s whereabouts before starting the investigation.

(Picture courtesy openthemagazine.com)

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Tech

Book your next holiday at a kiosk

MTDC to install touch screen kiosks to help users book holidays at MTDC resorts; first one installed at Marine Drive.

It is summer time and everyone’s heading for a holiday. To make the process of booking accomodation for your holiday easier, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has hit upon the idea of installing touch screen kiosks at various spots in Mumbai and the State.

To this end, the first such kiosk was installed a couple of days ago at Mumbai’s Marine Drive. The kiosk and others like it will enable users to get information about tourist destinations in Maharashtra, in both Marathi and English. Plus, once you browse the information and make a destination choice, you can book your stay at an MTDC resort in that destination, as well as book train tickets to get there.

As per a release from MTDC, the plan is to “set up 300 such kiosks at various tourist destinations in Maharashtra, at Government offices, railway stations and airports. Within Mumbai, the kiosks will be put at CST, Dadar, domestic and international airports, Sanjay Gandhi National Park etc.”

(Picture courtesy MTDC. Image shows Jayant Kumar Banthia. Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra and Dr Jagdish Patil, Managing Director, MTDC, inaugurating the kiosk at Marine Drive)

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At last, State to reward police who investigated 26/11 attacks

Five years after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, State Government clears proposal to reward investigating police team for their efforts.
by the Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It’s almost like a belated Christmas spirit has taken over the highest offices in Mantralaya. While the Government made the news yesterday for awarding Rs 1 crore each to three women kabaddi players who clinched the World Cup for the country last year, the State has also passed a Government Resolution (GR) to reward a contingent of 46 police officers, mid-level officials and constables, who investigated the horrific 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

In a GR issued on March 25, 2013 by the Home Department, it is learnt that the Government is setting aside Rs 6,58,000 to be awarded in lieu of cash rewards to 43 of the 46 police personnel investigating the 26/11 attacks. Three officers – Rakesh Maria, Deven Bharati and Ashok Durafe – are to received commendatory letters, the GR said.

It may be remembered that after the terror attacks on November 26, 2008, in which timely and courageous police action helped nab a terrorist alive – probably a first in a terror operation of this kind anywhere in the world – and helped conclusively prove Pakistan’s hand in the strikes, a police crack team got to work to investigate the case. Headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria, and supported by Additional CP (Crime) Deven Bharati and ACP Ashok Durafe, the team probed the attacks and prepared a mammoth 11, 750-page chargesheet in three months after the attacks. Thereafter, a 1,500-page supplementary chargesheet was filed.

A few months after the attacks, the State Government had announced that it was mulling a cash prize for the police personnel investigating the case. However, the final amount and how much each of the 43 officials will receive, has been decided only now.

Of the awardees, the highest cash prize goes to Ramesh Mahale, the chief investigating officer who was in the Crime Branch (and who has resigned from his post a few months ago) – he gets Rs 1,00,000. Five others get Rs 25,000 each, while constables get Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000.

About the case:

– The reward comes in recognition of successful investigation into the attacks, and the capture of a live terrorist, Ajmal Amir Kasab.

– The attacks took place over a period of 62 hours, and resulted in the death of 170 people.

– The trial in the case started on May 8, 2009. The State examined 649 witnesses during the trial.

– Kasab was held guilty on 31 counts, and awarded the death penalty on five counts.

– Kasab filed an appeal against the lower court’s verdict in the Bombay HC, which upheld his death sentence on February 21, 2011.

– Kasab was hanged to death at Pune’s Yerawada Jail on November 21, 2012.

 (Picture courtesy outlook.com)

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Kharcha paani

Tea cheaper, cigarettes, tobacco dearer

Maharashtra State releases Budget 2013-2014 in State Legislature today. Cigarettes, alcohol to be dearer; tea and essential commodities enjoy concessions.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Every successive Budget, State or Union-presented, comes down heavily on certain things while letting others off a bit easy. The Maharashtra State Budget 2013-2014 was tabled in both Houses of the State Legislature today by Deputy Chief Minister and State Finance Minister Ajit Pawar today. Here are some of the Budget’s highlights:

– Concessional rate on tea to continue up to March 31, 2014.

– Increase in tax rate of gold, silver and their jewellery from 1 per cent to 1.10 per cent and sugar cane purchase tax from 3 per cent to 5 per cent to raise fund for drought relief for one year.

– Increase in tax on bidis, cigarette and tobacco.

– Tax on paver blocks to be increased from 5 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

– Surveillance of transactions by Sales Tax Department to go up.

– VAT exemption on Braille watches and vehicles for handicapped.

– Reduction in rate of tax of AICD heart implant from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent.

– Financial Institutions liable to pay stamp duty on mortgage deeds.

– Increase in excise duty on country liquor, I.M.F.L. and strong beer.

– Rs 150.83 crore allotted to State sports and youth policy.

– Rs 80 crore earmarked for technical education quality improvement.

– Rs 317.17 crore for police modernisation.

For complete Budget 2013-2014 coverage, click here. 

(Picture courtesy fanpop.com)

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Big story

Mumbai’s suburbs have better sex ratio than island city

This, and other important Mumbai-specific snapshots, emerged from the Economic Survey 2012-2013, released in ongoing Maharashtra State Legislature Session today.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

At a time when crimes against women rise in Mumbai, and the question of how we treat our girls and women becomes increasingly significant – especially in the context of how many girls are allowed to be born – the Maharashtra State Economic Survey 2012-2013 throws light on the subject of sex ratios recorded for Mumbai.

As per the Survey, released today while the State Legislature continues to be in session, and prior to the presentation of the State’s Budget tomorrow, the sex ratio recorded for the Mumbai suburban region is a robust 910 (that is, 910 girls to every 1,000 boys born). However, the sex ratio for Mumbai city is 874; this means that the suburbs exhibit a healthier sex ratio as compared to the island city. The figures arise from Census 2011.

Meanwhile, the Survey points out other statistics for Mumbai:

– 67 per cent people in Mumbai city have latrines within their houses, while only 54.7 per cent of the suburbs have latrines inside their homes.

– Also, 90 per cent of city homes have bathrooms inside the house. The figure is 87.2 per cent for the suburbs.

– The Mumbai/Thane rationing area has the largest numbers for rationing cards issued in the State, at 40,76,000. A total of 7,31,413 are White Ration Card holders in Mumbai, also the highest number in the State

– Phase I of the Mumbai Metro Rail Project (Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar), a total of 14 km, will be completed this year. 95 per cent of this phase is already complete.

– 85 per cent of Phase I of the Mumbai Monorail Project (Wadala-Chembur) is complete.

– A multimodal corridor from Virar to Alibaug will be completed in 2016. This corridor consists of freeways having eight lanes for vehicles besides dedicated lanes (spanning 140 km) for buses.

– Of all the vehicles in the State, about 21.60 lakh vehicles (10.4 per cent) are in the Brihanmumbai region.

– 210.44 lakh domestic passengers travelled by the Mumbai domestic airport in 2012, while the figures for the international airport are 94.93 lakh passengers.

– There are 61.2 per cent houses in Mumbai city with mobile-only phone connectivity, while for the suburbs, this number is 63.6 per cent.

– The most pollution in Maharashtra was seen in Mumbai, at Sion. The measured levels of Respirable Soluble Particulate Matter (RSPM) at Sion recorded from December 2011 to January 2012 were 124.49 µg/m3; the permitted level is 100 µg/m3.

(Picture courtesy indianmuslimobserver.com)

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