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Maharashtra: Bombay HC says bullet train project of ‘national importance’, junks Godrej plea

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Mumbai: Declaring that the upcoming Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is of ‘national importance’, the Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co. challenging the acquisition of its land in Vikhroli.

The verdict by a division bench of Justices R.D. Dhanuka and Justice M.M. Sathaye said: “The project is of national importance and public interest… No interference is required. No illegality found in the compensation.”

The judgement signalling a green flag comes as a breather for the mega-project on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mumbai on Friday.

Justices Dhanuka and Sathaye also said that it is the paramount collective interest that would prevail and not private interest “Project would be first of its kind. Petition is dismissed”.

When Godrej group’s counsel, Senior Advocate Navroz Seervai sought a stay on the order to enable them appeal in the Supreme Court, the high court refused to entertain the plea.

Opposing, the state’s Advocate-General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told the court that the land acquisition for the project was completed except for the stretch owned by Godrej group, and pleaded that the company’s plea should be dismissed.

Additional Solicitor-General Anil Singh argued that the entire land acquisition in Gujarat was complete and the (project) work had started, while in Maharashtra, 3 per cent of the acquisition was remaining to be done.

He contended that the Godrej petition was delaying the project and led to cost escalations, and if the compensation amount was a concern, then a higher payout could be considered, but the project could not be made to suffer more.

For the past four years since August 2019, the government and the Godrej group have been squabbling over the acquisition of the company’s land for what is billed as Modi’s pet project coming up with Japanese collaboration.

Slated to cost around Rs 1.60 Lakh-Crore, the bullet train project will be 508 kms long, including 21 kms running underground and one of the entry points to the subterranean tunnel will fall on the land owned by Godrej in Vikhroli which was taken over by the government.

After the acquisition of around 9.69 acres of its land, Godrej group had challenged the compensation of Rs. 264 crore awarded by the Deputy Collector in Sep. 2022, claiming it was a fraction of the original offer of Rs 572 crore, and how there were multiple and patent illegalities in the entire process.

The company had also challenged the August 2019 notification under the Right To Fair Compensation and Transparency In Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and the constitutional validity of certain sections, which has been upheld by the high court.

Maharashtra

Aaditya Thackeray Elected Shiv Sena UBT Legislature Party Leader, Sunil Prabhu Named Chief Whip

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Aaditya Thackeray Elected Shiv Sena UBT Legislature Party Leader, Sunil Prabhu Named Chief Whip

Mumbai, November 25: Former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray was on Monday elected the Shiv Sena (UBT) legislature party leader at a meeting of the party legislators in Mumbai.

Aaditya, son of party president Uddhav Thackeray, defeated Milind Deora of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the recent assembly elections from Worli constituency by 8,801 votes.

His winning margin dipped compared to the last elections in 2019, where it was 67,427 votes.

Senior party leader Ambadas Danve told reporters after the meeting of party legislators that former minister Bhaskar Jadhav was elected the party group leader in the state assembly, while Sunil Prabhu was named the party’s chief whip.

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Maharashtra

The Election Commission Should Take Immediate Action Against IPS Officer Rashmi Shukla: Atul Londhe

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Mumbai, November 25: IPS officer Rashmi Shukla violated the Model Code of Conduct by meeting Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while the code of conduct was still in force. The Election Commission must take this matter seriously and initiate immediate action against Rashmi Shukla, demanded Atul Londhe, Chief Spokesperson of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.

Commenting on the issue, Atul Londhe said that in Telangana, the Election Commission had promptly acted against a Director General of Police and another senior official for meeting a senior minister during elections. “Why does the Election Commission act swiftly in non-BJP-ruled states but fail to notice such violations in BJP-ruled states?” he questioned.

Rashmi Shukla faces serious allegations, including phone tapping of opposition leaders. The Congress had earlier demanded her removal from the post of Director General of Police during the election period, and she was subsequently removed. However, despite the declaration of assembly results, Rashmi Shukla met the Home Minister before the Model Code of Conduct officially ended, violating its norms. Londhe insisted that immediate action should be taken against her.

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Maharashtra

‘I Haven’t Resigned Yet,’ Says Maharashtra Congress Chief Nana Patole Amid Rumours Of Quitting Post After Poll Debacle

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Maharashtra Congress president and newly elected MLA from the Sakoli Assembly seat, Nana Patole, denied media reports about his resignation from the post of party chief in the state.

Speaking to the media, Patole said, “I am going to meet Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. I have not submitted my resignation.”

Earlier it was reported that after the crushing defeat of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections, Nana Patole offered to resign as Congress state president, taking moral responsibility for the loss. However, conflicting reports claim that Patole has not yet made a final decision, and there has been no confirmation from him or the party regarding his resignation.

The ruling Mahayuti coalition secured a resounding victory, winning 235 seats with 49.6% of the vote share, while the MVA lagged far behind with just 49 seats and 35.3% of the votes. The Congress, in particular, suffered a major setback, winning only 16 of the 103 seats it contested.

Patole, who contested from the Sakoli seat, narrowly retained his position with a margin of just 208 votes—the smallest margin of his political career. This is a sharp contrast to his 2019 Assembly election performance, where he won the same seat by nearly 8,000 votes. His narrow victory this year ranks among the closest contests in the state.

Patole reportedly sought to meet Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Monday to discuss his resignation but was unable to do so. The party high command has not yet acted on his reported resignation.

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