KOLHAPUR: More than 300 Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses will be plying from Kolhapur to Pandharpur for the Ashadi 'wari' celebrations set to take place in Pandharpur on a large scale after a gap of two years. Almost 4,700 buses will be kept on reserved to connect Pandharpur from places across the state between July 6 to 14. The MSRTC administration is expecting a high count of devotees this time at Pandharpur for Ashadi-Ekadashi to be held on July 10. MSRTC divisional traffic controller Shivraj Jadhav said, "The depot-level planning to decide on the number of buses to leave the depot is ongoing. From Kolhapur division, earlier 250-275 buses used to ply to Pandharpur. But this time, the count of devotees is expected to rise. Therefore, we have decided to run around 300 buses." For the yatra period, display boards giving information about computerised ticket booking, inquiry counters, information centre, bus timings etc. will be installed at every bus depot in the district. Extra buses will also be provided for the devotees who need entire buses from their villages or regions. To avoid the rush at the Pandharpur bus stand, five temporary bus stands will be set up in Pandharpur city. Devotees going to Pandharpur from Kolhapur can use the Pandurang bus stand," added Jadhav.
NASHIK: Nashik Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (NMPML) - a transport utility of Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) - has deployed 12 more buses on various seven new routes where footfall of students is more. So far, NMC has deployed 200 buses on various 48 routes in the city. NMPML officials said that they are increasing the number of buses as the footfall of passengers has increased from Monday due to reopening of the majority of schools after summer vacation. NMPML, which started city bus service in July last year, had given passes to over 8,000 students at concessional rates after the schools reopened following Covid pandemic a few months back. NMC has deployed two private firms to procure, operate, manage and maintain city buses. Both the agencies have altogether procured 250 buses, including 200 CNG and remaining 50 diesel buses. NMPML has plans to deploy all 240 buses on city roads by June end, while 10 buses will be kept standby in case of emergency or breakdown of the buses.
Mumbai: After reporting fewer COVID cases for months, Maharashtra is witnessing a sudden surge in coronavirus cases for the past few days, with Mumbai logging the most number of cases. The state reported 1,036 new cases on Monday and had crossed the 1,000-cases mark in the weekly average of new cases on Sunday. Out of the 1,036 fresh COVID cases, Mumbai city witnessed the highest 676 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, 285 less than the day before.Also Read - Covid Cases Surge In Tamil Nadu; 12 Test Positive For Omicron Sub-VariantsEven though the state’s health department said the case ‘severity is low and therefore it is not a major cause of concern’, the caseload in the state rose to 78,94,233, while the death toll remained unchanged at 1,47,866. There are 7,429 active COVID-19 cases in the state now, including 5,238 in Mumbai and 1,172 in neighbouring Thane. Out of 35 districts, six districts, namely, Kolhapur, Dhule, Nandurbar, Buldhana, Gondia and Jalna have zero active cases. Also Read - Shah Rukh Khan Tests Covid Positive: From Mamata Banerjee To Harbhajan Singh, Celebrities Wish SRK Speedy RecoveryThe highest 933 new cases were reported from Mumbai circle that includes the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region, followed by Pune (72), Nashik (12), Latur (6), Nagpur (5), Kolhapur (3), Akola (3) and Aurangabad (2). Also Read - COVID Fourth Wave Scare: India Records Biggest Jump in Coronavirus Cases in Three MonthsMaharashtra’s positivity rate is at 0.064 per cent. Presently, recovery rate in the state is 98.03 per cent and case fatality rate is 1.87 per cent. Coronavirus figures of Maharashtra: Positive cases 78,94,233; fresh cases 1,036; death toll 1,47,866; total recoveries 77,38,938; active cases 7,429; total tests 8,10,77,258.Earlier on Monday, the Maharashtra government held high-level a meeting on Monday to review what is now a sustained increase in Covid-19 cases in the state. Following a meeting of the state cabinet with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said, “Most of the infections [in the state] are from the BA.4 and BA.5 strains [of the Omicron variant], which are highly transmissible.”“Hospital admissions are very low. As per the data, only 1% of the positive cases are admitted to hospitals in the state. So, severity is low and therefore it is not a major cause of concern,” Tope said.In view of the rising graph of infections, Tope has also appealed to people to wear masks, though using them is not mandatory. “The government has not taken any decision on making the use of masks mandatory but we are urging people to wear masks. Instead of falling ill, citizens should observe hygiene, wear the mask and follow social distancing,” Tope had tweeted.Schools in Maharashtra will reopen on June 15 with all possible precautions, state Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said on Monday. Gaikwad said students in grades 1 and 2 have never been to schools due to the coronavirus pandemic for the last two years. Schools will open with all necessary precautions on June 15 which has been the date for reopening of schools (after summer vacation), the minister said. School-going students have been impacted due to the COVID-19 curbs in the last two years.
As the active Covid-19 count in Maharashtra stood at 7,429 on Monday, state health minister advised the citizens to wear masks to avoid any possible contraction of infection. A day after recording 1,494 cases on Sunday, the daily caseload dropped to 1,036 on Monday. This has been attributed to the plunge in testing in the weekend from 25,994 to 15,988 in the last 48 hours.Following a cabinet meeting, Tope said that testing will be increased, which currently stands at 25,000. He also clarified that as the rate of hospitalisation is below 1 per cent, the state has no plans to impose restrictions.“We have discussed masking implementations but it will not be made mandatory so people will not be penalised like before. But it is advised to wear masks in crowded places and while travelling for their own safety and their loved ones,” he said.When asked about the five-fold surge in Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra, Tope claimed that the BA.4 and BA.5–the new variants of Omicron, which are considered more transmissible as the reason behind the surge.He also emphasised on getting the precautionary dosage also as called third dose. “Many of the beneficiaries have taken the vaccines nine months prior so, it is advisable to get the third dose. As it is choice-based, people can’t be forced but it will be for their own precaution,” he added.The Indian Express had reported on June 3 that out of the 36 districts in the state, 11 haven’t administered a single dose in the age group between 18-59 years in Maharashtra.To address the issue, Soumitra Ghosh from School of Health Systems Studies, TISS voiced to make the precautionary dosages free for patients with severe comorbidities, which would encourage them in getting vaccinated. “If we are heading towards a possible fourth wave, then it is essential that on priority the state administers the third dose to the vulnerable communities. For this, the state should make the dose free of cost for this group,” Ghosh said.
NEW DELHI: Delhi on Sunday logged 343 fresh Covid-19 cases with a positivity rate of 1. 91%, while no new death was reported due to the viral disease, according to the data shared by the city health department. With this, the national capital’s Covid-19 case tally increased to 19,08,730 while the death toll stood at 26,212. A total of 17,917 Covid-19 tests were conducted in Delhi the previous day, the department said in its latest bulletin. On Saturday, the capital had logged 405 fresh Covid-19 cases with a positivity rate of 2. 07%, while no new death was reported. On Friday, Delhi had logged 345 Covid cases and zero death, while the positivity rate was 1. 88%. On Thursday, it was 373 cases with a positivity rate of 1. 85%, with two new deaths reported. The number of active Covid-19 cases in Delhi dropped to 1,422 from 1,467 on Saturday, the bulletin said. As many as 1,016 patients are under home isolation, up from 994 the previous day, it said, adding that there are 251 containment zones in the national capital. There are 9,639 beds for Covid-19 patients in Delhi hospitals and of those, 71 are occupied, the bulletin said.
PUNE: Nearly 22 districts in the state, where Covid RT-PCR testing was below the mandatory 60% share last week, have been asked to scale up their numbers, senior health officials said on Saturday. Additional chief secretary of health Dr Pradeep Vyas said testing has slipped in the state. "The WHO recommends 140 tests per million people every day, or 980 tests per million each week. Last week, there was a major shortfall in the number of weekly tests in nearly 26 districts. It's a major point of concern," he said. Another worry is the wider use of rapid antigen kits. RT-PCR testing, unlike the unmonitored rapid tests, allows for positive samples to be sent for genome sequencing, a critical surveillance measure considering the state recently detected Omicron subvariants BA.4, BA.5 in samples from Pune. "Districts have to increase testing so that adequate samples can be sent for sequencing. We kept a close watch and that's why the state was able to detect the Omicron subvariants in patient samples," said state surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate. Dr Awate said it was necessary to carry out periodic analysis of all positive cases with respect to time, location and person (age, sex, etc) to help authorities form localised action plans. "Geographical distribution of cases is important to find out if there are clusters," he said, adding that the overall clinical spectrum of cases should also be analysed along with numbers of breakthrough and reinfection cases. State task force member Dr Rahul Pandit said adequate testing should be carried out across all districts. "We need better local-level screenings to ensure no cases are left out," he said.
The Maharashtra government has advised people to use masks in “closed public spaces” in the wake of the sudden surge of Covid-19 cases and will take a call on making it compulsory depending on the situation post a review in the next 15 to 20 days.The Maharashtra government had relaxed the compulsory mask rule on April 2 coinciding with the Gudi Padwa festivities.In a communication to district collectors, municipal commissioners and chief executive officers of zilla parishads, additional chief secretary (health) Dr Pradeep Vyas said: “Masks in closed public places like trains, buses, cinemas, auditoriums, offices, hospitals, colleges and schools are a must.”Talking to reporters in Pune, the state’s public health and family welfare minister Rajesh Tope said that masks have not been made compulsory but all are advised to use masks in closed public places.“Mumbai and neighbouring districts like Thane, Palghar, Raigad and Pune have seen a small surge in numbers. In this regard, the union health ministry had sent a letter asking for action to be taken. The letter had the word ‘must’ which seems to have created confusion,” he said.Dr Vyas' letter came hours after union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan raised an alarm over rising Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra and asked the government to take steps.“The government is keeping a close watch on the situation. We will review the emerging scenario within 15-20 days and would make it compulsory only after the review and if the situation demands,” said Tope.Dr Vyas in the letter stated: “After seeing a sustained decline in the number of Covid-19 cases in the state over the last couple of months, cases have started slowly but steadily increasing and the daily cases have crossed 1,000 for the first time after 3 months on June 1, 2022.”Dr Vyas has also asked the authorities to ramp up testing facilities and speed up vaccination.He said that an appropriate number of samples needs to be referred for genomic sequencing to identify the INSACOG laboratory.Dr Vyas stressed the need to keep track of the overall clinical spectrum of cases and analyse the proportion of breakthrough infections and reinfection cases periodically.
Maharashtra COVID-19: The number of Covid infections is increasing again in Maharashtra. (File)Mumbai: The Maharashtra health department on Friday asked district and civic authorities to ramp up coronavirus testing as the numbers of samples being examined had fallen while cases were rising.In a letter to collectors, municipal corporations and chief executive officers, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Pradeep Vyas said all districts should ensure the proportion of RT-PCR tests was at least 60 per cent.In view of rising cases, it said people should be advised to wear masks in closed public spaces like trains, buses, cinemas, auditoriums, offices, hospitals, colleges and schools.The state has seen a sharp spike in cases over the last week, with June 1 reporting 1,081 cases, the highest since February 24."Testing in the state has considerably reduced despite repeated instructions. As per the June 1 data, there has been gross shortfall in the number of weekly tests conducted in 26 districts which is a major cause of concern. Overall testing in all districts should be increased immediately," the letter said.The ACS (Health) said the state had last week reported BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants, and while there were no complications associated with these cases, one must not get complacent.Mr Vyas also asked officials to carry out periodic analysis of new cases with respect to time, place and person so that a localised action plan can be carved out.The letter also stated that an appropriate number of samples need to be referred for genomic sequencing to identified INSACOG laboratory. Mr Vyas stressed on the need to keep track of the overall clinical spectrum of cases and analyse the proportion of breakthrough infections and reinfection cases periodically.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comThe letter said vaccination coverage needed to be increased, adding that precaution dose should be promoted and expedited, while vaccination in the 12-18 age group needs to improve.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
KOLHAPUR: State minister and senior NCP functionary Dhananjay Munde, speaking at Beed on Sunday, clarified that the next Maharashtra chief minister will be from NCP after the party gets the number one spot in the assembly election. A day earlier, in Satara, Munde had said that the next CM would be from NCP. After Munde’s statement, several Sena and Congress leaders had criticised him. MNS and BJP also took the opportunity to attack the tripartite MVA government. Afew days ago, NCP MP Supriya Sule had made a similar statement.
AURANGABAD: NCP leader Dhananjay Munde suggested that the next chief minister of Maharashtra will be from the Sharad Pawar-led party. Speaking at a public meeting in Parbhani city on Saturday, Munde said the Social Justice department in the incumbent Shiv Sena-led MVA government became prestigious because of his efforts. "If a question arises tomorrow regarding whom to hand over the social justice portfolio......whoever would be the next chief minister....and the CM will be ours (NCP's) only. The CM will say that let the social justice portfolio remain with us (NCP). This department has earned so much reputation," Munde said. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is the key constituent in the Uddhav Thackeray-led dispensation, which completed two-and-a-half years in power only last month. Munde said he had worked efficiently as the leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council in the past. The NCP holds the important portfolios of Finance, led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, and Home in the state government. "Earlier, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had appointed me as the opposition leader (in the Maharashtra Legislative Council). No matter how stable and powerful, I had shaken the then government," he added.
Amid a cliffhanger situation, the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi and the opposition BJP are on a mission to garner support from smaller parties and independents ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls in Maharashtra.While top MVA leaders held a series of informal meetings, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who is BJP’s in-charge for Rajya Sabha polls in Maharashtra, dashed to Mumbai and held a meeting with top BJP leaders.State BJP President Chandrakant Patil was among those present while Leader of Opposition in Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, who joined the meeting online after being tested positive for Covid-19.There were reports that Shiv Sena and BJP may be shifting their MLAs to a hotel. However, there is no official confirmation.“We will win the three seats…for which our blueprint is ready,” said BJP leader Ashish Shelar.The BJP has fielded three candidates - Piyush Goyal, who is the Commerce & Industry Minister in the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, Dr Anil Bonde, a party stalwart from Vidarbha region, and Dhananjay Mahadik, a former MP from Kolhapur.While the BJP has the strength to get two MPs elected, it is banking on the Independents supporting them and also a few from the MVA camp for the third candidate.The Shiv Sena has renominated the party’s chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut for a fourth term, and Sanjay Pawar, the party’s Kolhapur district chief.The Sharad Pawar-led NCP has renominated Praful Patel, who was the Civil Aviation Minister in the erstwhile Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA government.The Congress has sprung a surprise by bringing in Imran Pratapgarhi, a Uttar Pradesh-based Urdu poet - a development that has led to massive resentment in Congress ranks and files in the state.Added Shelar: “BJP's third candidate Dhananjay Mahadik is sure to win while Shiv Sena's Sanjay will definitely lose. BJP has additional votes to get its third candidate elected. Those who keep their MLAs under vigil and speak of democracy are laughable. This is an insult of the MLAs.” However, he did not elaborate whether he was referring to Sanjay Raut or Sanjay Pawar.Minister of State for Home and IT and senior Congressman Satej Patil expressed confidence that all four MVA candidates will win. “You will know on the day of polling who all are with us…they should look after their MLAs.”Shiv Sena leader Dr Neelam Gorhe said that the Shiv Sena will win two seats and MVA four. “We are in touch with all,” she said.
MUMBAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has urged MLAs of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government to vote "as per their conscience" for the Rajya Sabha elections to be held on June 10. There are six Rajya Sabha seats for Maharashtra for which elections will be held. The party has nominated three candidates while it has enough votes to easily elect two candidates. While the names of Union minister Piyush Goyal and Dr Anil Bonde were announced early Sunday evening, Dhananjay Mahadik’s name was announced late Sunday night. All three candidates filed their nominations together on Monday morning. To be elected each candidate requires 42 votes. The BJP has 105 legislators in the Maharashtra assembly. BJP MLA Ashish Shelar, while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters on Thursday, said the party has 22 surplus votes. “BJP is confident it will win all the three seats. The Shiv Sena has only 13 surplus votes and yet it has put up a candidate. The BJP does not believe in horse trading and will not do so. We urge all to vote as per their conscience,” said Shelar. He added that no action can be taken against an MLA for voting for the third candidate of her/his choice, he said.
Unease is brewing in the Maharashtra Congress over the party's decision to field Uttar Pradesh-based Urdu poet Imran Pratapgarhi for the Rajya Sabha elections.Of the six seats, Congress, which has 44 MLAs, can win only one seat.The retiring Congress member from the state is senior leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram.Veteran Congressman Mukul Wasnik has been accommodated from Rajasthan.However, the decision of the Congress high command has put the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) at unease.Read | BJP moves to corner Opposition in Rajya Sabha pollsMPCC general secretary Ashish Deshmukh wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and resigned from his post. He, however, said he will continue to work for the party as a loyal worker.“Due to the imposition of Imran Pratapgarhi from Uttar Pradesh in Maharashtra for Rajya Sabha, I am resigning from the post of general secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. Imposing an outside candidate will not benefit the party in terms of growth. This is the injustice done to the general Congress workers in Maharashtra,” he said in the letter.Ashish is the son of former state Congress president and minister Ranjeet Deshmukh.Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan too expressed his resentment. “Wasnik got a seat from Rajasthan, while Pratapgarhi, who is a leader from Uttar Pradesh, got a seat from Maharashtra,” he told reporters in Nagpur.The first one to flag the concern was actor-politician Nagma, who addressed her tweet to Gandhi. "Sonia Ji, our Congress president, had personally committed to accommodating me in Rajya Sabha in 2003-04 when I joined the Congress party at her behest. We were not in power then. Since then it has been 18 years, they did not find an opportunity. Mr Imran is accommodated in RS from Maharashtra. I ask, am I less deserving,” she said in a tweet.In fact, Congress has overlooked several aspirants like Sanjay Nirupam, Milind Deora and Naseem Khan.However, state Congress president Nana Patole said Congress is a democratic party and individuals can speak, but what matters is the party's decision. “We agree with the decision of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. There are no disputes within Congress. We respect the decision of the high command,” he said, adding that it does not matter if the candidate is from another state.
The BJP has announced 22 candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls and the party has decided to support one Independent candidate each from Rajasthan and Haryana. Though the party's list of Rajya Sabha candidates includes the names of Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Nirmala Sitharaman, some other prominent names such as that of minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, and senior leaders Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and OP Mathur were missing. Senior BJP leader and former cabinet minister Prakash Javadekar's name was earlier wrongly mentioned among those missing from the list. His current Rajya Sabha tenure is till 2024. The BJP has fielded eight candidates from Uttar Pradesh, three each from Maharashtra and Karnataka, two each from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, and one each from Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Haryana. The saffron party will support two Independent candidates - Subhash Chandra from Rajasthan and Kartikeya Sharma from Haryana. Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje met Chandra in the Assembly lobby earlier in the day. His tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana will end on August 1. On the other hand, BJP's ally Jannayak Janata Party has also announced its support for Sharma's candidature.