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Maharashtra

Maharashtra achieves ‘Zero’ loadshedding: Energy Minister

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After two weeks of power cuts ranging from two to 10 hours in many areas barring Mumbai, Maharashtra finally achieved ‘zero’ load-shedding on April 28, Energy Minister Nitin Raut said here on Saturday.

From April 14, the state had experienced a shortfall of around 1,700 megawatt (MW) which necessitated the load-shedding in many areas, sparking an uproar as the state reels under an unprecedented heat wave, said an official from the Energy Department.

“However, the state has been able to bridge the gap and satisfy the full demand of 28,276-MW power from its 2.89 crore consumers across different categories. This was possible by buying electricity at higher rates from the markets and other measures,” Maharashtra State Electricity Workers Federation President, Mohan Sharma said.

Minister Raut said that since April 28, there has been no load-shedding, making it the only state among those hit by coal shortages to achieve the mark in just 14 days.

On April 27, the MSEWF had slammed the Centre for what it alleged were wrong policies that resulted in an ‘artificial’ power shortage in over a dozen states in India, first highlighted by IANS (April 27).

The opposition Congress on Friday reacted sharply to this by blaming the Centre for not making arrangements to transport coal to the power plants thereby leading to the ‘man-made’ power shortage crisis at the height of summer.

“Today the situation is that there are coal plants with 72,000-MW lying barren due to non-availability of coal. It’s not that there is no coal in the country, it is available, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn’t think it is necessary to transport it to the plants,” Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said.

He said that India is capable enough of producing electricity and also has raw material too, but the Prime Minister cannot even transport coal from the mines to power plants to help generate power.

As the heatwave tightened its grip the state, many parts of Maharashtra particularly the hinterlands, baked with the mercury scorching at Jalgaon, Chandrapur (46 degrees), Akola, Wardha, Yavatmal and Ahmednagar (45 degrees), Amravati, Nagpur and Parbhani (44 degrees).

As per the latest official data, the worst-hit states due to load-shedding are Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, with maximum power shortages running into double-digits.

Next in the list are Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh reporting medium power shortfall running into single digits.

In the bottom order are Assam, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh with low shortages.

Maharashtra

Mumbai arms supplier arrested from Ghatkopar depot

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Mumbai: Police has claimed to have arrested an arms supplier from Ghatkopar Bus Depot who had come here to supply arms to Mumbai. The Mumbai Police Ghatkopar Anti-Gang Squad received information about this. The police laid a trap and took the accused into custody and recovered two country-made pistols and four live cartridges from his possession. During the investigation, the police asked him his name and he revealed his name as Ajay Kailash, a resident of Ujjain. The police have registered a case in this matter and started the investigation. Pantnagar Police has started the investigation in this matter to find out from where the accused had brought the arms to supply arms. This action was taken by DCP Rakesh Ola on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti.

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Crime

Thane: Man Stabbed To Death In Dombivali Hotel After Minor Altercation

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Thane: A man was stabbed to death in Dombivali in Thane district during an altercation after he accidentally brushed against another person, a police official said on Monday.

The incident took place in a hotel in the early hours of Sunday in MIDC Phase 1 area, the Manpada police station official said.

“Akash Bhanu Singh (38) and his friends were having dinner at the hotel when he accidentally brushed against the accused, who picked up a fight. He along with some others stabbed Singh to death. Two of Singh’s friends, who tried to save him, also sustained injuries and have been hospitalised,” the official said.

Four persons were booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for murder and other offences, though no arrest has been made, he said.

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Crime

‘Don’t You Know Marathi?’: Vadapav Vendor & Two Others Assaulted By Four Men Over Language Dispute In Kalyan

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Mumbai: In a troubling incident on Sunday night in Kalyan East near Chakkinaaka and Santoshnagar, a vadapav vendor and two of his companions were brutally assaulted by four men. The attack occurred after the assailants asked the vendor, “Do you know how to speak Marathi?” and began the assault when he did not respond affirmatively.

The vendor, identified as Vishnu Thapa, and his co-workers told police at the Colsewadi station that they work at a small eatery named Riddhi Bhojanalay. Around 8 pm two unknown men arrived at the shop, ate food and left. They returned shortly after and confronted Thapa with the question “Marathi ye­t nahi ka?” (“Don’t you know Marathi?”). Without waiting for a response they started beating him. He suffered serious injury to his nose in the first attack.

After the two men left, Thapa and his colleagues resumed work. Minutes later the men returned, this time bringing two others. The group of four again raised the language question and launched a fresh attack. Co-worker Madan Thapa was hit with a stone slab. Another colleague, Ali Khan, had his mobile phone smashed to the floor amid the chaos. The assailants also vandalised the shop, throwing food, utensils and trays outside.

The three victims were taken to hospital for treatment. A First Information Report has been registered at the Colsewadi police station and investigations are underway, with Police Constable Jadhav assigned to the case. Locals say the area has long been troubled by harassment of street vendors and extortion attempts; some offenders had been removed by police about 18 months ago.

The incident has raised serious concerns among workers and local vendors who feel vulnerable in the wake of such attacks. For many migrants eating and operating in the city, language and region should not become triggers for violence. City police have been urged to increase patrols in the zone and ensure protection for small street-vendors, especially during late evening hours.

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