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Maharashtra: Sharad Pawar Frowns At Congress Ahead Of Seat-Sharing For Assembly Election, Rakes Up Cross-Voting In MLC Polls

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Pune: NCP founder Sharad Pawar criticised the Mahayuti government, and especially Cabinet Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, on Wednesday alleging that the government did not take any assistance from the opposition in the initial stages of the Maratha agitation and now, is suddenly holding the opposition responsible for the tension in various parts of the state.

Sharad Pawar was speaking to the media in Pune and also openly targeted the Congress party,  explaining how there was cross-voting in the recent MLC polls and how his party was disappointed to see Congress votes getting split.

NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar Openly Expresses His Disappointment

This is the first time Sharad Pawar has openly spoken about his disappointment with his alliance  partners post-Lok Sabha polls and observers feel this was done so to put the state Congress leadership on the defensive ahead of seat-sharing talks for the assembly polls.

Pawar had some observations to make about the recent Maharashtra Legislative Council polls, where Jayant Patil, the candidate he had supported lost the contest because of cross-voting by Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) members. It has now transpired that as many as seven votes of the Congress party may have gone to the ruling Mahayuti.

“We had expected that some Congress votes would go to Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Milind Narvekar and some would come to Jayant Patil of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), whom we had supported. But the Congress could not ensure this vote transfer to Patil. We are disappointed. They must find out what happened,” Pawar said. 

Buzz About NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar Preparing To Put State Congress Leadership On The Defensive

Inside the Sharad Pawar NCP, there is buzz about how Pawar is now preparing to put the state Congress leadership on the defensive, ahead of the state assembly poll seat-sharing talks. Pawar is comfortable with the discussions between him and the central leadership of the Congress party but he is extremely uncomfortable with the state Congress leadership, as he considers the leaders to be his juniors and he has had issues with them in the past.

Pawar’s remarks on Monday are seen as part of his strategy to present a picture that the Maharashtra Congress cannot put its house in order and there are differences among the leaders to such an extent that they could not even prevent cross-voting by Congress party MLAs in the MLC polls. It seems that Pawar wants Rahul Gandhi to send a message to the state Congress leadership that in the upcoming assembly poll campaign, he should generally hold the command of MVA in the state and also be given seats of his choice, especially in western Maharashtra including Pune and Satara districts, where NCP (SCP) wields political power.

Pawar also used the opportunity to target the BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra over its alleged ‘failure’ in handling the Maratha agitation issue.

“The agitation restarted last year. The state government sent various delegations to discuss solutions with agitators. The state sought to create the impression that it had found a solution. There was a celebration. All along, the opposition was never included in the process. No opposition leader was invited to any talks. Now that the government has discovered that its solution has not worked and there is tension in parts of the state, at this point, it wants the opposition to get involved. Cabinet Minister Chhagan Bhujbal met me and said I should take the initiative to convince the agitators. Why has the government thought of involving us at the last minute, like this. Why should we now be held responsible for the tension in some parts of the state?” Pawar asked.

Maharashtra

Indian Railways Staff To Be Trained Via Virtual Reality (VR) To Maintain Local Trains In Mumbai

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Mumbai: Indian Railways will soon begin using Virtual Reality (VR) technology to train workers responsible for the maintenance of Mumbai local trains. The Kurla Car Shed has adopted this technology on a trial basis, with plans to roll it out next month.

What is a Virtual Reality (VR) System?

This VR-based system will allow workers to monitor every part of the local trains, providing detailed information about the bogies.

The technology will offer in-depth details about the train’s features, such as lights, fans, seats, doors, windows, roofs, and more, as mentioned by railway officials.

In the final process, the module known as Virtual Reality (VR) will be in action to get the repairing done, everything from small to large detailing of the Mumbai local train.

Indian Railways expects the training module to be ready in about 15 days. This model will provide detailed information about the Mumbai local train, making the maintenance and repair process easier for workers when they are physically present at the bogies.

The old barrack car shed is being refurbished into a training centre. It will include classrooms, each with 40-60 trainees and every piece of equipment will feature the new Virtual Reality Training System. This system will be fully installed and live once everything is ready.

Indian Railways recently marked the 100th anniversary of its first electric-powered local train, which ran between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kurla Station. This historic journey took place on February 3, 1925.

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Maharashtra

Manipur CM resigned only after political embarrassment: Priyanka Chaturvedi

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New Delhi, Feb 10: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi strongly criticised the delay in Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s resignation, following a two-year-long period of violence and unrest in the state and taunted that eyes opened quickly and Biren Singh resigned only after political embarrassment.

She criticised the political motivation behind the resignation. Speaking to media Chaturvedi remarked, “The resignation came after a No Confidence Motion was to be raised in the Assembly. The CM knew that his own MLAs might support the motion, and he realised that he was losing political support. To avoid embarrassment, the resignation was forced.”

Chaturvedi added, “After that the eyes opened quickly, and it became clear through the ears.”

“Two years have passed, and Manipur has been waiting all this while for the Chief Minister to resign. Over the last two years, so many incidents have occurred. Two factions in Manipur have been divided, leading to violent clashes among the public, many lives lost, and women subjected to exploitation,” she added.

Chaturvedi pointed out the continued violence and division in the state that escalated over time.

“There was so much violence, so many lives lost, and women were subjected to exploitation for two years, but only after all this did the government act,” she said, expressing her frustration over the government’s delayed response.

Earlier on Sunday Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh submitted his resignation to Governor A.K. Bhalla.

The ethnic violence between Meitis and Kuki-Zos that broke out in May 2023 in the state had cast a cloud over his second term and on Sunday he submitted his resignation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla a day before the crucial Assembly session.

A Raj Bhavan official said that the Governor accepted the resignation letter and requested Biren Singh to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister until alternative arrangements are made.

He was accompanied by BJP’s northeast in-charge Sambit Patra who came to Imphal from Delhi. In the national Capital, he held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party president, J.P. Nadda.

Regarding Congress and Aam Aadmi Party’s recent Delhi election results, she emphasised, “This fight is between AAP and BJP, with Congress in the middle. In the process, we’ve allowed others to benefit. While Congress may have gained some ground, ultimately, the BJP managed to win, and they did so with a focussed campaign.”

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Maharashtra

Navi Mumbai: Over 8,000 NMMC Contractual Workers Go On Indefinite Strike Over Pay Disparity; Garbage Collection Halted

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Navi Mumbai: Over 8,050 contractual workers employed with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) have gone on an indefinite strike from today, leading to a halt in garbage collection across the city. The workers on strike are demanding equal pay for equal work, as per a policy adopted by the NMMC in 2007.

About The Protest

The protest stems from a long-standing issue regarding disparities in wages and benefits between contractual workers and permanent employees. The workers are demanding that their salaries be brought on par with those of fourth-class permanent employees, as per directives issued in 2007. They are also insisting on receiving benefits such as gratuity, earned leave, medical leave, provident fund, and uniforms, which are currently given only to permanent staff.

Statement Of The Union Leader Of The Contractual Workers

“Even after years of legal battles, committee reports, and government assurances, no final decision has been implemented. In 2022, a committee led by the Additional Commissioner was set up to assess the financial and legal feasibility of granting equal pay to contractual workers. The committee concluded that implementing equal pay would cost the NMMC an additional Rs 20.43 crore annually. However, despite proposals being sent to the state government for financial approval, no action has been taken,” Mangesh Ladh, the union leader of the contractual workers, said.

Workers have alleged that while the municipal administration spends crores on other projects, their demand for rightful wages is being ignored. They argue that while permanent employees hired in 2024 are receiving significantly higher salaries, many contractual workers who have served for over 29 years are still underpaid.

The strike is expected to severely impact the city’s sanitation, particularly garbage collection, vector control measures, and maintenance of public gardens. The workers have vowed to continue their protest until a written assurance is given.

If the strike continues, the city could face mounting waste accumulation, leading to severe public health concerns.

“Road sweeping, garbage collection, sewage complaint will all be unattended and various NMMC Services will be affected if the strike continues. I hope the NMMC Commissioner takes the necessary decision to resolve the strike,” former corporator Divya Vaibhav Gaikwad, said.

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