Maharashtra's 50th Foundation Day today

MUMBAI: On Maharashtra's 50th Foundation Day, Governor K Sankaranarayanan and chief minister Ashok Chavan led the state in paying tributes to the 105 martyrs of the movement that led to the creation of the state. The Governor and chief minister paid floral tributes to the martyrs of Samyukta Maharashtra movement at the Hutatma Chowk (martyrs' memorial) in South Mumbai

The Governor later unfurled the tricolour and took salute at a ceremonial parade at the Shivaji Park here. He also inaugurated an exhibition organised by the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations on `Maharashtra's Progress during the last 50 years' at Shivaji Park. A series of functions have been planned to commemorate the golden jubilee of Maharashtra, formed on May 1, 1960. They include a light and sound show followed by fireworks along the Marine Drive this evening. At a function organised by the Shiv Sena in suburban Bandra this evening, melody queen Lata Mangeshkar would render patriotic songs. Sena chief Bal Thackeray would be present at the event.

A cultural programme, `Swarna Maharashtra' (Golden Maharashtra), is being organised at Girgaum Chowpatty and is based on historical, cultural and social heritage of Maharashtra. 

Experiment of an assimilative state by Nehru

Mumbai: he reorganisation of states was always on the minds of leaders. The first sign of this were seen in 1920-21, when Congress leaders asked state units to reorganise on linguistic lines.Thus, we saw the formation of the Bombay, Marathwada and Vidarbha Congress units. The basic principle of having states formed on linguistic lines was to make governance easier, facilitate better information gathering and also better communication. It was a universal assumption that people think best in their mother tongue.

Before independence, there were meetings and discussions in the constituent assembly when leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted the formation of states on linguistic lines to be deferred. It was around the time of independence that they felt that linguistic passions would grow and eventually become a threat to national unity. They believed unity was far more important.The leaders, especially Nehru, believed in the power of Indian plurality, which was assimilative and inclusive. He believed that it would lead to the betterment of culture and enhance the way of life, like in England.

Unable to use MGNREGA effectively: Jayant Patil

MUMBAI: State rural development minister Jayant Patil stunned participants at a national seminar on the agrarian crisis here this week when he admitted that Maharashtra was lagging behind in the implementation of the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) because its "bureaucracy found the transparency clauses in it too much of a bother".

He was speaking at the Kalina campus of the Mumbai University which had organized a two-day national seminar on `MGNREGA and the agrarian crisis' through its Centre for Human Development in the Department of Economics. MGNREGA is the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government's flagship programme and has been credited with helping it return to power in 2009's general election. The main objective of the scheme is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing not less than 100 days of wage employment in an year to one adult member of every family. 

Fail not, fear not: State to safeguard 'weak' students

MUMBAI: There will hopefully not be another Shams Merchant. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, which came into force from April 1, has a clause which makes it clear that no student between the ages of 6-14 can be expelled or held back in any class. Merchant (14), a Class VII student, hanged himself at his Millat Nagar residence on Thursday after learning he failed for the second time in the same class.

Under the provisions of the new landmark legislation on education, no child admitted in a school will be failed in any class or expelled from the school till the completion of elementary education from the ensuing academic session. “We are duty-bound to implement the legislation, and at the same time, we will take adequate care of weak students. From this academic session onwards, no student will fail, at least up to elementary education,’’ school education minister Balasaheb Thorat told TOI on Friday. About Merchant, the minister said, “The case was brought to my notice, it was unfortunate.’’ 

High life: Flat on Carmichael Rd fetches Rs 33 cr

MUMBAI: In another freak transaction, an apartment in the art deco Kamal Mahal building on Carmichael Road in south Mumbai is believed to have fetched its owner around Rs 33 crore. Barely a few weeks ago a sprawling duplex in Samudra Mahal building at Haji Ali went for about Rs 37 crore—over one lakh rupees a square foot—making it the highest recorded price for an apartment in the country. The Kamal Mahal flat is located on the fourth floor of the seven-storey building and belongs to one Bhagat family. The identity of the buyer, however, is not yet known. The sale papers are expected to be submitted to the building’s society for its no objection certificate in the next one week.
The apartment has a carpet area of 4,171 sq ft and was in the market for the past 15 months. Market sources said the owners had initially set a price of around Rs 40 crore for this flat, but later scaled it down. “Such deals are not representative of the property market today. You can possibly get a flat across the street or on the same road at half the price. But buildings like Kamal Mahal are considered to be iconic and always command a premium when volumes are not available,’’ said developer Niranjan Hiranandani. He confessed that when such large transactions are reported, builders take advantage and jack up rates of their own properties. “Some are willing to pay any price because of the building and its location,’’ he added. 

Won’t train recruits: motormen

In violation of service rules, motormen of Western Railway (WR) suburban trains have shown unwillingness to groom new recruits as train drivers. “Motormen have refused to train the new staff. They have informed the administration that motormen will impart training on the condition that they would not be responsible for any untoward incident,” said a senior official at WR. “Had their seniors taken the same stand, they would never have become motormen,” the official added.

In fact, it was in accordance with their demand to fill motormen vacancies in the suburban section of Mumbai division immediately that the WR filled almost all vacancies in Mumbai division. Filling of vacancies was a major demand of motormen during their agitation in January, when they said they were overworked due to staff shortage.

At present, 70 motormen are under training and of them, 45 have completed a year of training at the institute at Mahalaxmi workshop. Now they have to train under the supervision of seniors.

'Sr RTO official took bribe in superbike scam'

MUMBAI: A deputy regional transport officer and three of his assistants had taken huge bribes for illegal registration of imported superbikes, CID superintendent of police M A Gundewadi has told the Bombay high court.

Following a high court order, the CID had appointed Gundewadi to probe into the multicrore sam of imported bikes. “We recorded the statements of the accused before a magistrate as is the provision under the Criminal Procedure Code. The accused disclosed that they had paid a huge amount money to four senior officials, including the deputy regional transport officer of Pen,’’ Gundewadi said in his affidavit submitted to the court. A few witnesses have also said that an overlook on the part of officers at the RTO offices in Pen and Andheri facilitated the fraud.