Connect with us
Wednesday,25-February-2026
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Maharashtra: Senior Govt Official Removed For Granting Minority Status To 75 Educational Institutes After Ajit Pawar’s Death

Published

on

Mumbai: A senior Maharashtra government official has been removed after his name was linked to the alleged hasty grant of minority status to 75 educational institutes following the death of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, officials said on Wednesday.

The action against Milind Padmanabh Shenoy, deputy secretary in the Minority Development Department, was taken on Tuesday, a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stayed the approvals, they said.

While Shenoy has been relieved from his post, he has not been assigned any other responsibilities, officials added.

Pawar and four others died in a plane crash in Baramati in Pune district on the morning of January 28.

According to officials, the first minority certificate was issued at 3.09 pm on January 28 and seven institutions received approvals that day. The total number rose to 75 within the next three days.

A high-level inquiry has been ordered to ascertain how the files were processed, whether due procedure was followed and whether any earlier suspension on issuing minority certificates had been formally lifted, a senior official said.

“The chief minister has sought a comprehensive report on the entire sequence of events. If any irregularity or procedural lapse is found, stern action will be taken against those responsible,” the official said.

Deputy Chief Minister and Minority Development Minister Sunetra Pawar, who was sworn in after her husband Ajit Pawar’s death, had earlier directed officials to probe into the matter and initiate strict action if any wrongdoing is established, the official said.

Chairing a review meeting of the department, she had said it must function in a transparent and people-oriented manner. If certificates have been issued in the wrong way, the matter must be investigated in depth and responsibility fixed, she had said.

The issue surfaced after reports suggested that several approvals were issued after regular office hours.

State Minority Commission Chairman Pyare Khan had termed the episode “deeply disturbing” and called for accountability, including a high-level inquiry and a probe by the CID (Crime Investigation Department).

“Granting minority status to 75 institutions within such a short span raises serious questions. The entire process must be examined thoroughly. If any irregularity is found, strict action should be taken against the officials responsible and a CID probe must be conducted,” Khan had said.

He added that the Commission would seek detailed records of the approvals and review similar cases across the state to ensure the process was not misused. He also demanded registration of criminal cases against officials found responsible and said the Commission would initiate a review of over 8,500 minority institutions across Maharashtra.

Khan had also said that the minority status granted to two schools in the Akola district had already been cancelled after irregularities were detected.

Minority status provides educational institutions with certain exemptions from provisions of the Right to Education Act, including the 25 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections, grants and greater administrative autonomy in appointments and internal management, making it a significant regulatory benefit.

Maharashtra

Abu Asim response to Nitesh Rane’s statement that madrasas are the base of terrorism: Rane is a liar

Published

on

Mumbai: Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane, while demanding a ban on madrasas, called them a haven for terrorism and showed hostility towards Muslims, on which Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim has called Nitesh Rane a liar. He said that Nitesh Rane is lying about madrasas. No training for terrorism is given in madrasas in our country. This is the brainchild of Nitesh Rane. If there is any doubt, then madrasas should be monitored 24 hours a day with cameras. Defaming madrasas is just part of divisive politics. The fact is that madrasas educate orphans and poor children and make them good human beings. If we look at history, the students of these same madrasas sacrificed their lives for the country’s freedom. The purpose of madrasas has always been to serve humanity. BJP’s politics is now limited to Muslims, mosques, prayers and madrasas. He said that the way BJP and Nitesh Rane are conspiring to defame madrasas, they can never succeed in their goal because this madrasa is not your lair, but the people are made from the soil of this place. Politics is involved in all the allegations made against madrasas and that is why there is no need to pay attention to Nitesh Rane’s words, his job is to spread poison and divide Hindus into Muslims.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Mumbai Municipal Corporation presents budget with deficit of Rs 80,952.56 crore for 2026-27, 8.77% increase in expenditure over last year’s estimate

Published

on

Mumbai: Municipal Corporation (BMC) has presented its deficit budget for the current financial year. It has presented a budget of Rs 80,952.56 crore for the financial year 2026-27, against an estimate of Rs 89.84 crore. Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani presented the budget along with Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde.

The new expenditure is higher than the previous year’s budget of Rs 74,427.41 crore. The civic body said it has adopted a policy of reducing administrative expenditure and has made strong arrangements for development works.

The corporation currently has Rs 81,449 crore and 32 lakh crore. Of this amount, Rs 44,826 crore and 23 lakh crore are earmarked deposits and cannot be used. The remaining amount of Rs 36,623 crore and 09 lakh crore can be used for other civic projects.

Officials said the corporation may break some deposits to fund infrastructure and development initiatives.
A key policy decision in the budget relates to outdoor advertising. The civic body has imposed a complete ban on billboards larger than 40 by 40 feet. It will also not allow billboards on footpaths or building roofs. No new approvals will be given for such structures. The move is aimed at improving public safety and curbing dangerous hoardings.

The budget has provided Rs 5,237 crore for the health department for 2026-27. The civic body also said that 1.35 crore citizens have availed services at the Hindu Hardai Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Hospital. It plans to introduce free AI-based treatment for diabetes and eye diseases at the hospital.

To tackle the rising air pollution in the city, the corporation has allocated Rs 159.82 crore for environment and cleanliness. The budget includes Rs 1,000 crore as grant to BEST. The education department has been allocated Rs 4,248.8 crore. Solid waste management gets Rs 580.82 crore, while the storm water drainage department gets Rs 1,800 crore.

The allocation for infrastructure is Rs 6,875 crore for roads and transport, Rs 9,650 crore for bridges, Rs 950 crore for coastal road project, Rs 1,330 crore for water engineering and Rs 6,600 crore for sewerage project works. Rs 800 crore has been allocated for parks and zoos. The budget emphasizes administrative expenditure for infrastructure development.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Mumbai: Ajit Pawar plane crash, Marine Drive police station refuses to register case against MLAs

Published

on

Mumbai: Police has refused to register a case in the Ajit Pawar plane crash case. NCP leader MLA Rohit Pawar along with other MLAs had today gone to Marine Drive police station and demanded that a case be registered in the Ajit Pawar plane crash or conspiracy case. The process of recording his confession statement was also going on, but in the meantime, the DCP and Additional Police Commissioner refused to register a case and said that a case cannot be registered in this matter. Expressing his displeasure, Rohit Pawar said that the purpose of registering an FIR today is that the DGCA has issued a circular on the basis of which action has been taken regarding the VSR company, on this basis the VSR company is responsible for this plane crash, yet the police have refused to register a case. He said that any citizen can register a complaint at the police station, this act says, but contrary to this, the police have refused to register a case. He said that efforts are underway to save the VSR company. He said that the police register cases for other crimes including assault, but why is the police not registering a case on the incident that happened with a Maratha leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar? This is completely wrong. Our struggle will continue until justice is achieved. He said that tomorrow morning we will try to register a complaint at the Baramati police station. Rohit Pawar expressed his disappointment and said that if a Deputy Chief Minister does not get justice, then what will happen to the common man? Regarding the registration of a case in the case of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the ruling party BJP has also taken its stand that a case should not be registered in this matter, while it has also recommended a CBI inquiry into this matter, but despite this inquiry, we have the right to register an FIR, yet we are being deprived of it and have refused to take an FIR.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending