New Delhi, Nov 11: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes that the upcoming two-Test series will pose a tough challenge for reigning World Test Champions South Africa, noting that “playing against India in India is never easy, as they are a very strong side in subcontinent conditions.”

The two teams are set to face each other in a multi-format series, which will see Gill and Co. host the Proteas for two Tests and three ODIs. Then, Surykumar Yadav-led side will engage in five T20Is against the Proteas men.

The first Test will be played in Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens, home of Ganguly, who is also the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

“The first Test starts in Kolkata in a few days, and it’s going to be a tough tour for South Africa. Playing against India in India is never easy. India is a very strong side in the subcontinent, and they are a strong team even overseas these days. I’m really looking forward to the Test at Eden Gardens. South Africa is a good side, so it should be a high-quality contest,” Ganguly said on JioStar.

India pacer Mohammed Siraj also shared his thoughts ahead of the Test series, saying, “This series is crucial for the new WTC cycle, especially since South Africa is the defending champion. While they drew 1-1 with Pakistan, we’re confident based on our own good form, having created a positive environment and performed well in England, and having won against the West Indies.”

“Personally, I’m bowling with good rhythm and looking to make the most of it. Facing strong teams helps identify areas to improve, and I’m really excited for this challenge,” he added.

Mumbai: Even before the controversy over the waiver of stamp duty worth Rs 21 crore in a Rs 300 crore Pune land deal involving Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s family has cooled, another case is waiting in the wings — this time for a hefty Rs 17.94 crore waiver sought by the Pune Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC).

The APMC, which has long been under the influence of Pawar through its board of directors, has sought exemption from paying stamp duty for registering the sale deed of a 99.27-acre land parcel purchased from the Yashwant Cooperative Sugar Mill near Pune. The sugar mill was declared a sick unit nearly two decades ago. What raises eyebrows is the price — the APMC purchased the land for Rs 299 crore, even though several auction attempts had failed earlier when the highest bid hovered around Rs 120 crore.

The state government, in September, cleared the sale of land by the sugar mill, but notably refrained from approving the APMC’s purchase proposal. Records show that the APMC had first sought approval for the purchase in December last year from the director of the state marketing department. The director, after forwarding the proposal to Mantralaya, was told by the government to decide as per existing policies and legal provisions. Eventually, the director gave his go-ahead, enabling the APMC to proceed with the purchase.

The APMC is expected to take a bank loan for the transaction even though it already holds deposits of Rs 135 crore. After receiving the director’s nod, the APMC made a formal representation to Deputy CM Pawar last month seeking a waiver of Rs 17.94 crore in stamp duty — a request directed to the Revenue Department headed by BJP’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The Free Press Journal has a copy of this representation. As per established rules, the authority to grant a stamp duty waiver lies exclusively with the state cabinet — not with any minister or bureaucrat.

Whether the Devendra Fadnavis-led government approves this waiver, especially after the earlier Mundhwa land deal worth over Rs 2,000 crore drew sharp scrutiny, will be closely watched in the coming days.

Mumbai: A fresh tussle has erupted between the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Central Railway (CR) over a technical report that formed the basis of an FIR filed against two CR engineers in connection with the June 9 Mumbra train accident, which killed five passengers and injured nine others.

According to sources, Railway officials claim they had sought access to the report, but the GRP allegedly refused to share it. The GRP, however, has refuted these allegations, asserting that no formal request for the document was ever received from the railway authorities. According to GRP officials, the investigation into the Mumbra tragedy is still in progress.

A senior GRP source said: “The investigation is underway. Once the chargesheet is submitted in court, the entire report and related documents will be accessible to everyone,” the source said.

The controversy centres around a detailed technical assessment conducted by the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), Matunga, which was commissioned by the GRP to ascertain the cause of the accident. The VJTI report, submitted on October 14, reportedly highlighted lapses in track maintenance and inspection practices. According to the FIR, the GRP had written to VJTI on July 15, seeking a comprehensive technical analysis after initially urging the institute on July 7 to coordinate with the concerned government departments.

Based on the report’s findings, the GRP alleged that Assistant Divisional Engineer Vishal Dolas and Senior Section Engineer Samar Yadav failed to conduct necessary maintenance work on the affected track section. The FIR was registered on November 1, holding the two Central Railway officials responsible for negligence leading to the accident.