Latest news with #Chaudhari
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Tekdi road war memorial gets administrative nod
1 2 Nagpur: In a tribute to the indomitable courage of India's soldiers, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) got administrative approval to build a grand war memorial on Tekdi Road, on defence ministry-owned land. The monument will honour those who fought valiantly and laid down their lives in five major post-Independence wars — the 1948 Indo-Pak War, the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the 1965 Indo-Pak War, the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, and the 1999 Kargil conflict. The project, initiated by municipal commissioner and administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari as part of NMC's Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, aims to inspire patriotism among youth and future generations by showcasing the stories of bravery and sacrifice. The defence ministry agreed to allot a 29,000sqft plot free for the memorial. The design proposal came from a city-based NGO, Nagpur 2025. Following correspondence between Chaudhari and Major General SK Vidyarthi, the defence ministry issued a formal no-objection certificate. NMC has earmarked Rs10 crore for the project, ensuring it reflects public sentiments while avoiding any element that may hurt community sensitivities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Safest Cities Where People can Live in Peace Undo Two Memorandums of Understanding are planned — one with the defence department (for the land), and another with Nagpur 2025 (for the design). The memorial will be designed to avoid overcrowding while allowing visitors a clear view of the displays and narratives. It will chronicle acts of heroism — from soldiers who repelled enemy advances to those who made the supreme sacrifice — making it an educational and emotionally stirring landmark for Nagpur. Chaudhari said the war memorial would serve as "a source of inspiration for children and youth to understand the value of courage and sacrifice in nation-building". 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. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
NMC Pulled Down Over 20,000 Illegal Advertisement Displays In 7 Months
Nagpur: In a sweeping citywide crackdown on unauthorized advertisements, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) dismantled over 20,000 illegal hoardings, banners, posters and welcome gates in just seven months. In an affidavit submitted to the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court on Thursday, municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari gave details of the civic body's enforcement drive and informed that 20,289 such structures were removed from January to July 2025. Represented through counsel Sudhir Puranik, the commissioner also informed the court that Rs1.75 lakh in penalties was recovered from offenders and 265 police complaints registered. The affidavit was filed during the hearing of contempt petition (No. 256/2010) filed by NGO Parivartan through its president Dinesh Naidu. Chaudhari made it clear that the 10 zonal assistant commissioners will be held personally accountable for any failure in implementing the drive. "Instructions have been issued across all 10 zones to ensure strict adherence to the court's directions. Officers found neglecting their duties will face disciplinary action," he stated in reference to a January 18 circular warning of punitive measures for non-compliance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The action is being taken under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations (Regulation and Control of Display of Sky-Signs and Advertisement) Rules, 2022, notified by the Urban Development Department. The civic body has also strengthened public participation through the 'Nagpur Live' app and online grievance portal, where citizens can report unauthorized hoardings. A large number of such complaints have already been addressed, the NMC said. To bolster enforcement, NMC has deployed daily surveillance vans. The drive is intensified during festival seasons like Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Diwali and Dhammachakra Pravartan Din. Coordination meetings with city police and the district administration are also being held to maintain vigilance and compliance, the court was informed. While conditional permissions are granted for temporary structures like pandals during festivals, Chaudhari clarified that any form of advertisement or sky-signs displayed on them must be separately licenced. The affidavit comes in the backdrop of a 2017 order by the then high court bench comprising justices Bhushan Dharmadhikari and Rohit Deo, which warned political parties of contempt notices for defacing public spaces with unlicenced hoardings. The court strongly observed that "mere registration of FIRs isn't enough" and called for registering offences against political leaders and printers involved in recurring violations. 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 s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Nagpur up 5 spots in swachh ranking after NMC's appeal
Nagpur: The city's ranking in the Swachh Bharat Survekshan improved following an appeal by the civic body. The Union ministry of housing and urban affairs has now placed Nagpur at rank 22A (out of 40), up from its earlier position of 27. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The revised ranking was confirmed on its national dashboard, with municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari sharing the update on Wednesday. Nagpur's state ranking also saw a rise — from 29 to 25A out of 414 urban local bodies in Maharashtra. The city's overall score now stands at 9,836 out of 12,500, up from the previous 9,328, additional municipal commissioner Vasumana Pant told TOI. To a query, Pant explained that since Nashik already held the 22nd rank, Nagpur has been assigned 22A to reflect its equal standing. As a result, the 27th position in the national ranking list now remains vacant, the Swachh Survekshan results website stated. The improvement followed NMC's detailed representation under the guidance of Chaudhari, pointing out discrepancies in the initial assessment. "We highlighted major mismatches in legacy data related to daily waste collection and vehicle tracking over the past three years. After verification, a fresh site visit was conducted, and our claims were accepted," said Pant. Key metrics show substantial progress. Door-to-door waste collection surged from 30% to 90%, while segregation at source improved dramatically from 1% to 60%. However, waste processing, which was earlier marked at 100%, was revised to 60% following a stricter re-evaluation. The city has now also earned one star under the Garbage-Free City (GFC) certification — a benchmark it failed to achieve earlier this year. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Nagpur's score was already contentious. About 30% in door-to-door collection and 1% at source segregation were surprising. The scores in these two parameters increased to 90% and 60%, which gave us 500 in GFC certification were we had earlier scored zero," Kaustav Chatterjee, Swachhata ambassador said. The earlier ranking sparked sharp criticism from citizens and within the civic administration, where officials admitted that weak inter-departmental coordination and poor documentation hampered performance. The latest recognition reflects growing momentum in the city's cleanliness efforts. Even in Swachh Survekshan 2023, Nagpur was placed 86th among 400 cities with a population above one lakh. The NMC objected to this categorisation, insisting that Nagpur should have been evaluated in the million-plus category. Major recent initiatives include the 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign, Backlane Cleanliness Drive, compressed biogas facility, C&D waste plant, and biomining project at Bhandewadi. Citizen-led programs like 'One Date, One Hour', Swachh Mohalla, Clean Market initiatives, Eco Bricks, and awareness campaigns in schools have further boosted community participation. In a statement, Chaudhari said Nagpur's progress was acknowledged in a recent central govt report for its participatory initiatives. He added that NMC now aims to push for a Top 10 rank in upcoming surveys by intensifying cleanliness efforts across all zones.
News18
5 days ago
- Business
- News18
Kansai Nerolac Paints Q1 profit down 4 pc to Rs 215.6 cr
Agency: New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd has reported a decline of 4.12 per cent in consolidated net profit to Rs 215.6 crore for the June quarter of this financial year. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 224.87 crore in the April-June period a year ago, according to a regulatory filing from Kansai Nerolac on Monday. However, its revenue from operations increased 1.35 per cent to Rs 2,162.03 crore in the June quarter of FY26. It was at Rs 2,133.08 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Total expenses of Kansai Nerolac Paints were at Rs 1,919.18 crore, up 3.24 per cent in the June quarter. Kansai Nerolac's total income, which includes other income, was at 2,214.84 crore, up 1.27 per cent in the quarter under review. 'During the quarter, demand for Decorative showed signs of revival, though an early monsoon impacted during the later part of the quarter. Performance of decorative was affected due to the disturbance in April, which impacted key markets in the North," Managing Director Pravin Chaudhari said. Chaudhari further noted that in automotive, demand for KNP continued to be better than the market, driven by various initiatives. Performance coatings registered strong growth. On raw material prices, he said they were 'benign", and forex remained volatile. 'The uncertainty in the environment due to geopolitical factors continued, and we remain watchful," he said. On the outlook of the Indian Paints Industry, the company said the good growth in infrastructure, core sector, as well as automobile and real estate, is likely to have a positive effect on the overall demand of paint for the industry in the long run. The size of the domestic paint industry is estimated at around Rs 77,500 crore as of March 2025, according to Kansai Nerolac Paints. Shares of Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd on Tuesday settled at Rs 242.40 on BSE, down 0.49 per cent from the previous close. PTI KRH DRR view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
The Malegaon blast trial that stalled: Shared suspects, multiple probes, but no progress in 2006 case
The 2008 Malegaon blast case, in which several accused were linked to extremist groups, concluded this week following the acquittal of all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, a parallel case from 2006 involving similarly placed suspects remains stalled in court. Despite the National Investigation Agency (NIA) naming operatives of Hindu outfits in its 2013 chargesheet in the 2006 case, the trial of the four accused has made no progress since 2019. Two of the men named in the 2006 blasts, Ramchandra Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange, are also accused of having played a role in the 2008 blasts. What ATS found On September 8, 2006, four bombs exploded in Malegaon, three on the premises of Hamidia Masjid and Bada Kabrastan just after Friday prayers, and the fourth at Mushawarat Chowk, killing 31 people and injuring 312 persons. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which initiated the investigation, claimed that 13 Muslim men, some of whom had met at a conspiracy meeting during a wedding on May 6, 2006, conspired to carry out the blasts. Nine of these men, including Shabbir Masiullah, who was already in prison, were arrested for their role in the explosions. Four accused who were never apprehended were also named for their role in the blast. The ATS accused them of making and planting the bombs. A subsequent supplementary chargesheet that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed in 2011 also named the same individuals. The case was transferred to the NIA in 2011 after RSS activist Swami Aseemanand, who was then an accused in the Ajmer Sharif and Mecca Masjid blasts, told the magistrate in his statement in 2010 that the 2006 blasts were allegedly the handiwork of 'right-wing activist' Sunil Joshi and his men. The NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet in 2013, after which the nine Muslim men were discharged from the case in 2016. Seven of these men had earlier been released on bail in 2011, and two others, who were also named in the Mumbai train blasts, were released this year after being acquitted in the case. NIA investigation The NIA's 2013 chargesheet named seven men for carrying out the 2006 blast, including Manohar Narwaria, Rajendra Chaudhari, Dhan Singh Shiv Singh, Lokesh Sharma, and Sunil Joshi, who was killed in 2007. Three of the accused, including Kalsangra, Dange, and Ramesh Mahalkar, were never apprehended. As per the NIA, a criminal conspiracy was undertaken at Bagli in Dewas District of Madhya Pradesh, where training in arms and assembling of bombs/IEDs was imparted under Joshi's supervision for committing 'terrorist acts in Muslim religious places'. Subsequently, four men carrying four bombs left from Indore and reached Malegaon on September 8, 2006. The NIA claimed that Narwaria and Chaudhari, posing as Sumer Thakur and Badal Yadav respectively, purchased two bicycles from shopkeepers in Malegaon. Singh then placed one bag with two bombs on the bicycle that Chaudhari purchased. They both then went to Mushawarat Chowk, where Chaudhari was accused of placing one bomb/IED in a metallic box and fixing that box on the carrier of the bicycle. That bicycle was then parked near an electric pole. Chaudhari then placed a bag containing the other bomb on a tree inside Hamidia Masjid and Bada Kabrastan. Kalsangra and Narwaria went to Hamidia Masjid and Bada Kabrastan with two bombs in a bag. A box containing one bomb was then fitted into their bicycle that was parked inside the mosque. Another bomb was kept in the bag and it was hung on the main gate of the Masjid. The NIA claimed that after planting the bombs in this manner, they went to Jalgaon and from there to Indore. The accused, as per the NIA, were also alleged to have called up media houses and informed them that 'Dharmasena' had taken responsibility for the bomb blast at Malegaon. They were subsequently arrested in 2013, with some men, including Singh and Sharma, also being accused in the 2008 blast by the NIA. Before the courts In 2019, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Singh, Sharma, Narwaria, and Chaudhari in the 2006 case. The High Court said the men were in jail for over six years without the trial commencing and also said the trial court, which rejected their bail pleas, should have considered the entire record, including the chargesheets that the ATS and the CBI had filed.. Following their bail pleas, the men approached the trial court seeking discharge, pointing out the difference in the findings of the ATS/CBI and the NIA probes. With no hearing having taken place on the discharge applications in the past few years, the trial court proceedings are at a standstill. The lawyers for the accused submitted that the case be heard after the High Court decides on their plea to quash the case and another one challenging the discharge of the Muslim men. The Maharashtra ATS, too, has challenged the decision to release the nine Muslim men and submitted that both sets of accused be put to trial. It had taken a stand in the Malegaon 2008 case that it would not be a party to the case as the NIA had taken over its probe, even as its investigation was called 'dubious' and its officers were accused of planting evidence. The last hearing on the appeals in the High Court took place in 2019. While Singh and Sharma were also investigated by the NIA in the 2008 case when it took over in 2011, they were dropped as accused five years later after the agency claimed there was no proof against them. When it arrested Singh, the NIA had said that Kalsangra and Dange had instructed him to transport the motorcycle fitted with the explosive from Madhya Pradesh and hand it over to Kalsangra.
