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Maharashtra

PIL in Bombay HC seeks ‘return to work’ by rebel Ministers, MLAs

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3 years ago

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A group of activists and civil society members have moved the Bombay High Court seeking directions to the Shiv Sena rebel group of Ministers and MLAs to “return to the state (Maharashtra) and assume their duties”, here on Monday.

The petition has been filed by crusader-lawyer Asim Sarode on behalf of the activists group, comprising prominent personalities from different fields.

Among other things, he has urged the court to direct the rebel group leader Eknath Shinde “who is on unofficial leave” along with other ministers to return to the state and take charge of their duties

The PIL also has demanded “appropriate action” against Shinde, the other Ministers “for omission of duties and moral wrongs committed” leading to disrespect towards public rights and good governance.

The PIL was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and is likely to come up for hearing soon, Sarode told IANS.

The petitioners have also asked for directions to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other officials to “submit a detailed plan of assurance” mentioning the process of governance in the absence of so many Ministers.

The group of petitioners are: Utpal B. Chandawar, Abhijit V. Ghule-Patil, Neelima Medha K. Kulkarni, S. Vartak, Hemant M. Karnik, Manali M. Gupte and Madhavi Kulkarni.

The respondents are: Shinde, the group of rebels comprising Ministers and MLAs, the State of Maharashtra, and the state Presidents of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.

The petition points out how the people in the state are feeling neglected and voiceless, who at many times meek viewers of the (ongoing) political drama, because “they cannot do anything to change the situation of what happens between two elections”.

It highlighted the duty of all elected/appointed representatives to the legislative Assembly or Parliament not to disturb or create nuisance in ‘Constitutional Governance’ for their personal gain or ego’ and not upset the basic expectations related to governance due to ‘power politics’.

The ‘power struggle’ in the state has reached its heights, events are unfolding fast and it’s difficult to predict how it will end.

“Forming the government is one positive action while creating situations to topple the government by hook or by crook is a definite public nuisance issue for the common citizens. Why should the citizens be compelled to tolerate the nonsense under the name of politics,” the petition said.

It also questioned the manner in which the rebel group travelled from Mumbai to Surat (Gujarat) and then to Guwahati (Assam), travelling by chartered flights, living in lavish five-star hotels and asked how the elected representatives are spending such huge amounts and whether they are using ‘public funds’.

Amid all this, the PIL says how the acts of these Ministers is affecting their duties and responsibilities towards the people like roads, education, health, infrastructure, etc., and “such conduct interferes with the rights of the public and affects an entire community”.

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Maharashtra

‘Plastic Flowers Not Banned Due To Low Littering Potential’: Union Government Says To Bombay High Court

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54 mins ago

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January 31, 2025

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Mumbai: The Union government has informed the Bombay High Court that plastic flowers are not included in the list of banned single-use plastic items as they do not meet the criteria of “high littering potential and low utility”. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in an affidavit, stated that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had forwarded the matter for consideration but without any supporting analysis.

The affidavit was filed in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) by the Growers Flowers Council of India (GFCI), which sought a ban on plastic flowers in Maharashtra. The PIL argued that plastic flowers, particularly those less than 100 microns thick, contribute to environmental pollution and should be included in the list of prohibited singleuse plastic items.

The High Court had earlier issued notices to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), CPCB, and MoEFCC, seeking their response on the demand for a ban. In October 2024, the court had asked the Centre whether it had considered CPCB’s recommendations for banning plastic flowers.

The MoEFCC, in its affidavit, clarified that an expert committee constituted by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) had identified 40 single-use plastic items for detailed analysis. However, plastic flowers were not among them.

Refuting the petitioner’s claims, the affidavit stated that the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, do not specify a minimum thickness requirement of 100 microns for plastic flowers.

The government argued, “The petitioner states that… violation of this thickness requirement has resulted in difficulties in decomposing. This is wrong and misleading. There is no such provision in Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016,” the MoEFCC affidavit emphasises.

The plea also highlighted that the Maharashtra government had issued a notification on March 8, 2022, banning several single-use plastic items.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: BMC To Cut 50% Rate For Debris Service, Considers mandatory AutoDCR Integration For Builders

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1 hour ago

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January 31, 2025

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Mumbai: The BMC is planning to reduce the rates for its ‘debris on call service by 50%. It is also exploring a mandatory integration in the AutoDCR portal that will require builders to directly deliver their debris to BMCs plants.

The city generates 7,000 to 8,000 metric tonnes debris every day. Due to the market rates for debris disposal being lower than the BMC’s fees, compliance from builders has been low. The price cut aims to tackle the problem.

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Maharashtra

Mumbaikars Brace For Another Gridlock! Elphinstone Bridge Connecting Parel & Prabhadevi To Be Shut For 2 Years Starting Feb 2025

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6 hours ago

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January 31, 2025

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Mumbai: South Central Mumbai is set to experience major traffic congestion as the Elphinstone Road overbridge (ROB), a crucial link between Parel and Prabhadevi over the Central and Western Railway tracks, will be closed for two years. The closure of this crucial bridge will be starting from February 2025, as per reports. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) plans to dismantle and reconstruct the bridge as part of the Sewri-Worli Connector project.

Details On The New Bridge

The new Elphinstone bridge will be a double-decker flyover, enhancing connectivity between Senapati Bapat Road and Dr BR Ambedkar Road. Additionally, an arm of the bridge will offer direct links to the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) at Sewri and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link at Worli. The redevelopment aims to improve traffic flow in the long run, but the temporary closure is expected to cause major disruptions.

Initially, the MMRDA considered constructing an underground passage beneath the Parel-Prabhadevi railway tracks to avoid delays in obtaining railway approvals. However, this plan was ultimately scrapped.

Sion Bridge Already Closed, Adding to Woes

Elphinstone bridge will be the fifth British-era bridge in Mumbai to be shut down, following the closures of the Sion ROB, Carnac Bridge, Bellasis Bridge and Reay Road Bridge. The shutdown of these bridges has already led to severe traffic congestion in various parts of the city.

Alternate Travel Options For Commuters

With Elphinstone Bridge out of service, vehicular traffic will be diverted to Tilak Bridge (Dadar) and Currey Road Bridge. However, both these routes are already heavily burdened and the additional load is expected to worsen peak-hour congestion, leading to longer commute times for Mumbaikars.

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