Tag: prithviraj chavan

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He’s back

Ajit Pawar assumes office as Deputy Chief Minister today. Stage is set for a stormy Winter Session of the Legislature.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

As political exiles go, this one was curiously short-lived. Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, had quit his post in September this year, amid allegations of corruption in irrigation projects. Today, a little over two months later, he returns to his former post, just in time for the Winter Session of the State Legislature, which begins in Nagpur on December 11.

However, Pawar has made it clear that he will not handle any portfolio at the moment. A letter from the NCP asking that Pawar be reinstated to his former office was sent to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan this week, following which, the date and the time for the swearing-in was fixed. Pawar will take oath at Raj Bhavan.

The stage was set for Pawar’s return the moment the State Government received the white paper on irrigation a few days ago, and which did not speak of the spate of irregularities in irrigation, or the alleged rampant politician-contractor nexus. Without naming Pawar anywhere, the Government succeeded in indirectly absolving him of all blame, though Chavan kept clarifying that a ‘clean chit’ had not been given to anybody.

Yet, the white paper presented the perfect opportunity for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), to which Pawar belongs – he is the nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar – to clamour for his return. Yesterday, party spokesperson Nawab Malik reiterated that the party had been demanding that Ajit Pawar return to the Government, and that this demand had been conveyed to the party leadership. It may be remembered that the NCP had not replaced Pawar with another NCP leader; it was almost as if the Deputy CM’s chair had been kept vacant for him, with his return imminent.

Opposition parties in attack mode

However, the Opposition parties in the State – led by the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have not taken kindly to Pawar’s return. The Winter Session of the State Legislature begins on December 11, and all political action will then move to Nagpur. However, on hearing of Pawar’s return to the State Cabinet today, the Shiv Sena threatened to move a No Confidence motion against the Government. “We oppose his return to power till his role (in the irrigation scams) is investigated thoroughly,” said Sena leader Subhash Desai, while the BJP reiterated its demand for an SIT-level probe into Pawar’s and Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare’s roles in the controversy.

(Picture courtesy pardaphash.com)

 

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AAP Pawar pe chup kyun hain?

While Aam Aadmi Party’s ‘black paper’ on Maha irrigation irregularities tears into Sunil Tatkare, it says nothing on Ajit Pawar.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Yesterday was clearly Ajit Pawar’s day. The decks were cleared for his return to the Deputy Chief Minister’s post he resigned from on September this year, owing to his name being mired in alleged irregularities in the irrigation sector, and on the other hand, the ‘black paper’ submitted by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) vehemently tore into Water Resources Minister (WRD) Sunil Tatkare, but did not name Ajit Pawar.

The AAP presented its black paper to State Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan yesterday, following which, Chavan had a meeting with the party’s activists Anjali Damania and Praful Vora, among others. In the paper, AAP has called the white paper on irrigation brought out by the Tatkare-led WRD a “total farce” and demanded for Tatkare’s resignation, but does not name Ajit Pawar anywhere.

Like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the AAP has also demanded for an SIT-level probe in the matter.

In black and white

In its black paper, AAP has countered almost all of the white paper’s claims, starting with the area under irrigation in the State. While the white paper claims that the area under irrigation increased by 5.17 per cent from 2001 to 2010, the black paper calls this as an attempt to mislead people.

Further, the black paper says that water was illegally diverted from irrigation projects to non-irrigation purposes, and that there were plans to approve 71 new water-intensive thermal power projects in the suicide-prone districts of Vidarbha.

The black paper blames the WRD for rampant corruption and violation, and calls for Tatkare’s resignation, an SIT probe in the irrigation scam and action against politicians, officials and contractors responsible for the mess, apart from demanding an immediate stop on projects that have committed violations. The paper also criticises Chavan, adding that the white paper presented by the WRD to the Government was merely a ‘status paper’ that toed the coalition politics line.

AAP will most likely bring out another black paper on irrigation soon.

(Picture courtesy forbesindia.com)

 

 

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Indu Mill land issue heats up

Dalit organisations warn of forcible occupation of Indu Mill land, Government says final decision will be taken before December 6.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

December 6 is a special date for dalits across the country – on this day, lakhs of dalits make the pilgrimage to Chaityabhoomi to pay homage to Dr  BR Ambedkar. This week, as the city’s security personnel gear up for the rush of pilgrims, there is another issue likely to create a ruckus in Mumbai – the handover (or not) of the Indu Mill land for a memorial dedicated to Dr Ambedkar.

The issue is about 10 years old. Dalit organisations in Maharashtra, primarily the Republican Party of India (RPI) and the Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh, have been demanding that 12.5 acre of Indu Mill land at Dadar be handed over to them for the building of the Ambedkar memorial, however the Centre and the State have not yet taken a decision on the same. Two days ago, nine dalit organisations in the State declared their intention to come together and fight for the land – they have demanded that the land be handed over before December 6 this year, or else they would forcibly occupy it.

To this, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has assured that a final decision would be taken before December 6. Last year, dalit organisations had forcibly occupied the land for two weeks, before the State managed to pacify them.

Chavan had a meeting with Anand Sharma, Union Cabinet Minister in charge of Commerce, Industry and Textiles, in New Delhi, yesterday. After the meeting, Chavan said, “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved of the idea of erecting a memorial on the Indu Mill land, in principle. Naturally, there is no legal issue that we need to sort out. The Centre and the State will see to it that there is no legal hassle in erecting the memorial at the site. However, I urge all parties concerned to not politicise this issue.”

The twist in the tale is that the land is currently in the possession of National Textile Corporation (NTC), which is reluctant to hand over the land to the State Government, citing that it wants a compensation to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore. The State has countered this by saying that the compensation would not exceed Rs 1,000 crore. After the meeting today, Sharma said, “The memorial will certainly be constructed, but we are in the last stages of sorting out the transfer issue. This is why the final decision has taken some time.” The Central Government wants to keep the ownership of the land, while the State is willing to develop the memorial on it.

Chavan said that the technical issues regarding the reservation of the land and the question of how to make changes to the reservation had caused delays in the final decision. Both he and State Home Minister RR Patil have urged leaders to exercise restraint. Meanwhile, it is learnt that Patil is reviewing security arrangements for December 6 in the light of this development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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26/11 heroes’ tribute tomorrow

Government and police will pay tribute to slain police personnel on the fourth anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

This November 26 will mark four years of the ghastly terror strikes that changed the face of Mumbai and resulted in the capture of a terrorist who lived to tell the sordid tale of how the terror plot was hatched. Ajmal Kasab was executed early last week, and it is perhaps with a clearer conscience and a part sense of closure that the city and the country will head into the fourth anniversary of the attacks tomorrow.

The State Government will pay tribute to slain police heroes at the Police Gymkhana at Marine Lines tomorrow; in attendance will be Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, the Governor K Shankarnarayanan, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, State Home Minister RR Patil and Minister of State (Home) Satej Patil, apart from police officials and families of the slain cops. The tribute will include the laying of a wreath at the 26/11 memorial that stands in the Gymkhana premises at 8 am.

(File picture of Kavita Karkare and Smita Salaskar. Picture courtesy DNA)

 

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CM trying for green nod for Chaityabhoomi

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan asks for second phase beautification proposal to be submitted for environmental clearance.

On Friday, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan asked the BMC to submit a revised proposal for the second stage of the Chaityabhoomi revamp project, for environmental clearances. As per the project scope, Phases II and III will involve constructing a walkway that projects into the sea and runs parallel to the coast. While Phase I is said to be complete, the remaining phases have been delayed owing to permissions not being granted on proposals submitted earlier by the MoEF – the land, and all three Phases, fall under the purview of CRZ laws. However, a proposal for green clearance can now be resubmitted owing to a realigning of CRZ-II laws in 2011.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set aside Rs 21 crore for the beautification project, while the State Government has granted Rs 25 crore for it. Rs 8.33 crore has been spent on Phase I.

In the remaining phases, it is proposed to expand the existing stupa without touching the original structure, a circular meditation space next to the stupa, water fountains at certain spots, landscaping, and most importantly, the construction of a cantilevered walkway projecting out into the sea. Yesterday, Chavan also asked BMC chief Sitaram Kunte to verify the ownership of the area.

A latter part of the project includes a proposed Vipassana centre, a residential space for visiting monks and pilgrims, and a library of Dr BR Ambedkar’s works. Chaityabhoomi is known for being the last resting place of Dr Ambedkar.

‘Trying to expedite Indu Mill land transfer’ 

Though there is no definite date on it yet, Chavan yesterday said that he was trying to expedite the transfer of Indu Mill land (which is adjacent to Chaityabhoomi) for a world-class memorial dedicated to Dr Ambedkar. “Our Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has given a positive response to the proposal, and we are studying how to make this happen,” Chavan said yesterday.

(Pictures courtesy www.deccanchronicle.com, www.timesofindia.com)

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Kya hua tera waada?

State Government has still not taken action against errant cops who had arrested two Palghar girls for a Facebook post.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The two-day deadline set by Maharashtra State Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for declaring the action his government would take in the matter of two Palghar-based girls arrested for a post on Facebook, has ended. And still, there is no word from Chavan or the State Home Minister RR Patil on what action they are contemplating against the alleged high-handed police action in arresting the girls, one of whom had questioned the shutdown of Mumbai following Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s death, and the other, who had ‘liked’ the comment.

In fact, the ongoing political tussle between the Congress and the NCP in the State has once again come to the fore with both sides using the Palghar arrests episode to deflect blame on the other. This could explain the NCP’s Nawab Malik exonerating RR Patil from blame with the comment, “RR Patil did not order the arrest of the two girls.” Meanwhile, the CM has declined to comment on the matter as yet.

It is now learnt that the Home Department is seeking legal counsel in the matter; RR Patil says that his department is considering making it mandatory for the police to seek legal opinion before making arrests falling under the purview of ‘hurting of sentiments’, and that he would approach the Centre to seek clarity on the IT Act, so that such arrests would be avoided in the future.

 

 

 

 

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