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Congress wants Sharad Pawar as joint oppn candidate for President

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The Congress is pushing for joint opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. The party has conveyed its support to Sharad Pawar to its allies whereever the party is in the government.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge met Sharad Pawar last Thursday, with a message from party chief Sonia Gandhi. The two leaders met in Mumbai.

The Congress is in full support if Sharad Pawar throws his hat in the ring while Mamata Banerjee has called a meeting of the opposition parties on June 15. On the same day Pawar will be meeting leaders of like minded parties. However Pawar has not responded to the suggestions till now.

Pawar, a stalwart in the opposition rank, can upset the equation of the ruling party which is hoping to get support of other smaller parties.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi reached out to the NCP chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other opposition leaders over the upcoming Presidential election.

She talked to various opposition leaders on Saturday.

“Congress President Sonia Gandhi had reached out and deliberated the issue of the upcoming Presidential election with Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee and some other opposition leaders,” said a statement from the Congress.

“As per her discussions with other opposition leaders, she deputed the LoP Mallikarjun Kharge to co-ordinate with other leaders in view of her ill health owing to Covid-19,” the statement added.

The statement said that the Congress is of the opinion that the country needs a President who can protect the Constitution, democratic institutions and citizens from the ongoing onslaught by the ruling BJP.

While the party has not suggested a particular name for the presidential polls, it said it owes it to people to elect a President who can apply a ‘healing touch’ to India’s “fractured social fabric”.

“The time is ripe to rise above our differences for the sake of our nation and its people. Discussions and deliberations have to be open-minded and in keeping with this spirit. We believe that Indian National Congress along with other parties should be taking this discussion forward,” said the party in the statement.

The BJP on the other hand has authorized its party chief J.P. Nadda and Union Minister Rajnath Singh to hold discussions with different political parties and bring them towards a consensus.

Maharashtra

Government committed to creating a quality healthcare system: Devendra Fadnavis

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Municipal Corporation and the state government are committed to working together to ensure that every citizen of Mumbai has access to quality healthcare facilities in the coming times. The Chief Minister stressed that joint efforts are being made through the health system to create a free and quality healthcare system. He was addressing a program organized on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of the building under the redevelopment phase-2 of the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Corporation General Hospital of Mumbai Municipal Corporation in Sain. The hospital will have a main building, cancer, emergency services and outpatient departments. It will cost Rs 2500 crore and the construction will be completed by November 2030. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that he is committed to providing free and quality healthcare to every citizen of Mumbai through the state government and the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. On this occasion, MLA Kalidas Kolambkar, Captain R. Tamil Selvan, Sunil Shinde, Prasad Lad, Mayor Ritu Tawde, Deputy Mayor Sanjay Gadi, Leader of the House Ganesh Khankar, Leader of the Opposition Kishori Pednekar, Chairperson of the Education Committee Rajeshree Shravadkar, Chairperson of the BEST Committee Trishna Vishwasrao, Chairperson of the Construction Committee (Suburbs) Sangeeta Sharma, Chairperson of the Women and Child Welfare Committee Smt. Manal Tarde, Health Committee Chairperson Harish Bhanderge, All Party Corporators, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Additional Municipal Corporation Commissioner (Western Suburbs) Vipin Sharma, Deputy Commissioner (Public Health) Sharad Uday, Director (Medical Education and Major Hospitals) Dr. Shailesh Bawra, Dr. Shailesh Bhakre, Dr. Shailesh Bhakre and others were also present. Trauma Care Hospital Dr. Dev Shetty and other dignitaries were also present.

Chief Minister Mr. Fadnavis said that Mumbai is the financial capital of the country. The new Shiv Hospital will help reduce the pressure on the health system due to patients coming from different parts of Mumbai as well as from every corner of the country and abroad. The government intends to provide health facilities free of cost and through a quality system. The modern and newly expanded building will double the capacity of the hospital. A total of 3286 beds will be available under various health facilities in the four buildings of the hospital. The construction of such a hospital equipped with various facilities including the latest equipment will be done in two phases. In view of the increasing incidence of cancer, the cancer treatment building being built in the hospital will help reduce the pressure on Tata Cancer Hospital. We intend to provide the benefits of various health schemes of the state and central governments to the common patients. The state government is also trying to ensure that medical treatment facilities are provided up to at least Rs. 5 lakh is available to every person, Mr. Fadnavis said.

Mayor Smt. Ritu Tawde said that by standing on the historic ground of Shiv Hospital, we are not just inaugurating the reconstruction of a building, but we are also presenting a resolution to take Mumbai’s health system into a new era. Through the concept of ‘One City, One Health System’, we will all try to ensure that every patient of Mumbai gets easy, convenient and integrated services in any municipal hospital. The patient does not need to undergo repeated examinations, the patient should get timely service here, should get clear information, and should be treated with respect, this is also a measure of quality and hence special emphasis will be laid on sensitivity and communication in the health service of the Municipal Corporation here, said Mayor Mrs. Ritu Tawde on this occasion.

The new hospital will provide more facilities to patients coming from Shiv as well as Dharavi, Chembur, Wadala, Mumbai and different parts of the country. Local MLA Captain R. Tamil Selvan expressed his belief that the increase in the capacity of the new building will be beneficial in reducing the current pressure on the hospital system for treatment.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also inaugurated the ‘e-ambulance’ at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Corporation General Hospital on this occasion.

The program was introduced by Dr. Pramod Angale, Dean, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Corporation General Hospital. The program was directed by Smt.

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Crime

Mumbai News: ED Attaches ₹19.12 Crore Asset Linked To LOIL Group In NSEL Scam Probe

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Mumbai, March 27: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mumbai Zonal Office, has provisionally attached an immovable property worth Rs 19.12 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL) case, officials said on Friday.

Sources said the attached property is linked to the LOIL Group, one of the key defaulters in the NSEL case.

The money laundering probe stems from an FIR registered at MRA Marg police station, which is being investigated by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police under various sections of the IPC against NSEL, its directors, key officials and 25 defaulters.

According to the ED, its probe has revealed that NSEL and its defaulting members were involved in criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery by allowing trading in commodities without actual underlying stocks, allegedly defrauding around 13,000 investors of nearly Rs 5,600 crore.

The investigation further revealed that three defaulting members—LOIL Overseas Foods Ltd, LOIL Continental Foods Ltd and LOIL Health Foods Ltd (collectively referred to as the LOIL Group)—fraudulently raised funds through fictitious sale transactions of paddy on the NSEL platform.

The agency said the total liability of the LOIL Group towards NSEL stands at Rs 720.30 crore. Scrutiny of bank records revealed that around Rs 569.04 crore was siphoned off from NSEL settlement accounts of the group entities.

A substantial portion of the diverted funds was allegedly layered through various group entities, including Lakshmi Energy & Foods Limited, and used for repayment of bank loans, business operations, working capital requirements and acquisition of immovable properties.

With this latest action, the ED has now issued 34 provisional attachment orders in the NSEL case, bringing the total value of seized assets to approximately Rs 3,452.16 crore. To date, seven prosecution complaints have been filed against 148 accused persons before the Special PMLA Court, which has already taken cognizance of the charges.

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Business

Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane Announces AI Project For Mango, Cashew Farming In Sindhudurg With 400 Farmers In Pilot Phase

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Mumbai, March 27: Maharashtra Fisheries and Ports Minister Nitesh Rane on Friday announced that an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based project will be implemented to enhance mango and cashew cultivation in Sindhudurg district.

Initially, 400 farmers—200 each cultivating mango and cashew—will be selected for the pilot phase. The project aims to digitise farms by collecting basic data such as farmers’ names, contact details and village information. Based on the success of the initial phase, the initiative will be expanded to include more farmers.

The proposal was presented by experts from ADT Krishi Vigyan Kendra Baramati in the presence of agricultural scientists and officials, including representatives from Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth.

Under the project, sensors will be installed to monitor soil health, crop conditions and yield patterns. Farmers will receive training and awareness about AI technology through group-based sessions conducted over a 150-day initial phase.

The use of drones for pesticide spraying is expected to significantly reduce time from several days to just a few hours, ensuring quicker and more effective disease control. Additionally, AI-based predictive models will help detect crop diseases in advance, reducing excessive pesticide use and curbing black marketing.

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