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Maharashtra

Maharashtra: Shinde In (M)Ad Rush To Control Damage; DCM Sulks, Avoids CM

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Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his party slipped in damage-control mode on Wednesday by releasing yet another full-page advertisement to “correct” the previous omissions and announced a ‘coordination committee’ to look after the alliance affairs even as the miffed Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis skipped public appearance with Shinde for the second consecutive day.

Based on the same survey quoted in previous advertisement, the advertisement appeared in select newspapers on Wednesday said 49.3 per cent of people wanted the united leadership of Shinde and Fadnavis along with a prominent photograph of the duo. The advertisement also sought to correct past mistakes by incorporating pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the de facto in-charge of the BJP’s affairs in Maharashtra and those of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe, the mentor of CM Shinde. The advertisement also proclaimed that 46.4 per cent of people wanted the BJP-Sena alliance government again in the state.

However, in an attempt to correct the previous mistakes, the advertisement committed new mistakes by adding photographs of Shiv Sena ministers at the bottom. Those included the ministers with shoddy performance whom the BJP wanted to be dropped from the cabinet. Questions were also being raised about who gave the advertisements.

One of the ministers Shambhuraj Desai’s statement, “Some ‘unknown well wisher’ of the party must have placed the advertisement” provided fodder for the opposition criticism. National Congress Party’s national working president and MP Supriya Sule wondered, “I am in search of that well-wisher who gave advertisements worth crores of rupees in newspapers. I think today’s design came from Delhi and that possibility cannot be ruled out.”

Unknown ‘well-wisher’

Asked what could have prompted the new advertisement on Wednesday, Sule quipped, “An invisible hand from Delhi.”
Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said the BJP and Shinde-led Sena should call for the elections immediately if they are so confident of enjoying public support.
“The ruling side claimed that the ad was placed by a well-wisher. We would like to know who is that well-wisher with so much money,” he said, referring to Sena minister Shambhuraj Desai’s claim that the advertisement on Tuesday was probably given by a well-wisher of their party.

Pawar also pointed out that most of the Sena ministers featuring in Wednesday’s ad are controversial figures.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that the fresh advertisement was the result of an earful from Fadnavis. “It has become clear what is in their mind. But everything is not good. The government will collapse like a house of cards. There is a proxy war between Shinde and BJP,” he added.

Meanwhile, DCM Fadnavis, who had skipped his scheduled programs at Kolhapur on Tuesday, also did so on Wednesday and avoided a program where he was supposed to share stage with CM Shinde.  In fact, Fadnavis cancelled all appointments for next few days out of Mumbai owing to inflammation of the tissues in sinuses due to which he has been advised to avoid air-travel. However, on Wednesday evening he was scheduled to share dais with CM at the platinum jubilee function of the MSRTC, which he skipped leading to raised eyebrows and speculations that something has gone very wrong within the alliance.

BJP-Shiv Sena Crossfire

The cross-fire between the other BJP and Shiv Sena leaders too continued on Wednesday. BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP and former agriculture minister Anil Bonde said, “A frog can not become an Oxen, how much it may swell,” in a cryptic reference to CM Shinde. “Shinde is a good Chief Minister, the people have accepted him. But, his coterie misguides him. They feel Thane means whole Maharashtra,” he added.

Senior Shiv Sena leader and minister for state excise, Shambhuraj Desai, however, tried to shield the alliance and said, “A coordination committee of senior leaders will be formed very soon to bury the differences and focus on the 2024 elections.”

Maharashtra

We will take initiative on the problems of Mumbai University – Ambadas Danve

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Mumbai: Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve said that the government will take initiative regarding the vacant posts of teachers in Mumbai University, enrollment of colleges, and pending development works by MMRDA. Today he visited the Kalina campus and took stock of the problems and current situation of the students.

Delay in development works of the university

An agreement was signed between Mumbai University and MMRDA for the beautification of the Kalina campus and construction of buildings for educational purposes. But this work has not been done till now and concerns were raised about the completion of these works.

Issue of safety of students

Every day five to six thousand students visit the Kalina campus, but incidents of attacks on female students are increasing due to outside elements. Also, the Bit Chowki near the main entrance was demolished in the name of widening the road, which increased the threat to the safety of girl students, this issue was raised by Senate member Sheetal Devrukhkar-Sheth.

Issue of cancellation of teacher recruitment

Instead of improving the quality of education, the decision to cancel the teacher recruitment is proving to be harmful for the students, Senate member Milind Satam reported.

Challenge to the international recognition of the university

Despite getting international recognition, the students are facing problems due to the problems of Mumbai University, which is unfortunate, said Ambadas Danve. Students from all over the country and abroad come here to study, so it is important to solve these problems, he said.

Vice Chancellor Dr. Ravindra Kulkarni, Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr. Ajay Bhamare, local MLA Vilas Potnis, Senate members Sheetal Devrukhkar-Sheth, Milind Satam, Kisan Sawant, Param Yadav and other dignitaries were present in this meeting.

Danve resolved to raise voice with the government on the problems of the university and play an active role in the interest of the students.

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Maharashtra

‘Water Grid’ project for Marathwada: Gulabrao Patil

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Mumbai: The ‘Marathwada Water Grid’ scheme is being implemented to permanently solve the water shortage in Marathwada and ensure robust water supply. Under this project, 11 major dams of Marathwada will be connected through pipelines and drinking water will be provided to cities and villages across the region. Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Gulabrao Patil gave information about the project and said that this project will provide sustainable water supply to Marathwada.

The cooperation of global level banks will be taken to implement this scheme, Patil said. A review meeting was held with representatives of global banks in the ministry regarding this project. Many important officials including Principal Secretary of Water Supply and Sanitation Department Sanjay Khandare, Member Secretary of Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran Abhishek Krishna, Chief Executive Officer of ‘Mitra’ Praveensinh Pardeshi, Director of Jal Jeevan Mission Abhiyan E Ravindran, and Secretary of Water Resources Department Sanjay Belsare were present in this meeting.

Long-term water supply to Marathwada will be ensured through this project. Along with this, as per the advice of the central government, the project will be set up and implemented by taking loans from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and New Development Bank. The implementation of the project will be coordinated by the ‘Mitra’ institution, as told by Minister Gulabrao Patil.

The ‘Mitra’ institution has taken the initiative to discuss the project further and coordinate with the concerned banks. Patil expressed confidence that the project will significantly help in solving the water problem of Marathwada.

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Maharashtra

The state government is preparing to bring private kindergartens under its control

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Mumbai: The lack of educational facilities, midday meals for children, and proper implementation of government schemes in private schools running in the streets of the state has increased the concern of parents. As a measure against this, the School Education Department has started preparing a new manual to bring private schools under government control.

According to the new National Education Policy, pre-primary education for children between 3 and 6 years of age has been considered important, and it is proposed to include private schools in this policy as well. Currently, many schools running in the streets are running without any manual and are out of the control of the local administration. It has been assured that a suitable educational environment will be created for the children under this new rule of the Education Department.

Under the new regulations, educational curriculum for children will be implemented in the balwadis, along with midday meals and appropriate schemes for the physical and mental development of children. This is expected to provide quality education to the children.

It has not yet been decided which department will control these balwadis – the School Education Department, the Women and Child Welfare Department, and the Integrated Child Development Services Department. However, it is believed that this decision will reduce the anxiety of parents and improve the educational quality of children.

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