Maharashtra
First in India, ‘Maharashtra Gene Bank’ project approved by State Cabinet

With an aim to document native natural resources and conserve them with the help of the local community that will ensure not just biodiversity conservation but also inclusion of traditional knowledge, the Maharashtra Cabinet on Thursday approved the ‘Maharashtra Gene Bank’, a first-of-its-kind project in India.
While clearing the proposal for the Maharashtra Gene Bank, the Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray considered that the recommendations of the two-volume report of the pilot project by the same name, if implemented properly, would help in better conservation of the state’s rich biodiversity that will also ensure availability of natural resources for the future generation.
The Cabinet’s decision would guarantee the permanent continuation of the project that was run as pilot by Maharashtra government’s Rajiv Gandhi Science & Technology Commission across 27 districts. It would now be run by the State Biodiversity Board to sustain and continue the work.
“The Chief Minister understood and supported that biodiversity conservation cannot be a time-bound project. It is essential for survival, especially in these times of changing climatic conditions. Now, it will be a permanent institutionalised system cutting across 10-12 departments,” member secretary, Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board (MSBB), Praveen Srivastava, told IANS.
The Maharashtra Gene Bank is unique because it has tried to authenticate traditional knowledge by scientific institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, and the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, Srivastava said, adding that CSIR institutions, several agricultural universities in Maharashtra and 25-odd NGOs too were part of the pilot project.
The government also sanctioned Rs 172.39 crore for implementing the action plan for the next five years. Earlier, the Maharashtra government budget had created a separate account head for the same, which will benefit the local communities using traditional and scientific knowledge for sustainable development.
Marine biodiversity; local crop/seed varieties; indigenous cattle breeds; freshwater biodiversity; grassland, scrubland and animal grazing land biodiversity; conservation and management plans for areas under forest right, and rejuvenation of forest areas are the seven main themes identified for the Gene Bank work.
Ecologist and former Secretary in the government of India, Madhav Gadgil, had conceptualised the project that aims to bring the members of the grass-roots community and the scientific community together.
Maharashtra
Nitish Rane only practices politics of hatred. Raees Sheikh criticizes Rane for controversial statement on buying from Hindu traders only and accuses him of spreading religious hatred.

Mumbai: After Maharashtra Fisheries Development Minister Nitish Rane made a controversial statement on buying goods only from Hindu shopkeepers, Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi East Raees Sheikh accused Rane of spreading religious hatred among communities. He also challenged Rane to tell who Syed Adil was, the man who was martyred while saving tourists in Kashmir. The Sheikh was referring to Rane’s controversial statement in which Rane had openly advised Hindus to ask about the religion of shopkeepers and buy commodities only from Hindu traders. If there is any doubt about the religion of the shopkeeper, they should be asked to recite Hanuman Chalisa, said Rane, who made the statement during a meeting in Dapoli in Ratnagiri district on Saturday, April 26.
MLA Raees Sheikh said, “The firing by Pakistani terrorists on tourists in Pahalgam on April 22, asking them about their religion, is condemnable. No Muslim in the country supports this cowardly attack. As Muslims, we stand in support of the actions against the country and Pakistan in this matter.” Sheikh added that a local Muslim, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, was martyred while fighting the terrorists and saving the tourists. “After the April 22 attack, local Muslims provided free taxis, food, and accommodation to the tourists, all these services were provided by local Muslims. Prayers are being offered for the deceased in every mosque and dargah of Jammu and Kashmir, then why is Minister Nitish Rane not talking about this?” MLA Sheikh asked. “Making meaningless inflammatory religious statements neither makes one a follower of religion nor a leader. There is no place for religious politics in India. Rane has forgotten his ministerial oath. Such statements are not supported even by his own party. Minister Rane should listen carefully to the speeches made by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat,” the MLA advised Rane, adding that India is a secular country, Sheikh added, “Unlike Pakistan, we do not run the country on the basis of religion, so Minister Nitish Rane’s statement is equally condemnable. Nitish Rane’s business is to do politics of hatred, no one took his statement on halal meat seriously.”
Maharashtra
A case of gang clash registered in Vakola. Attempt to spread rumors on social media failed, declared a conspiracy and rumor to give religious color.

Mumbai: The attempt to give a Hindu-Muslim color to the group clash in Vakola Santa Cruz area of Mumbai failed when the police registered a case of rioting in the case of group clash and started searching for the accused. According to the details, at 9:30 last night, Muslim youths were standing, at the same time, youths from another group were also standing here. A minor dispute arose between the two and this dispute took the form of violence, but an attempt has been made on social media to present this matter as a dispute over Hindu-Muslim Pahalgam and burning of the Pakistani flag, while the police have categorically denied it. The police have said that these youths often have small and petty disputes and this youth is also from the area. In such a situation, the police have made strict security arrangements as a precaution and the situation is completely under control.
According to the police, a group clash broke out over a minor issue, after which the situation is now under control, but tension remains, while there has been no Hindu-Muslim violence or conflict here, sectarian elements are trying to spoil the situation, which the police are keeping an eye on. The police said that a case of rioting has been registered after the group clash. The police have registered a case under sections 1889, 115, 191 of the BNS and the search for the accused is also underway. After registering the case, the police are now identifying the accused from the CCTV footage of the area and teams have been formed to arrest the accused. No case has been registered for the Pahalgam terrorist attack or the burning of the Pakistani flag, nor was it a case of this nature, but by giving it a religious color, sectarians in Vakola had spread such a rumor on social media to spoil the atmosphere, which the police have foiled. Advocate Yash Mishra has gone viral on social media in which the violence has been described as the opposition of Muslim youth to the protest of Hindu organizations against the Pahalgam terrorist attack and the accusation of rioting and violence in opposition to the burning of the Pakistani flag. The same police has called it completely false and a rumor.
Maharashtra
Pahalgam Terror Attack Interrogated from Eyewitnesses of Dombivali

Mumbai: The NIA, IB have also started interrogating the tourists from Maharashtra who witnessed the Pahalgam Terror Attack. A team has reached Dombivali to interrogate these tourists. The family of Atul Mane, Hemant Joshi, and Sanjay Lele from Dombivali had gone to Kashmir for tourism. In Pahalgam, the terrorists opened fire after asking who was a Hindu. During this, Atul Mane, Hemant Joshi, and Sanjay Lele died and this family has seen these terrorists very closely and is also an eyewitness to this matter.
Therefore, the investigation agencies have entered Dombivali, adjacent to Mumbai, to interrogate them. All the teams first appeared at the Dombivali police station and then left for the family’s house. The police have also intensified their operation against the terrorists and a reward of Rs 20 lakh has been placed on the terrorists. In addition, their identity has been established and a sketch has also been released. NIA sources said that these eyewitness statements can also be recorded to make progress in the case of the terrorist attack and the investigating agencies are also hopeful of getting more clues. After the painful incident, the NIA and the investigating agencies have now started collecting details from tourists from Maharashtra and tracing them.
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