Nagpur News

Why finding love is a challenge in smaller townsPremium Story
The Indian Express | 1 week ago | |
The Indian Express
1 week ago | |

R*, 45, lawyer, Shimla, Himachal PradeshI am married and have a teenage daughter. If you ask me why I am on Grindr, I wouldn’t have a definite answer. But desire is a strange thing. It shapes certain aspects of your life. Shimla is a small town, it doesn’t have the largesse of a city. Though I was always attracted to men, I always knew I wouldn’t be able to make life decisions on that part of my life. My family, people around me would not accept this part of my life. Little has changed now. So I lived the life expected from me. I have no regrets. I love my wife and daughter. I am loyal to them. I have just learnt to segregate my life. As a legal professional, if you ask my opinion about the marriage equality debate, I have only one thing to say, once there is a legal sanction on something, society learns to accept it. Maybe, if same sex marriages are legalised, people would learn to respect such unions more. As a lawyer, I see enough marriages break apart in the courtroom to realise one crucial fact, love is the strongest cement. Though I am lucky to have found love in my marriage, I know there are many fractured marriages that probably didn’t need to exist, if same sex unions were accepted in India.N*, 28, IT professional, Nagpur, MaharashtraGrowing up in the slums of Nagpur as a gay man, came with its own set of riders. Touching and fondling and experimenting with friends was fine, but I could never be seen as a baila (an effeminate man). I was acutely conscious of being seen as an effeminate person. I knew how flamboyant queer people were seen in our community, how people derided them. I knew I would never be accepted. There was one such effeminate man in our slum, who would be bullied and taunted by everyone. I would freeze every time I saw him. I would join others in catcalling him. I feel so ashamed of that now. But I was too scared then. Too afraid of being found out. I left Nagpur after completing my engineering. I moved to Mumbai and realised that you can live your truth. There is no shame in it. But when I moved back home during the pandemic, it was painful going back to the closet. My parents want me to get married now, but I don’t know how to come out to them. I did come out to my best friend, who was also my next door neighbour, but he started avoiding me after that. I felt trapped.That guy from our locality who we still call ‘baila’, he is married and has a child now. I wonder if he feels as trapped.K*, media professional, 27, Valsad, GujaratI remember the first time I felt ashamed of being gay. It was during a family outing at an amusement park in my hometown Valsad. I was quite sassy as a child and I tended to be sassier on days I would be happy. That day I was walking with a spring on my steps. I suddenly saw my father walking away from me. My mother came to me and chided me for walking like a woman. She said my father was ashamed of me. That day I decided that I won’t bring more shame to my parents. That day I knew I can’t ever be myself around them. I decided I will never bring shame to my parents and started this performance of being a very masculine man. I deepened my voice and was constantly vigilant of my body language. I started dating women, too. Until I met a man and fell in love. I knew I wouldn’t be able to live this lie anymore. But I did not have the support system. Most small towns in India don’t have support systems for queer people. Which is why, I think, legal acceptance is so important.S*, student, 20, Burdwan West BengalIt was not an easy task coming out as a lesbian woman in a town like Burdwan. It is a one-horse town. It barely has a few decent schools. Here, we hold on to tradition like our lives depended on it. I realised pretty early in my life that as a lesbian woman, it won’t be easy here. When I was in my Class VIII, a senior, who was also one of the most celebrated students of our school, came out as bisexual on social media. Our class teacher called a special meeting to warn us about her. He specifically mentioned that she has gone wayward and we should ensure we don’t end up like her. Even then I knew that he was not doing something right, but I had neither the vocabulary or the strength to call him out. I feel it is integral we change this attitude of the society. Here casual queer phobia is rampant and we need institutional changes to ensure that it doesn’t poison the lives of future queer people in our country.* Names have been withheld on request

Why finding love is a challenge in smaller townsPremium Story
Sole Congress MP from Maharashtra Balu Dhanorkar dies days after father's death
The Economic Times | 1 week ago | |
The Economic Times
1 week ago | |

The Congress' lone Lok Sabha member from Maharashtra, Balu Dhanorkar, died at a private hospital in the National Capital Region Tuesday early morning, a party leader said. Dhanorkar was 47 years old and is survived by wife Pratibha, an MLA, and two sons. "He was admitted to a Nagpur-based hospital last week for the treatment of kidney stones. He was later shifted to New Delhi but he could not survive," Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said. Dhanorkar, the Lok Sabha member from Chandrapur, underwent treatment for kidney stones at a hospital in Nagpur on May 26 and was rushed to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram neighbouring Delhi on Sunday after some complications. Dhanorkar's mortal remains will be flown to his hometown, Warora, Tuesday afternoon. The last rites will be held on Wednesday morning. Dhanorkar's 80-year-old father Narayan Dhanorkar passed away in Nagpur on Saturday evening after prolonged illness. The MP could not attend his father's last rites on Sunday. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor condoled the Congress MP's death. "Sad to learn that our @INCIndia parliamentary colleague, Suresh Narayan Dhanorkar (MP from Chandrapur constituency in Maharashtra) passed away overnight, the second demise of a Congress MP during the 17th Lok Sabha. He was only 47. My condolences to his loved ones. Om Shanti," Tharoor tweeted. Dhanorkar started his political career in the Balasaheb Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in Chandrapur district and won the assembly election in 2014. However, he was keen on contesting the Lok Sabha election from Chandrapur, which was traditionally contested by the BJP's Hansraj Ahir. Dhanorkar joined the Congress and defeated Ahir. His wife won from the Warora-Bhadrawati assembly seat in 2019.

Sole Congress MP from Maharashtra Balu Dhanorkar dies days after father's death
Congress' Lone Lok Sabha MP From Maharashtra Balu Dhanorkar Dies
Ndtv | 1 week ago | |
Ndtv
1 week ago | |

Balu Dhanorkar started his political career with Shiv Sena.Mumbai: The Congress' lone Lok Sabha member from Maharashtra, Balu Dhanorkar, died at a private hospital in the National Capital Region Tuesday early morning, a party leader said.Mr Dhanorkar was 47 years old and is survived by wife Pratibha, an MLA, and two sons."He was admitted to a Nagpur-based hospital last week for the treatment of kidney stones. He was later shifted to New Delhi but he could not survive," Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said.Mr Dhanorkar, the Lok Sabha member from Chandrapur, underwent treatment for kidney stones at a hospital in Nagpur on May 26 and was rushed to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram neighbouring Delhi on Sunday after some complications.Mr Dhanorkar's body will be flown to his hometown, Warora, this afternoon. The last rites will be held next morning.Mr Dhanorkar's 80-year-old father Narayan Dhanorkar died in Nagpur on Saturday evening after prolonged illness. The MP could not attend his father's last rites on Sunday.Congress MP Shashi Tharoor condoled the Congress MP's death."Sad to learn that our @INCIndia parliamentary colleague, Suresh Narayan Dhanorkar (MP from Chandrapur constituency in Maharashtra) passed away overnight, the second demise of a Congress MP during the 17th Lok Sabha. He was only 47. My condolences to his loved ones. Om Shanti," Mr Tharoor tweeted.Mr Dhanorkar started his political career in the Balasaheb Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in Chandrapur district and won the assembly election in 2014. However, he was keen on contesting the Lok Sabha election from Chandrapur, which was traditionally contested by the BJP's Hansraj Ahir.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comMr Dhanorkar joined the Congress and defeated Mr Ahir. His wife won from the Warora-Bhadrawati assembly seat in 2019.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Congress' Lone Lok Sabha MP From Maharashtra Balu Dhanorkar Dies
"Cleared Hurdles In Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project": E Shinde
Ndtv | 1 week ago | |
Ndtv
1 week ago | |

"The state has made significant progress in implementing Gati Shakti Master Plan," E Shinde said (File)New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said his administration has removed all obstacles that held up the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government.E Shinde made this statement during the meeting of the Niti Ayog Governing Council here."My government has removed all obstacles from the ambitious national scheme, Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train, which were pending in the last government's tenure," E Shinde said.He said the Shiv Sena-BJP government had also resolved the Aarey land dispute for the Metro Car Shed and mobilised the Metro projects.  "A 337-km-long metro network is being developed in Mumbai, Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Thane which is a network bigger than in Europe," E Shinde said.The Mumbai-Ahmedabad semi-high speed railway, popularly known as the bullet train, is a showpiece project of the Modi government. It had run into delays during the MVA government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray owing to problems in land acquisition for the project.Uddhav Thackeray had criticised the high-profile project, and questioned its benefits.The chief minister said the state was making great strides in improving transportation infrastructure such as the Mumbai-Nagpur expressway, Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway and the Virar-Alibaug Multi-modal corridor."I am pleased to inform you that the state has made significant progress in implementing the Gati Shakti Master Plan," E Shinde said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comHe said under this plan, the state has created an institutional setup in line with the Centre with three tiers -- Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS), Network Planning Group (NPG) and Technical Support Unit (TSU).(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

"Cleared Hurdles In Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project": E Shinde
Eknath Shinde Inaugurates Phase 2 Of Samruddhi Expressway Project
Ndtv | 2 weeks ago | |
Ndtv
2 weeks ago | |

Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday inaugurated the second phase of the Samruddhi CorridorShirdi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday inaugurated the second phase of the Samruddhi Corridor between Shirdi and Bharvir in Nashik district and took a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray by claiming hurdles in the project were overcome as "I don't work from home".The Bharatiya Janata Party used to routinely claim Thackeray, as chief minister between 2019 and June 2022, was working from home and not attending office or undertaking hinterland tours despite the state reeling under the coronavirus pandemic.Asserting that many of the hurdles in the project were deliberately created despite it being key to the prosperity of farmers, Shinde said, "I don't work from home. I came on the field as MSRDC minister under Devendra Fadnavis (between 2014 and 2019) and convinced people about the project. Land acquisition was done in record time." In an apparent reference to Thackeray's claim that BJP reneged on the promise to share the chief ministerial tenure after the 2019 Assembly polls, Shinde said "what is spoken behind closed doors is never known so there is room to say anything"."If there is will power, projects can be completed in record time and the Samruddhi Expressway is an example," Shinde said at the inauguration event in Shirdi.With the inauguration of the 80-kilometre stretch from Shirdi to Bharvir in Nashik district, 600 kilometres of the 701-km route between Mumbai and Nagpur is now open for public use.The 520-kilometre long first phase of Samruddhi Mahamarg from Nagpur to Shirdi was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 11, 2022.Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis, speaking on the occasion, said connectivity to Mumbai and its port area was essential for the development of the state's backward regions."When I conceptualised this greenfield expressway as chief minister, many felt it was just a dream. But I and Shinde, as Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation minister, ensured the dream turned into reality," Fadnavis said.He said Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar had opposed the Samruddhi Expressway.The project will lead to development of 15 districts, he said, adding the remainder of the route will be completed in seven months, which will redefine Maharashtra.Speaking on accidents on the stretch, Fadnavis said these would be curbed once an intelligent traffic management system is in place as motorists would be informed in advance about vehicle speeds.The state highway police recently said 39 persons have died and 143 injured in 358 accidents on the Samruddhi Corridor between December 12 last year and April 30, 2023."The MTHL (22-kilometre sea bridge between Sewri and Uran connecting Mumbai and Raigad), the Samruddhi Expressway and the coastal road (on the western flank of Mumbai) are engineering marvels," Fadnavis added.The 80-km Shirdi-Bharvir stretch under phase 2 will increase connectivity from Vidarbha to different parts of Nashik, Ahmednagar and Pune through an interchange in Gonde in Sinnar, and also ease the commute to Shirdi, a renowned religious tourism destination, from Mumbai, Thane and Nashik, officials said.The Shirdi-Bharvir stretch will bring medical facilities within reach of residents of Shirdi and areas close to it, officials said, adding the SMBT Hospital was just 500 metres away from the Bharvir interchange and can be accessed from the temple town in less than an hour.The phase 2 stretch of the Samruddhi Expressway will also benefit farmers of Shirdi, Ahmednagar and Sinnar to get farm produce to Mumbai quickly due to reduction in cargo transport time.This stretch of Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg comprises seven major bridges, 18 minor bridges, 30 underpasses, 23 light vehicular underpasses, three interchanges at three plazas, 56 toll booths, six weigh bridges, they said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comThey said 11.141 km of phase two passes through seven villages in Kopargaon (Ahmednagar district), 60.969 km in Sinnar and 7.067 km in Igatpuri, both in Nashik district. Phase 2 has come up at a cost of Rs 3,200 crore.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Eknath Shinde Inaugurates Phase 2 Of Samruddhi Expressway Project
"Maharashtra Congress Leadership In Wrong Hands": Expelled Congress Leader
Ndtv | 2 weeks ago | |
Ndtv
2 weeks ago | |

Nagpur: Former Maharashtra MLA Ashish Deshmukh on Thursday criticised the Congress for expelling him, and said the action showed that the party's state unit was in the hands of wrong people.The state Congress recently expelled Deshmukh from the party for six years over his public statements against the party leadership. The order of expulsion was issued to Deshmukh by senior Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, chairperson of the state Congress disciplinary committee, through a letter dated May 22.The letter said the committee discussed Deshmukh's reply submitted on April 9 to a show-cause notice issued to him over his statement that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the Other Backward Class (OBC) community over his "Modi surname" remarks.Deshmukh is a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Katol in Nagpur, who later joined the Congress.In a statement, Deshmukh said, "The decision to expel me from the party is completely wrong. This action shows that the leadership of the Maharashtra Congress is in the hands of wrong people.""If one statement of Rahulji Gandhi insults the entire OBC community and because of that members of this community are hurt, then for the sake of Congress party, Rahulji should apologise to the OBCs who form 54 per cent of India's total population, and end the matter here," he said."The Congress leaders expelled me from the party for raising my voice for the welfare of OBCs. They issued a show-cause notice to me and I gave a detailed reply to it. The media gave a wide publicity to my reply as there was truth in it. But Congress leaders in Maharashtra did not find my reply satisfactory and that is the only reason they cited for my expulsion," he added.It can also be inferred that the decision to expel me from the party was already taken and the notice was given later, Deshmukh said.In the 2019 Assembly elections, Deshmukh, was the Congress nominee against senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and now Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South West seat. Deshmukh was defeated by Fadnavis.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comLast month, Ashish Deshmukh termed as "unfortunate" the show-cause notice issued to him and claimed it was part of a "larger conspiracy" since he had been questioning the style of functioning of the party leaders.(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

"Maharashtra Congress Leadership In Wrong Hands": Expelled Congress Leader
Maharashtra Cop Takes High Court Judge's Car For Joyride, Crashes It: Police
Ndtv | 2 weeks ago | |
Ndtv
2 weeks ago | |

The front portion of the car was severely damaged. (Representational)Nagpur: A police constable has been dismissed from service for taking an official car of a High Court judge for a joyride and crashing it into an electric pole, a senior official said here on Tuesday.Besides dismissing him, Nagpur police commissioner Amitesh Kumar also directed recovery of the car's repairs cost from the constable's pocket, he said.The constable, who had joined the police force in 2016, was posted on guard duty at the official bungalow of Justice Valmiki Sa Menezes of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court.On April 4, he took a car assigned to the judge for a ride without permission. While passing through Vayusena Nagar, he crashed it into an electric pole, the official said.The front portion of the car was severely damaged, but the constable brought the car back to the judge's bungalow and parked it there without informing anyone about the accident, he said.Sadar Police initially registered a case against an unidentified person but investigation, aided by CCTV footage, revealed the constable's role.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comFollowing an inquiry, the police commissioner on Monday dismissed him from service and also ordered recovery of Rs 2.28 lakh from his retirement benefits towards the cost of the car's repairs, the official said.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Maharashtra Cop Takes High Court Judge's Car For Joyride, Crashes It: Police
An accidental startup that now teaches yoga to thousands across the globe
The Indian Express | 2 weeks ago | |
The Indian Express
2 weeks ago | |

On March 22, 2020, when a Janata Curfew was announced in India, a group of yoga practitioners decided to offer lessons over Zoom and YouTube because it was the best that they could do for a country under lockdown.Every morning for 45 minutes, Saurabh Bothra, an engineer from IIT-BHU, and Pramod Yadav, a fitness buff from Nagpur, took viewers through simple breathing exercises, surya namaskar, and asanas for the upper body, lower body, core, and flexibility. They did not think that their journey would end in a startup and held the sessions for free.By late May, there were 1,500 clients. Four months later, when the instructors started charging a fee because they wanted people to show up regularly, the numbers grew and kept growing even after the pandemic ended and yoga and fitness centres opened. Today, the initiative has turned into one of the country’s fastest-growing wellness platforms, called Habuild, which has trained more than 10 lakh people across the world and has 42,000 active members at present. Its total earnings are around $2 million.Habuild stands for ‘habit building’. The company was founded by Bothra, Sheetal Pungliya, Trishala Bothra and Anshul Agarwal and is operated out of Pune and Nagpur. Trishala’s background is IIT-Bombay and London Business School while Agarwal is from IIT-BHU and IIM Calcutta. “What we talk about and promote is that people should commit to some form of exercise, even if it is as simple as walking for 10 minutes on a mat. Movement not only has benefits at the physical level but also the emotional and interpersonal levels,” says Pungliya, a Pune-based techie. “Once people have made a habit of moving, they are ready for breathing, meditation, and a gradual progress to other exercises,” she adds.India’s wellness industry is buzzing with products and services. According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the sector was worth Rs 1,10,000 crore in 2017, with a pre-covid estimated growth rate of 13 per cent to 15 per cent. More recently, the International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group has calculated that India’s health and wellness market is likely to grow at 5.55 per cent during 2023-2028.Research had shown the Habuild team that the majority of people were health conscious but only a minority had the discipline to go to a gym or for sports regularly. Using Artificial Intelligence — the company is increasing expenditure on technology—the company created a system that makes it easy for people to cut laziness and inculcate the habit of exercising every day. What came as a surprise to everybody was that women signed up in large numbers and form the company’s main client base even now. Habuild sessions are also held at specific timings and no recordings are given out, a rule that, despite being inconvenient, has shown positive results.Habuild’s business model is a market disruptor. The company is not open to funding. “The primary reason for this is that, when you bring an investor, they would want returns and that is not the primary goal of what we are trying to do. What we want to do is to reach more people. We are community-driven and everything we do is about people,” says Bothra.Habuild is also majorly reliant on referrals, which is a traditional way to generate clients and revenue, but slow and uncertain. “In the long run, referrals are the best way to build a brand. Our target audience doesn’t even go on a website to look for us. They find us on YouTube, Instagram or WhatsApp. These are the primary mediums of communication for us,” says Bothra.The company’s strengths are its community-building initiatives. Apart from yoga sessions every day, they have events on journaling, face yoga and fasting. Bothra, who is the face of the company, leads from the front by exercising every day and following a yoga lifestyle, which includes eating before sunset and observing maun or silence on certain days.On June 21, International Yoga Day, Habuild will attempt a world record with World Records Union for maximum concurrent viewership in live yoga sessions by launching a 21-day free online yoga challenge. The accidental startup is also looking at a “practical target” of reaching 1 lakh members by January 2024.

An accidental startup that now teaches yoga to thousands across the globe
Nagpur Woman Poisons 11-Year-Old Daughter, Dies By Suicide: Cops
Ndtv | 2 weeks ago | |
Ndtv
2 weeks ago | |

A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. (Representational)Nagpur: A woman allegedly poisoned her 11-year-old daughter and committed suicide at their house in Maharashtra's Nagpur district, police said on Monday.The incident took place in Butibori area, around 25 km from the district headquarters, on Sunday morning, an official said.Chetna Shirish Bhakte, 34, had separated from her husband and lived with her daughter Harshika in her father's house, and worked as a teacher at a local school, he said.The woman's father saw her lying unconscious in the house in the morning and rushed her to a nearest hospital, where she died later that night because of the poisonous substance she had consumed, the official said.After her mother's hospitalisation, the girl started complaining of a stomach ache and her condition deteriorated at a hospital, where she died during treatment, he said.The police have recovered a four-page suicide note from the house, which revealed that the woman was mentally disturbed when she took the extreme step, Inspector Bhimaji Patil of Butibori police station said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comA case has been registered and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause for the extreme step, he added.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Nagpur Woman Poisons 11-Year-Old Daughter, Dies By Suicide: Cops
"Will Go To Over 45,000 Villages": KCR Announces Maharashtra Plan
Ndtv | 3 weeks ago | |
Ndtv
3 weeks ago | |

K Chandrasekhar Rao announced a month-long programme to expand his Bharat Rashtra SamithiNanded: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday announced a month-long programme to expand his Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party's network in over 45,000 villages in urban civic bodies in Maharashtra.Rao made the announcement while addressing the party cadres' training programme in Nanded, where he asserted that the efforts taken by his party workers during this 30-day exercise may change the politics of Maharashtra.This was his fourth rally in Maharashtra in four months - of which three were held in Nanded district alone. His first rally was held in February this year."We will go to over 45,000 villages in Maharashtra and in 5,000 municipal wards in civic bodies," Rao said at the training programme attended by party representatives from across 288 Assembly constituencies in Maharashtra.He asked party workers to form nine committees at each place, comprising farmers, youth, women, backward classes, tribals, minorities, students and workers."From May 22 to June 22, go to five villages in a day. Spend two hours in each village. The efforts taken in these 30 days will change the politics of Maharashtra," Rao told BRS workers.BRS National President and Hon'ble Chief Minister Sri K Chandrashekhar Rao inaugurated BRS training camp in Nanded, Maharashtra today. pic.twitter.com/b9jZj0N3Jj— BRS Party (@BRSparty) May 19, 2023He asked the party workers to eat with farmers and Dalits."Other parties are rich, we are a poor party...The party workers should remain simple and have food with farmers or Dalits in those villages," he said."India awaits new leadership. India is fed up with present leaders. Today we are focusing on Maharashtra. Tomorrow you will have to work in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh," he said.The party workers trained in Maharashtra will go to other states in the country to expand the party's base, he said, adding, "Once the party work in Maharashtra begins, I will also go to the states in north India for a couple of weeks and work for the BRS there."Highlighting that change was the way to achieve progress, Rao said, "In the recent Karnataka polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost and the Congress came to power. But nothing will change there either. Countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia changed themselves and moved ahead with their past experiences. They changed themselves. These countries, which were once behind us, have now gone ahead of us."Nine years back, the situation in Telangana was worse than what it is in Maharashtra. If we deduct one year of demonetisation and one more year of the coronavirus pandemic, Telangana has achieved a lot in a period of seven years. Officials have remained the same, only will power brought about a change there. Every house has a water tap in Telangana. In cities, we gave each connection at just one rupee, he said.But there is no will power in the political parties in Maharashtra, he alleged."The city of Solapur receives water once in 10 days, Akola in seven days, Aurangabad in eight days. If the parties here had the will power, they would have changed the situation by now. Even the national capital Delhi doesn't get ample water and electricity," the BRS chief said."I started working in Maharashtra two-three months back. The states of Telangana and Maharashtra share nearly a 1,000-km-long border. There are many relatives of people living on the other side of the border in both the states," he added.Talking about farmers, he asked, "Will the pain of farmers end? I am confident the pain of farmers will end under BRS leadership." Rao spoke of the 'Telangana model' for welfare of farmers."Before I became CM, farmers in Telangana were dying. Today the Telangana model is famous all over the country. Every home in Telangana has tap water," he said.He said he came to know that Yavatmal district in Maharashtra witnesses one farmer suicide every day."Farmers in this country have fought a lot since long. In Maharashtra also many agitations took place under the leadership of late Sharad Joshi. Recently, farmers under the leadership of CPI(M) walked from Nashik to Mumbai to demand better price for onion crop. We don't ask people to agitate. They just need to vote for change now," Rao added.He said the BRS is spending crores for buying offices in Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur."The purchase of a site for the BRS office completed in Nagpur and it is underway in Aurangabad and other divisions of Maharashtra," he said.Rao held the Congress and BJP governments in the last 75 years responsible for "failure" to use rain and river water in the country."There is 1.40 lakh TMC rain in India each year. Half of it evaporates, so 70,000 TMC usable water remain in our rivers. These are central government figures," he said."Of this, just 20,000 TMC is being used. The remaining 50,000 TMC goes to sea," the Telangana CM said.Rao spoke of the inability by governments in the last 75 years of setting up mega dams."The Jayakwadi dam near Aurangabad has a capacity of 100 TMC. On the other hand, there is a 6,500 TMC dam in a small country like Zimbabwe," he added.Rao said Telangana has surpassed Punjab in foodgrain production due to its pro-farmer policies.He claimed that BRS is bringing about a change.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com"Earlier when BRS held a rally in Nanded, the Maharashtra government announced Rs 6,000 aid for farmers. Now the Maharashtra government says it is thinking of abolishing the talathi system. Recently, some officers said that farmers should be given aid of 10,000 rupees based on the Telangana model. Why was this not done earlier?" Rao asked.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

"Will Go To Over 45,000 Villages": KCR Announces Maharashtra Plan
KCR Starts Month-Long Programme To Expand Party Network In Maharashtra
Ndtv | 3 weeks ago | |
Ndtv
3 weeks ago | |

KCR said BRS is spending crores for buying offices in Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur.Nanded: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday launched a month-long programme to expand his Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party's network in over 45,000 villages in urban civic bodies in Maharashtra.Rao made the announcement while addressing the party cadre training programme in Nanded."We will go to the over 45,000 villages in Maharashtra and in 5,000 municipal wards in civic bodies," Rao said. He asked party workers to form nine committees at each place, comprising farmers, youth, women, backward classes, tribals and minorities."From May 22 to June 22, go to five villages in a day. Spend two hours in each village," Rao told BRS workers. He asked party workers to eat with Dalits. "Other parties are rich, we are a poor party," he said."India awaits new leadership. India is fed up with present leaders. Today we are focusing on Maharashtra. Tomorrow you will have to work in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh," he said. "Will the pain of farmers end? I am confident pain of farmers will end under BRS leadership," he said.Rao spoke of the 'Telangana model' for welfare of farmers. "Before I became CM, farmers in Telangana were dying. Today the Telangana model is famous all over the country. Every home in Telangana has tap water," he said.Rao said BRS is spending crores for buying offices in Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur.Rao held the Congress and BJP governments in last 75 years responsible for "failure" to use rain and river water in the country."There is 1.40 lakh TMC rain in India each year. Half of it evaporates, so 70,000 TMC usable eater remain in our rivers. These are central government figures," Rao said."Of this, just 20,000 TMC is being used. The remaining 50,000 TMC goes to sea," he said.Rao spoke of the inability by governments in last 75 years of setting up mega dams. "The Jayakwadi dam near Aurangabad has a capacity of 100 TMC. On the other hand, there is a 6,500 TMC dam in a small country like Zimbabwe," he added.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comRao said Telangana has surpassed Punjab in foodgrain production due to its pro-farmer policies.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

KCR Starts Month-Long Programme To Expand Party Network In Maharashtra
As Railways builds new station in Odisha town, INTACH raises red flag, seeks heritage tagPremium Story
The Indian Express | 1 month ago | |
The Indian Express
1 month ago | |

As the railway ministry has started redevelopment of Paralakhemundi station, one of the oldest railway stations in Odisha, the state chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has objected to the demolition of the heritage station built in 1899 by the then royals.In a letter to Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, INTACH Odisha said the new building being developed by the railways is on a raised platform and overshadows the existing heritage structure. It demanded that the old station should be given a heritage tag and preserved as it is.“While the new building is being built on the lines of the older one, it should be noted that the original building has a lot of historical and heritage value. It is still in a very good state and does not need much restoration work,” said INTACH Odisha convener A B Tripathy, a retired IPS officer.Tripathy said the existing station should neither be demolished nor restructured in any way as it is a piece of history and needs to be properly preserved. An expert team of INTACH recently visited the railway station to take stock of the existing and newly coming up railway station building which is being built on the design of the Paralakhemundi palace.According to official sources, the then Maharaja of Parlakimedi (now Paralakhemundi) had decided to connect his capital with Nuapada (in Andhra Pradesh now) which got rail lines in 1884, with a light railway. After getting the nod from the British authorities in 1898, he built a 39-km line by spending around Rs 7 lakh from his coffer.INTACH also urged the railway minister that at least two of the original heritage locomotives of the PLR (Paralakimedi Light Railway) should be brought back and properly plinthed at the railway station. About seven of the original locomotives are lying scattered at places which have no connection to Paralakhemundi. The 1899-built wooden carriage used by the royals of Paralakhemundi, which is kept at the narrow-gauge railway museum at Nagpur, too should be brought back for display at the station, it demanded.Stating that many other artifacts relating to the PLR are kept at the Nagpur museum, including signalling equipment, electrical equipment, scales, uniforms, insignias, German silver cutlery and royal embellishments, INTACH said all these should be obtained back.

As Railways builds new station in Odisha town, INTACH raises red flag, seeks heritage tagPremium Story
Supriya Sule Seeks Panel To Probe Heat Stroke Deaths At Maharashtra Event
Ndtv | 1 month ago | |
Ndtv
1 month ago | |

Sunstroke deaths: This is a tragic incident, said Supriya Sule. (File)Pune: NCP MP Supriya Sule on Monday targetted the Maharashtra government over the death of 12 people due to sunstroke after a state award event in Navi Mumbai and demanded the formation of a panel to probe the incident.The Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony was held in the open in Kharghar area of Navi Mumbai on Sunday morning, which was attended by several lakh people, most of them followers of awardee Appasaheb Dharmadhikari."I express condolences to the bereaved families. Since the temperature is increasing, everybody should be a little sensitive while organising a public event. I heard Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announcing the ex-gratia, but I would like to say that the worth of human life cannot be Rs 5 lakh," Ms Sule told reporters.When asked about the Opposition's demand for registration of an offence of culpable homicide in the sunstroke tragedy, the NCP leader alleged the state government is also insensitive towards farmers, women's safety, and damage caused by unseasonal rains."This is a tragic incident and it was a black day for the state. The state government should form a committee. It was the state government that had invited people who follow Appasaheb Dharamadhikari (the recipient of the Maharashtra Bhushan award) for the function, so the state should explain," Ms Sule demanded.Asked about speculations in political circles after senior NCP leader and her cousin Ajit Pawar reportedly cancelling his scheduled events, Ms Sule said Ajit Pawar attended the MVA rally in Nagpur on Sunday."I think media should form a separate unit to track Ajit Pawar's whereabouts," she quipped.The Lok Sabha member from Baramati said Maharashtra is facing several big issues like unemployment and crop loss."We all are busy on these issues. If any leader is cancelling any event, there is no need to speculate," she added.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comAsked about Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole's claim that RDX used in the 2019 Pulwama attack was transported from Nagpur, Ms Sule said she will seek a discussion on this issue in the next session of Parliament.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Supriya Sule Seeks Panel To Probe Heat Stroke Deaths At Maharashtra Event
Maharashtra Man Sentenced To Death For Killing 5 Family Members
Ndtv | 1 month ago | |
Ndtv
1 month ago | |

The man was previously convicted for killing his wife. (Representational)Nagpur, Maharashtra: A court in Maharashtra's Nagpur on Saturday sentenced a man to death for killing five members of his family over a property dispute.Additional sessions judge R S Pawaskar convicted the accused Vivek Gulab Palatkar (35) of charges under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to death.The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him.As per the case details, the incident took place in June 2018 when Palatkar had come to his sister's house in Nandanavan area of the city, and attacked her, his four-year-old son, niece, brother-in-law Kamlakar Motiram Pawankar and Kamlakar's mother.The accused attacked the victims with sharp and heavy objects while they were asleep and killed them.Palatkar fled the scene and was apprehended by the police almost 15 days after the murders, it was stated.Additional public prosecutor Abhay Jikar argued that the case fell under the rarest of the rare category, justifying death penalty.Palatkar had previously been convicted of killing his wife, but was acquitted by the Bombay High Court in 2017, and Kamlakar had helped him with the case.The accused was angry with Kamlakar for transferring two acres of land to his stepsister and demanding Rs 5 lakh towards legal fees.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comAt least 29 witnesses, two of whom were spared by the accused during the killings, were examined in the case.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Maharashtra Man Sentenced To Death For Killing 5 Family Members
"Great Joke": Ex-Maharashtra Congress MLA On Notice Over Anti-Party Remarks
Ndtv | 2 months ago | |
Ndtv
2 months ago | |

Ashish Deshmukh is the son of former state Congress chief Ranjit Deshmukh.Mumbai: Former Maharashtra MLA Ashish Deshmukh has termed as "unfortunate" the show-cause notice issued to him by the Maharashtra Congress disciplinary committee, claiming it was part of a "larger conspiracy" since he had been questioning the style of functioning of the party leaders.Mr Deshmukh further claimed that by issuing him an "unfounded" notice without any substantial reason, the state Congress has insulted the party's democratic spirit which it is known for since more than a century.The Maharashtra Congress recently suspended Ashish Deshmukh from its primary membership for his public statements against the party leadership in the state. Mr Deshmukh is a former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Katol in Nagpur who later joined the Congress. He was the Congress nominee against BJP leader and now Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from the Nagpur South West seat in the 2019 Assembly polls.He is the son of former state Congress chief Ranjit Deshmukh.On Wednesday, he was issued a show-cause notice by the state Congress's disciplinary action committee headed by former CM Prithviraj Chavan for his comments that MPCC president Nana Patole receives money from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.Mr Deshmukh had also said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the Other Backward Class (OBC) community over his "Modi surname" remarks In his reply to the notice, Deshmukh said," It is unfortunate that I have been issued a show- cause notice without any substantial reason." Defending his statement on Rahul Gandhi, Mr Deshmukh said it needs to be explained and understood with the context to derive the right conclusion.He said the context of this suggestion was Gandhi's statement referring to persons with 'Modi' surname, following which the former Congress president was sentenced to two years in jail by a court and and his membership of Parliament terminated."This statement of Hon. Rahul ji is being used as if he has insulted the entire OBC community. Whether we agree with this interpretation or not is altogether a different point. However, my suggestion to Rahul ji was in the interest of the party. I only meant that if at all there is any sentiment against Congress in the OBC community, we should apologise and put an end to the matter," Mr Deshmukh said."This suggestion of mine came on the background of the fact that OBCs constitute 54 per cent of the total population of India. The Congress has been a party which is always supported by OBCs. If this community is hurt, what is wrong in apologising?" he said.Mr Deshmukh said Rahul Gandhi had apologised unconditionally to the Supreme Court in May 2019 in Rafale case. He had also extended an apology for wrongfully attributing the "chowkidar chor hai" jibe, he said.Ashish Deshmukh said he suggested the same to Rahul Gandhi to put an end to the matter.The OBCs must be, in their entirety as far as possible, brought into the Congress fold again to strengthen the party, he said."The Congress boasts of being a 'democratic party' and its leaders issue show cause notice for a democratic suggestion! This is a great joke," Mr Deshmukh claimed.He said the Congress has numerous OBC leaders in Maharashtra and other states too."My question is what are they doing for OBCs? What are they doing to pacify the community or to deliver them their rightful share? Unfortunately nothing. They are still, when the party is going through a critical phase, enjoying their petty politics, settling intra-party scores and weakening the Congress with dynastic style of functioning," Mr Deshmukh said.Their prolonged silence and dormancy speak more than their occasional words and actions like show-cause notice which carries no meaning, he claimed.Mr Deshmukh said he was committed to the OBC community's rights, its development and welfare. "I have been doing my bit for the same," he claimed. The BJP has planned an OBC outreach programme and their governments at the Centre and in states are implementing multiple schemes for OBCs. On the other hand, the Congress does not seem to have any concern for OBCs and it is painful to see that a democratically made pragmatic suggestion is taken otherwise, Mr Deshmukh said."There is no exigency to explain my statement about MPCC president taking money from the current chief minister. However, I leave it to Maharashtra Congress leaders to interpret in their own ways like they did about my suggestion to Rahul ji," he said.If the Congress goes on neglecting the OBC community, its fate is sealed, Mr Deshmukh claimed.Rather than issuing such baseless show-cause notices, I advise Maharashtra Congress leaders to use their mind, words and actions in the interest of OBCs which will automatically cater to the party's interest, he said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comAshish Deshmukh said his statements have been misinterpreted to target him as he is vocal for the welfare of OBCs in general along with the party and workers too."It is a part of larger conspiracy against me who has been rightfully questioning leaders for their style of functioning. By issuing me an unfounded notice, the MPCC has insulted the democratic spirit that the Congress is known for since more than a century. But everyone should mind that I am undeterred and determined," he added.

"Great Joke": Ex-Maharashtra Congress MLA On Notice Over Anti-Party Remarks
Maharashtra Man Stabs Wife To Death Over Financial Dispute, Arrested: Cops
Ndtv | 2 months ago | |
Ndtv
2 months ago | |

The body was found by his 12-year-old son, said police (Representational)Nagpur: A 50-year-old man allegedly killed his wife in the early hours of Friday in Maharashtra's Nagpur district as he had not received money from her parents to repay loans taken to buy trucks, a police official said.The man killed his 40-year-old wife in their rented house in Navneet Nagar in Wadi area when their daughter had gone for a police recruitment drive and their son was at a relative's place, he said."He had purchased three trucks on loan and these were seized by the lending firm and he wanted his wife's parents to give money to get them released. She had even complained to police earlier about his torture over this issue," he said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com"In the early hours of Friday, he stabbed her to death. The body was found by his 12-year-old son when he returned home. The man has been arrested and charged with murder," the Wadi police station official said.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Maharashtra Man Stabs Wife To Death Over Financial Dispute, Arrested: Cops
Maharashtra Congress Suspends Ex State Chief's Son Over Anti-Party Remarks
Ndtv | 2 months ago | |
Ndtv
2 months ago | |

Ashish Deshmukh said Rahul Gandhi should apologise over his "Modi surname" remarks.Mumbai: The Congress in Maharashtra has suspended former MLA Ashish Deshmukh from its primary membership for his public statements against the party leadership in the state.A party notice, which announced the disciplinary action against the former legislator, said charges levelled against Mr Deshmukh are serious in nature.Mr Deshmukh is a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Katol in Nagpur who later joined the Congress. He was the Congress nominee against BJP leader and now Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from the Nagpur South West seat in the 2019 Assembly polls.He is the son of former state Congress chief Ranjit Deshmukh.On Wednesday, he was issued a show-cause notice by the state Congress's disciplinary action committee headed by former CM Prithviraj Chavan for his comments that MPCC president Nana Patole receives money from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.Mr Deshmukh also said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the OBC community over his "Modi surname" remarks.The notice, issued to the former MLA after a meeting of the disciplinary committee, sought a reply from him in three days as to why he shouldn't be expelled from the primary membership of the Congress.The notice said since charges levelled against Mr Deshmukh are serious in nature, he has been suspended from the primary membership of the Congress till further proceedings and final disposal of the matter.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comIn January this year, Deshmukh had written a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge seeking removal of Patole from his post, saying the Opposition party's condition in Maharashtra was “alarming” and there was a need to change the state unit president.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Maharashtra Congress Suspends Ex State Chief's Son Over Anti-Party Remarks
Attack On Cops In Maharashtra's Aurangabad Unfortunate: Devendra Fadnavis
Ndtv | 2 months ago | |
Ndtv
2 months ago | |

"I feel that political leaders should know how to behave in such situations."Nagpur: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said the incident of a mob allegedly attacking police personnel in Aurangabad city, now named Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, was unfortunate and appealed to leaders to avoid making provocative statements and giving political colour to it.A mob of more than 500 people allegedly attacked policemen on Wednesday night after some youth clashed among themselves. The incident, which lasted around an hour, took place in Kiradpura locality, which has a famous Ram temple where a huge crowd is expected to celebrate the Ram Navami on Thursday, police officials said.Speaking at his residence in Nagpur on the violence, Mr Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said, "The incident that happened in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is very unfortunate and efforts are on to maintain peace in the area. However, some people are trying to vitiate the atmosphere there by giving provocative statements." "I feel that political leaders should know how to behave in such situations. Hence, if anyone is giving such wrong statements they should refrain from it. Everyone should maintain peace. If anyone is trying to give political colour to this incident, then it is unfortunate," he said in response to a query about some leaders accusing him of being responsible for the episode.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comAccording to police, some vehicles were damaged in the violence in Aurangabad and a combing operation was underway to nab those involved. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Attack On Cops In Maharashtra's Aurangabad Unfortunate: Devendra Fadnavis