Tamil Nadu: Amendment to Goondas Act notified after governor's nod
Responding to this, Law Minister S Regupathy introduced a Bill to amend the Goondas Act, 1982, to punish those who dump biomedical waste into Tamil Nadu from the neighbouring states. The Bill was passed in the Assembly and has now been notified following the Governor's assent.
With the notification, the amended Act empowers authorities to detain, without trial, preventing them from engaging in 'dangerous activities prejudicial to the maintenance of public order'. The amendment also brings economic offenders under the ambit of the Act.
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Hindustan Times
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- Hindustan Times
MNS demands action against PMPML contractor for flouting rules
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has demanded action against a PMPML contractor for allegedly installing 300 bus stops in the city without securing mandatory permissions from the civic body. No permissions were obtained by the contractor, causing loss to the civic body, says MNS leader. (FILE PHOTO) The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) had appointed the contractor to set up 300 bus stops in the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal areas under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model. The work is currently underway. MNS leader Hemant Sambhus said he had sought details under the Right to Information (RTI) Act regarding permissions taken for the project. 'These bus stops are being installed on a BOT basis, allowing the contractor to display advertisements on them for 15 years before handing them over to PMPML. However, the PMC's Sky Sign and Road departments have confirmed in writing that no permissions were obtained,' he said. Following the RTI response, Sambhus met municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram to highlight the issue. 'We informed the commissioner that despite being a PMPML project, it is mandatory for the contractor to obtain PMC permissions. This lapse causes financial loss to the civic body, which would otherwise collect advertisement fees. We have demanded action, and the commissioner has assured us he will examine the matter and take necessary steps,' Sambhus added.
Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
State warns colleges against overcharging students with fee
The Department of Higher and Technical Education has directed all private and unaided professional colleges in the state not to collect full course fees from students eligible for government scholarships. It issued a government circular on August 12, stating that educational institutions must deduct the scholarship amount sanctioned by the government while charging tuition and other fees. Colleges have been warned of strict legal action under Section 20 of the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015, if they fail to comply. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO) Colleges have been warned of strict legal action under Section 20 of the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015, if they fail to comply. As per the directive, students admitted under the centralised admission process conducted by the Directorate of Technical Education and state CET Cell who are eligible for scholarships through schemes available on the MahaDBT portal, should only be charged the remaining balance after accounting for the government-sanctioned amount. 'Colleges have been instructed not to collect the entire fee from such students, as it violates both legal provisions and the purpose of the scholarship schemes,' an education department official. The move comes in response to an increasing number of complaints received by the department, where several institutions were allegedly found demanding full fees from scholarship beneficiaries, despite their eligibility for fee waivers or reimbursements. 'It has been observed that certain institutions are charging more than the fee approved by the Fee Regulatory Authority. Such acts amount to profiteering and will be treated as a punishable offence,' the official said. To ensure transparency, colleges have also been instructed to clearly display the approved course-wise fee structure on their official website and notice board in both Marathi and English. They are also barred from collecting fees beyond the current academic year. Institutions found violating the rules will face punitive action for 'profiteering', a term the law strictly prohibits in the context of educational services. To facilitate reporting of violations, the CET Cell will soon publish helpline numbers and a complaint portal on its official website.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Panels set up in April, but survey held up as Haryana yet to define ‘forest'
Gurgaon: Months after the Supreme Court ordered all states and Union territories to define "forest" and map all such areas, not a single survey has been carried out as part of the exercise in Haryana despite the state govt establishing expert committees in April. The catch — both district- and state-level committees cannot begin work until the state finalises its definition of "forest by dictionary meaning" — a step that remains incomplete, effectively stalling the entire exercise. In April, Haryana govt notified a state-level expert committee chaired by the additional chief secretary (environment, forests & wildlife). The panel includes senior officials from forest, revenue, agriculture, industries, town planning and urban local bodies departments. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon | Gold Rates Today in Gurgaon | Silver Rates Today in Gurgaon District-level committees headed by deputy commissioners were also constituted, comprising municipal commissioners, divisional forest officers and other key officials. But the terms for the committees allow them a month to two to carry out surveys and submit their reports, with one key condition: they can start work only after the state provides the forest definition. On March 4, the Supreme Court ordered all states and UTs to first define "forest" and identify all such areas, including the Aravalis. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain Knee pain | search ads Find Now Undo This exercise will allow protections to forest land under the Forest Conservation Act and prevent further loss of green cover in ecologically fragile zones. Asked why the process was delayed, Haryana's principal chief conservator of forests Vineet Kumar Garg said on Wednesday, "We have sent the forest definition for finalisation to the state govt. We will start the process once it is final." Experts and activists alleged that Haryana govts, over the decades, have avoided protecting Aravalis under FCA by stalling the process. "This is planned disobedience of the Supreme Court's Godavarman judgment. Constituting committees without giving them the definition is a tactic to ensure no actual work is done. Haryana is trying to give away what little forest it has to private builders by not recognising it as forest," said RP Balwan, retired conservator of forests, Haryana (South). The top court's March order came while hearing writ petitions challenging amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act. Citing the 2011 Lafarge judgment, the court ordered states/UTs to form expert committees within a month and warned that state chief secretaries would be held personally responsible for any lapses. The Lafarge order, linked to environmental approvals for mining in Meghalaya, had directed all states to identify and map forest land. This built on the landmark 1996 TN Godavarman case, which established that forests must be recognised based on the dictionary definition of "forest" — meaning any area with forest characteristics must be protected under FCA, regardless of its official status in govt records. This "deemed forest" concept significantly widened FCA's scope. However, successive Haryana govts have maintained there is no clear definition or criteria to identify forests. Forest analyst Chetan Agarwal highlighted the administrative impasse and said. "Govt has created a Catch-22 situation. They formed committees in April to comply with the March court order but tied their hands by saying the forest definition will be issued by the state govt, which has still not materialised." The case will next be taken up by the SC on Sept 9, where Haryana govt may be required to explain why it is yet to come up with a definition for 'forest'. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
