Connect with us
Thursday,18-June-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

Public representatives have high confidence in Shinde’s work, Uddhav Thackeray MPs did not have confidence in his leadership: Milind Deora

Published

on

Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora strongly criticised the absence of several MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction meeting. He said that only the UBT leadership can answer why UBT MPs did not attend the meeting called by his party. He said that the members who were absent from the meeting lacked faith in their party leadership. Deora said that today the people and public representatives have faith in the work and leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Eknath Shinde sahib works to strengthen the hands of those who trust in Shinde sahib’s leadership. Targeting Sanjay Raut, Milind Deora said that he is not aware of parliamentary traditions and rules. Other UBT MPs should understand what kind of meetings are held and what are the whip rules. On the issue of whip, Deora said that whip is issued only for voting in the House, not for attending any political meeting. This is a parliamentary rule and those who have been members for years should be aware of it. Milind Deora further said that Sanjay Raut sometimes abuses his own MPs, sometimes claims that all MPs are with him, sometimes says that his MPs were given money, and sometimes accuses MPs of corruption. This reflects his contradictory behavior. Sanjay Raut insulted his own MPs. With such behavior, who would want to work with him? He said that no leader has any faith left in the UBT leadership. Public representatives want their leader to be available to them. That is why many leaders still want to work under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. Shiv Sena welcomes anyone who wants to work for the development of their area. Our aim is not to weaken anyone but to strengthen the people. Finally, Deora said that the UBT leadership needs to examine itself instead of blaming others. I can only wish them well.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Customs Department sign MoU for conservation and restoration of Mahim Fort

Published

on

The vision of the conservation and restoration of the Mumbai Mahim Fort is to revive its historical beauty. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that it is a matter of pride and honour that the Municipal Corporation is preserving this fort. An MoU was signed between the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and the Customs Department today (June 18, 2026) at the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Headquarters for the conservation and restoration work of Mahim Fort, which has been declared a State Protected Monument.

Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi, Principal Commissioner of Customs Department Shri Ajay Kumar Pandey, Additional Commissioner of Customs Department Nitin Tagde, Vikram Phadke, Deputy Commissioner (Commissioner Office) of Mumbai Municipal Corporation Prashant Gaikwad, Deputy Commissioner (South Zone) Prashant Gaikwad, Assistant Commissioner (South Zone) Prashant Gaikwad were also present on the occasion. Yogesh Desai, Advisor on Conservation of Ancient Heritage Vikas Dilawari, Dr. K. K. Sangle, Head of the Department of Structural Engineering, Virmata Jijabai Institute of Technology, etc. were present on the occasion.

As per the directions of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, the conservation and preservation of ancient structures in Mumbai is being done under the guidance of Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi. On this basis, the Municipal Corporation has taken the initiative to conserve and revive the Mahim Fort.

Under this agreement, the dilapidated structure of Mahim Fort will be strengthened and reconstructed. The historical well present in the fort area will be searched and excavated. A pedestrian path will be made all around the interior of the fort. In addition, a protective wall will also be constructed to protect the foundation of the fort. Rs 20 crore has also been allocated for this. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that the Municipal Corporation’s G (North) Department has removed the encroachments on the Mahim Fort and rehabilitated the local residents. So now help will be given to restore the glory of this fort. Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi said that the Municipal Corporation has made great efforts to remove the encroachments on the Mahim Fort, which is a historical and ancient heritage, and to preserve it. Now the administration is planning to develop this fort as a tourist destination.

Principal Commissioner of the Customs Department Ajay Kumar Pandey said that apart from being a historical heritage, Mahim Fort is known as the customs station of the Customs Department. The conservation and restoration work undertaken by the Municipal Corporation will make this fort famous. Also, this fort will develop as a tourist destination for Mumbaikars. Mahim is an ancient fort and the descendants of Raja Bimbadev built this fort around the 12th and 13th centuries. Mahim was the main centre of power among the seven islands of Mumbai and this fort is a symbol of that glorious history. The Maharashtra government declared Mahim Fort as a state protected monument in 1975. The total area of ​​the fort is about 3,796.02 sq m. Currently, the fort is under the jurisdiction of the Customs Department. The existing structure of Mahim Fort was encroached upon in the form of slums. After surveying the entire area, proper documents were verified and 275 slums have been rehabilitated in flats available for project victims in Kurla and Malad. However, the restoration of a religious structure is underway.
The restoration and conservation work of the fort is proposed to be carried out under the guidance of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s G (North) Division Office, Customs Department, Advisor on Conservation of Ancient Cultural Heritage Vikas Dilawari and Dr. Sangal K. Jijabai, Head of the Structural Engineering Department of Veermata.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Operation Tiger rebel MPs in Maharashtra should be disqualified: Abu Asim Azmi

Published

on

Mumbai: Talking about the ongoing Operation Tiger of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Samajwadi Party Mumbai/Maharashtra state president and MLA Abu Asim Azmi said, “Today’s public representatives, leaders, and workers are no longer guided by ideology, they have become greedy. Those who take the votes of the people and then change parties of their own accord, their positions should be declared null and void.” Abu Asim Azmi further said that if someone contests elections on behalf of a party, he is provided with the party’s flag, banner, symbol and money. Workers are working day and night to ensure the victory of their candidate. Those representatives are elected on the basis of the party’s ideology, and people agree with this ideology, so they vote for them. However, after victory, they rebel against the party. A law should be made that if a candidate joins another party after winning, his position should be declared null and void. Taking a dig at the BJP, he said that the BJP is trying to lure, intimidate and It misuses power to intimidate and bring them into its party. If they do not join, they are sent to jail like Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh, but they were proven innocent. The BJP has tried to create a rift in other parties, which is why many parties have been split into two.

Continue Reading

Trending