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Maharashtra

Maha power bills arrears – Central/State Ministers, MPs/MLAs equal sinners!

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As Maharashtra reels under a heat wave, coal shortages, and resources crunch with over Rs 76,000 crore in unpaid power bills, it has emerged that even VVIPs and politicians across the political spectrum have blatantly defaulted in clearing their electricity consumption dues.

While some have piled up bills worth lakhs of rupees, others have small amounts – but that also remain unpaid for years or decades, shocking the departments and officials concerned.

Among the powerful ones who have yet to clear their power consumption bills are Union and State Ministers, their families, MPs, MLAs from various political parties and certain organisations linked to them.

The revelations come against the backdrop of the Andhra Pradesh power distribution companies admitting before the Andhra Pradesh High Court this week that they are unable to pay monthly bills of power plants since January 2022.

The AP discoms also requested for a one-year time to pay up their dues – against the high court’s order of March 15 to clear the outstanding within 6 weeks – as they are unable to arrange funds/loans from anywhere.

In the Maharashtra case, a total of 372 VVIP consumers and some organisations, spread across 36 districts, together owe the government an amount of Rs 1.27 crore, for electricity consumption at their residential or commercial premises.

“The question is not about the amount that is pending from them… Its also about how they have not paid up for many years even if the dues are very small, and the kind of example such VVIPs set among the common masses,” rued an official, requesting anonymity.

Contacted by IANS, Power Minister Dr. Nitin Raut declined to comment on the VVIPs who have defaulted on power bills, but said he “humbly requested all the people in the state” to pay up their dues to help the power companies.

“Against all odds, among the 17 most affected states, Maharashtra has managed to eliminate load-shedding after the power-cuts experienced for 14 days in April. We are doing our best in public interest and I appeal to the people to please pay up their outstanding bills for common benefit,” Dr. Raut told IANS.

The honourables in the “power hit-list” are Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Dadarao Danve-Patil with two bills of Rs 25,000 (2009) and Rs 10,000 (2013) unpaid in his home and farms in Jalna, besides the bills of other family members.

Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane has a bill of Rs 2,000 not paid since 1987, well before he became the state Chief Minister for a year!

Another big-shot is Nationalist Congress Party’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar with two commercial bills not paid – Rs 14,000 (2020) and Rs 9,000 (2021).

State Health Minister Rajesh Tope also figures with just Rs 340 unpaid since 2009, as well as his wife Manisha Tope’s dues of Rs 19,000 from a commercial premise, besides other kin who also have to pay up.

Congress’ ex-Chief Minister and currently Revenue Minister Ashok S. Chavan has a bill of Rs 1,900 pending since 1991 and an another unpaid bill of 2005 for Rs 2,500.

Congress’ MoS Agriculture Vishwajeet P. Kadam has two pending farm bills – Rs 18,000 (2012) and Rs 24,000 (2016).

All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP from Aurangabad, Syed Imtiaz Jaleel has yet to cough out Rs 2,700 for his residential connection since 2017!

Maharashtra Assembly’s ex-Speaker and BJP leader Haribhau K. Bagade is sitting on a bill of over Rs 31,000 since 1980 – for the past 42 years!

There’s an outstanding bill of Rs 20,000 since 1996 in the name of the late Union Minister Gopinath Munde, besides his widow Pradnyatai, who has to clear two bills – Rs 850 (2016) and Rs 2,700 (1994).

Congress MP Rajani S. Satav has to pay up Rs.21,000 on a residential bill, due since 1982.

Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai South Arvind G. Sawant has not paid Rs 425 for his residential connection in Sindhudurg, and MP Bhawana P. Gawali from Yavatmal-Washim has to pay up a residential bill of Rs 22,000 since 1974 and one more pending bill of Rs 7,600 since 2021.

Former Leader of Opposition and now BJP leader Radhakrishna E. Vikhe-Patil has to clear an agriculture bill of Rs 11,000 since 2011.

BJP MPs Ranjitsinh H. Naik-Nimbalkar has pending commercial, agriculture and residential bills of Rs 1,600 (2016), Rs 300 (2012) and Rs 210,000 plus Rs 88,400 (2013-2014), respectively and Ranjitsinh V. Mohite-Patil has to pay up two agriculture bills – Rs 171,000 (1989) and Rs 14,000 (1997).

Ex-home minister of NCP Anil V. Deshmukh has not paid two farmland bills – Rs 111,000 and Rs 122,000 – since 1997.

Shockingly, there are around 10 bills that remain unpaid since the 1960s – including the oldest dated March 1961 in the name of Pandurang N. Patil for Rs 196 !

Among the lowest dues are a bill of Rs 107 for Ramesh K. Karad (1999) among his many other bills, and Sunil S. Shelke’s residential bill of Rs 106 (2011) at the bottom of the heap.

At the top is the biggest debtor, BJP legislator Jaykumar B. Gore, who has a staggering unpaid bill of Rs 7.03 lakh, pending since 2008.

Entertainment

Nana Patekar death: Final post-mortem report out, rules out foul play

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Mumbai, Oct 11: The final post-mortem report in the death case of veteran actor Nana Patekar has clarified the cause of death to be natural. A team of doctors at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Bambolim, in its report, has clarified that his death was a natural death, caused by a massive heart attack.

It was confirmed by the Goa Police to media. As per the police, the family has also been informed about the report and the family has also agreed to the medical report and has not raised any objection so far.

As per the final post-mortem report by GMC, the blood supply to the heart was stopped due to a blood clot in the main coronary artery, which led to a cardiac arrest. At around 2:30 am on October 8, the actor informed his family friend about his ill health on WhatsApp, after which he was brought to Manipal Hospital, Dona Paula, where doctors declared him dead even after about 45 minutes of CPR .

For the unversed, the Panaji police had registered a case of unnatural death under section 194 of the BNSS under UD No. 62/2026. Now that the post-mortem has confirmed natural death and ruled out any foul play by son Malhar Patekar and nephew Prasad Patekar, the case will be closed soon.

The late actor Nana Patekar was cremated with full state honours at his farmhouse in Donje in Pune district on Thursday. The actor was given a 3-gun salute.

The late actor’s friends and members of the film fraternity including Jackie Shroff, directors Anil Sharma, Aneez Bazmee, and producer Firoz nadiadwala arrived at Donje village to attend the last rites of Nana Patekar.

A huge crowd also turned up to bid adieu to the departed soul. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also paid his last respects to Nana Patekar at Pune airport before leaving for Mumbai. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde went to the actor’s Pune farmhouse to pay his respects.

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Maharashtra

Show proof for your claims before spreading anarchy: Ram Kadam on ongoing protests in Delhi

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Mumbai, Oct 11: Condemning the ongoing protests that engulf the national capital and other major cities, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Kadam said on Sunday that evidence or facts should be presented before spreading anarchy in the state for just the sake of it.

Speaking to media, the BJP leader added, “Congress leaders carry the Constitution in their hands and speak about it, but their actions are aimed at undermining it. Are they above the law and administrative procedures, including the requirement to obtain permission?”

“Ever since he (Rahul Gandhi) returned from the US, it is unclear what has come over him and what is driving his actions. Is foreign funding behind his attempts to create unrest here? The voter list purification process has been carried out during the tenures of several Prime Ministers, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh,” Kadam said.

“The electoral roll has not been reviewed since 2004 till 2025. That job is being done now. Is a dead person above the 2.8 crore voters. More than one crore voters’ names are repeated in the electoral rolls. Is removing those names a crime?” the BJP leader added.

“More than 6.3 crore voters have left their original homes. It’s a transparent process. If you have concrete proof and evidence, present it, but spreading anarchy in the state in the form of protests owing to foreign funding can’t be supported,” he said.

Reacting to the comments made by NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar on former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s death, Kadam said, “Rohit Pawar has engaged in political theatrics by claiming that he would reveal the mystery behind the muffler on October 10. Ajit Dada Pawar has passed away, and 15 days ago, Rohit Pawar said he would reveal the mystery, but October 10 has passed without any revelation. This shows that he is engaging in cheap political stunts.”

Previously, NCP-SP leader Rohit Pawar had expressed his doubts about the plane crash that killed former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and sought intervention of the probe agencies for further investigation.

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Crime

Elderly Pune resident duped of Rs 8 lakh by man posing as ECI official; 2nd such case in city

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Pune, Oct 11: An unknown person posing as an official of the Election Commission of India (ECI) defrauded a 78-year-old Pune resident of Rs 8 lakh, officials said on Sunday.

The victim, Jitendra Kumar Ahuja, is a resident of Pune’s Ghorpadi. He was cheated of Rs 8,00,015.34. A case was registered at the Mundhwa police station on October 10.

According to the police, the accused gained Ahuja’s trust by posing as an ECI official. He told Ahuja that his documents did not match. He then sent Ahuja a link and asked him to fill in his information.

It is alleged that the accused gained access to Ahuja’s mobile phone through the link and defrauded him of over Rs 8 lakh. This incident occurred between October 1 and 3.

The police have registered a case against the unidentified accused under sections 319(2), 318(4), 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.

This is the second such case that came to light on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, the police said that a person posing as an official of the Election Commission of India (ECI) cheated an 80-year-old man of Rs five lakh online under the guise of updating his voter card in Pune.

A case regarding this incident has been registered at the Lakshminagar Police Station in Pune.

According to the police, the complainant, Kanjasheri Vaidyanathan Venkatesan (80), is a retired employee of an automotive manufacturing company, residing in the Yerwada area of ​​Pune. The accused called him, claiming to be from the ECI’s office, and stated that he needed to update his voter card.

Subsequently, the accused instructed him to download an APK file. After the file was downloaded, the accused gained access to the victim’s mobile screen, compromised his banking passwords, and fraudulently siphoned off Rs. 5 lakh.

A case has been registered at the Lakshminagar Police Station under Sections 308, 318(4), and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as Sections 66(D) and 66(C) of the IT Act.

The full name and address of the accused have not yet been ascertained.

Investigations into both cases are currently underway, and further details are awaited, officials said.

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