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Maharashtra

Why Anna Hazare is mum on liquor policy in BJP states: Maharashtra women’s groups

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Hundreds of women’s Self Help Groups (SHG), activists and grassroots workers protested Maharashtra government’s move to permit wine sale in supermarkets and walk-in shops, and also questioned why social crusader Anna Hazare is mum on several Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states permitting liquor sale in grocery stores or even granting home-bar licences.

The SGHs’ convenor and tribal leader Ankit Naitam, Shramik Elgar activist Paromita Goswami, Maharashtra MoS Kishore Tiwari and others unanimously passed a resolution urging Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to roll-back the policy of allowing wine sale in supermarkets/stores with a minimum area of 1,000 square feet.

Attacking Hazare – who has postponed his proposed ‘hunger strike’ from Monday against the policy – Tiwari accused him of “double-standards” while opposing the rule in Maharashtra while being “absolutely silent” on BJP-ruled states like Goa, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh – where even home-bar licences have been allowed.

“Before targetting his home state selectively, Anna Hazare should also look at the BJP-ruled states and launch a nationwide agitation against all states which are liberalising wine-liquor policies to earn more revenues, especially after the economic crisis causefd by the two years of Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns,” Tiwari said.

Goswami said that such a policy “could ruin households and cause disaster for the society at large” as it could be easily misused, and in the long-run, not only wine, but all types of hard liquor and even country-made alcoholic brews would soon be available in neighbourhood retail outlets.

On Sunday, Hazare had decided to call off his hunger strike after the Maharashtra government agreed to consider his suggestions, inviting suggestions/objections from the masses before implementing the new wine policy.

In January, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had approved its new wine policy, permitting sale of wines produced in Maharashtra through a dedicated shelf in supermarkets and walk-in stores, subject to several conditions. The move is intended to help the fruit farmers and wine producers.

The BJP, AIMIM, Hazare, women activists/groups and others have vehemently opposed the move, while the ruling Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress defended it, with both sides hurling allegations and counter-charges at each other.

Maharashtra

Lack of general civic amenities in Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, rehabilitation should be done after civic amenities are provided to the victims of Dharavi Rehabilitation Project: Abu Asim

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Abu Asim Azmi opposed the development of more waste management for waste disposal in Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Mumbai, in the winter session of Nagpur and said that Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar is a slum area. There is already a dumping ground here. There is also a waste management company, which is causing a lot of problems to the citizens. Pollution has increased due to waste disposal. The air here is toxic. On the one hand, a dumping ground is being shifted from Malind and a golf course is being built, and on the other hand, the residents of the slums of Dharavi are being rehabilitated here. There is a lack of civic amenities in Govindi. Until schools, colleges, grounds and religious places, mosques, temples and other places of worship are built, no one should be rehabilitated here. Along with this, the dumping ground and other waste management companies should be removed from here. There is already a waste management company here. Now more such companies are destroying human life. It should be banned immediately, this demand was made by Azmi.

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Crime

Mumbai Professor Seeks Anticipatory Bail After Molestation Case, Claims Mental Illness And Attempt To Tarnish Image

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Mumbai: A guest professor, booked for molesting female students at the annual function of St. Xavier’s College in south Mumbai, has approached the sessions court for an anticipatory bail, claiming he is suffering from a mental ailment and the case had been lodged to ruin his image. The court has reserved the plea for order next week.

As per the FIR lodged with the Azad Maidan police station, the professor was invited at an event of National Hindi Parishad, held on November 24, wherein he allegedly sexually harassed nine students and one retired teacher. It is claimed that he exhibited obscenity during the festival.

While seeking protection from the arrest, the professor has claimed he is suffering from depression and other health issues, and has on several occasion attempted to commit suicide. He claimed he is currently admitted in the hospital due to his mental ailment. The professor claimed he is ready to appear before the officer through video conferencing after he is discharged from the hospital.

The plea was opposed by the prosecution on the ground that from the statements taken from the victim women, the accused appears to be of “a perverted nature”, and the possibility of him behaving indecently with other women cannot be ruled out. The police have also raised an apprehension of communal tension as the accused and the victims are of different religions.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Accused wanted in Kurla Methi River irregularities arrested, accused of cheating crores of rupees and creating fake AMU

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Mumbai: Economic Wing AOW has claimed to have arrested the wanted accused and contractor in the case of Mithi Nadi cleanliness and irregularities. The AOW has arrested the absconding wanted Sunil Shyam Narayan SM Infrastructure, Mahesh Madhav Rao Purohit. During the investigation of the Mithi Nadi contract and irregularities worth crores of rupees, the police had registered a case. Earlier, three accused were arrested. According to the EOW, from 2013 to 2023, fake MAUs were prepared and bills worth crores of rupees were approved in collusion with BMC officers. A proposal to purchase a machine to remove garbage from 2021 to 2024 was also approved and under the guise of the same, a fraud of crores of rupees was committed for cleaning the garbage. In this case, the police have arrested the accused agents Ketan Kadam, Jay Joshi and Mithi Nadi contractor Sher Singh Rathore. By preparing fake documents, the accused also prepared fake AMUs and also signed fake signatures. The accused were produced in court and remanded in custody until December 16.

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