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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

Sashil Kodiyeri apologizes after tension over Marathi-Hindi controversy

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Maharashtra: In the context of the Mumbai Marathi-Hindi controversy, Shishil Kodia has apologized for his controversial statement. He said that his tweet was misrepresented. I am not against Marathi. I have been living in Mumbai and Maharashtra for the last 30 years. I am a fan of Raj Thackeray. I constantly comment positively on Raj Thackeray’s tweets. I tweeted in my emotions and I made a mistake. This tense and tense atmosphere should end. We need a favorable environment to accept Marathi. So I request you to forgive me for this mistake for Marathi. Earlier, Shishil Kodia had made a controversial statement about Marathi and refused to speak Marathi, due to which MNS workers attacked and pelted stones at Shishil’s company WeWork. After which Shishil has now apologized to X

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Marathi Hindi Controversy: Strict action will be taken against those who take law into their hands: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has made it clear on the Hindi-Marathi language dispute that linguistic discrimination and violence cannot be tolerated. If anyone instigates violence in the name of Marathi language or takes the law into his own hands, strict action will be taken against him because it is the government’s responsibility to maintain law and order. He said that in the Mira Road Hindi Marathi violence case, the police have registered a case and taken action.

A committee has been formed in the matter of Marathi and Hindi language. Whatever is better for the students on its recommendation, the government will implement it. No decision has been taken under anyone’s pressure. He said that the recommendation for Hindi language was made during the Maha Vikas Aghadi rule itself, but now these same people are opposing it. The public knows everything.

He said that in this election, BJP has got 51 percent Marathi votes. Violence and discrimination in the name of language cannot be tolerated. Marathi is a source of pride for us, but we do not oppose Hindi. What will happen if a Marathi businessman in another state is asked to speak his language? In Assam, he was asked to speak Assamese. He said that strict action will be taken against those who break the law.

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Maharashtra

Case registered for burning copy of Hindi Marathi dispute order

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Mumbai: Mumbai Police has registered a case against 200 to 300 activists including Deepak Pawar, Santosh Shinde, Santosh Kharat, Shashi Pawar, Yoginder Salulkar, Santosh Veer for protesting without permission, violating prohibitory orders and Police Act in the case of burning copy of order making Hindi language compulsory. The accused have been booked under Section 189(2), 190,223, Maharashtra Police Act at Azad Maidan Police Station. The case has been registered on the complaint of complainant Santosh Suraj Dhundiram Khot, 32 years.

According to the details, on June 29, between 2 and 3:30 pm, a copy of the government order against making Hindi i.e. third language compulsory in primary education was burnt without permission on BMC Road adjacent to Marathi Patkar Singh and the government order was violated. The accused had not taken any permission for this demonstration and had violated the prohibitory orders, following which a case has been registered against them, confirmed Mumbai Police. The case has been registered after recording the statement of the complainant.

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