Latest news with #Gokul
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Kolhapur model for the local polls?
What happened at the election of the chairperson of Kolhapur District Milk Producers Federation, popularly known by its milk brand, Gokul, has grabbed attention in political circles. The federation is a major cooperative of milk producer farmers in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra, with an annual turnover of over ₹3,000 crore. The control over Gokul comes with significant political influence in the region. For two decades, it was controlled by local political heavyweight Mahadev Mahadik. His son Dhananjay is BJP Rajya Sabha MP and another son Amal is an BJP MLA. The anti-Mahadik front of local politicians, comprising mainly of Congress leader Satej Patil and NCP minister Hasan Mushrif, wrested power from him four years ago. The election for Gokul's chairperson was due again and Mahayuti leaders at the instance of Mahadiks used their influence to get a pro-Mahayuti candidate elected at the helm. The outgoing chairman Arun Dengle rallied his strength behind Shiv Sena. The leaders of the front sprang a surprise by getting Mushrif's son Navid elected unopposed for the post. Though Mushrif is now with Mahayuti, Patil's aides say he chose to throw his weight behind Mushrif's son to keep the Mahadiks away from the control of Gokul. The development surprised many in political circles but also underlined the fact that local calculations matter in local level politics—whether it is in cooperative units or local self-government bodies. It is an indication of what may happen in the elections to Zilla Parishads or district councils to be held after the monsoon. When it comes to the local politics in rural Maharashtra, party lines often blur and local calculations prevail. Social justice minister Shirsat's trouble Social justice minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat is also in the news because of his son but for the wrong reasons. First, Shirsat's son Siddhant was accused of harassment and threats by a woman who claimed that she had married him. After sending a legal notice to Siddhant, the woman backtracked and said she had no complaints against the former. Just as Shirsat was heaving a sigh of relief, Opposition leader in the legislative council Ambadas Danve questioned the process of auctioning a hotel in Aurangabad. Siddhant's company won the auction to buy the property for ₹67 crore. On Saturday, Danve said Siddhant had declared ₹59 lakh annual income in his tax return and asked how could he mobilise ₹67 crore to buy the hotel. He also demanded that Shirsat disclose the names of Siddhant's four partners. An irked Shirsat insisted that Siddhant took a loan for the deal and also wondered aloud, in Shiv Sena style, 'Shouldn't Marathi manoos get into business?' Raut's message to Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut surely knows how to keep his recently published book, Narkatla Swarg (heaven in hell) in focus. The book is based on his 100-day stay in Arthur Road prison because of an Enforcement Directorate case against him. He sent copies of his book to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and MNS chief Raj Thackeray along with personal letters that he posted on his social media handles. 'I know you love reading so I am sending this book,' he wrote to Fadnavis and Thackeray. For Shinde, though, his message was different. 'You will definitely like my attempt to tell the people that you can retain your self-respect without bowing down to the excesses of BJP sponsored agencies such as ED and CBI,' Raut has written in the letter sent to Shinde alongwith the book. He has also caustically pointed out that Shinde was a witness to his struggle against BJP and central government agencies. Whether Shinde took a peek at the book or not is anybody's guess. Munde finds solace in Vipassana Former minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde who was in the eye of a storm following the brutal murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, which led to him losing his ministerial berth, is attending a Vipassana meditation course in Igatpuri. The chances of Munde returning to the state cabinet are slim, with the recent inclusion of Chhagan Bhujbal in his place. He is also suffering from Bell's Palsy, a neurological disorder that affects facial muscles. 'He has done the right thing. He will get some peace of mind,' remarked Dhananjay's cousin and environment minister Pankaja Munde when she was asked about the meditation course. Helping hand A video of Pragati, a teenager who was wondering how her father could pay her school fees after their onion crop was damaged in the rains, went viral last week. The Darekar family was in tears as their crop was completely destroyed due to the rains. Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Milind Narvekar reached out to the family and sent a cheque of ₹1 lakh to the family in Beed for Pragati's education. He also told the family to reach out to him if they needed anything more.
Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Indian Express
Sadhvi alleges rape at Ghaziabad ashram; two women arrested, main accused absconding
Ghaziabad Police has arrested two women for allegedly facilitating the rape of a Sadhvi, and also blackmailing and threatening her, police said on Sunday. The police said that both the accused women are also Sadhvis at Ghaziabad's Gurukul Shantidham Ashram. 'The two women have been identified as Divya Yog Maya Saraswati, 62, a resident of Assam, and her associate Radhika alias Shabnam, 35, a resident of Kaushambi in Ghaziabad,' said the Station House Officer (SHO), Kaushambi, Ajay Kumar Sharma. Sharma said that the main accused, Gokul, who is the brother of Divya, has not been arrested yet, adding he may have fled to Assam. According to the police, the victim had filed a written complaint at the Kaushambi Police Station on May 8. 'In her complaint to the police, she said that Gokul raped her at the ashram after the trio spiked her cold drink. They then blackmailed and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about this,' said the SHO. 'We have registered a case under section 64(1) (rape) and 123 (causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). On Friday, the two women were arrested during routine checking,' said the investigating officer. 'We are taking all the necessary legal action and soon, the main accused will be arrested as well,' said the SHO. Neetika Jha is a trainee reporter with The Indian Express, Delhi. She covers crime, health, environment as well as stories of human interest, in Noida and Ghaziabad. When not on the field she is probably working on another story idea. On weekends, she loves to read fiction over a cup of coffee (cold coffee if it is summer). The Thursday Murder club and Yellow face were her recent favourites. She loves her garden as much as she loves her job. She is an alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. ... Read More
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Minister recommends suspension in forest case
disciplinary action Supreme Court plea HMT forest land Indian Forest Service Indian Administrative Service Cabinet approval real estate firms Real estate firms have constructed hundreds of flats on it. This raises serious questions about how such usage was permitted – Eshwar BK, Minister Plan for urban park Karnataka Forest, Ecology, and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre announced that disciplinary action has been recommended against four officials, two retired and two serving officers from the(IFS) and(IAS), for their involvement in the controversial proposal submitted to the Supreme Court withoutKhandre stated that over `14,000 crore worth of HMT land, which falls under forest classification, has not been officially converted for non-forest purposes. 'As per multiple Supreme Court judgments and the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, this land still qualifies as forest. However,have constructed hundreds of flats on it, film and television shoots are being held, and the land is being used for commercial purposes. This raises serious questions about how such usage was permitted,' he asked why no action had been taken seven months after notices were issued to the officials involved, Khandre responded, 'This forest land under HMT is the property of 7 crore Kannadigas. Yet, a few officers, without bringing it to the then Forest Minister's notice or seeking prior Cabinet approval, filed an Interlocutory Application (IA) in the Supreme Court requesting denotification.'He confirmed that notices had been served to four officials and that he had formally recommended action to the Chief Minister, including the suspension of a senior IFS officer. In a related development, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R Gokul has written to the CBI seeking protection, alleging that he is being made a scapegoat for penalising ruling party MLAs in the Belikeri illegal mining case. Responding to this, Khandre dismissed Gokul's claims as 'completely false accusations against the government.'The Minister revealed that he had written to the Additional Chief Secretary on September 24, 2024, instructing that action be taken against the officials who filed the IA without Cabinet approval. The Belikeri judgment was handed down a month later, in October 2024. 'Gokul is now levelling false charges against the government to cover up his misconduct. This can be seen as either misbehaviour or an intimidation tactic,' said also revealed that he inspected the HMT land and found around 280 acres of dense forest still intact. 'Despite this, the IA submitted to the Supreme Court a false claim that the land had lost its forest characteristics. If Gokul truly believed in the sanctity of the land, why didn't he write to the Chief Minister instead of the CBI?' he questioned.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Hasan Mushrif's son Navid chosen unopposed by board to post of Gokul dairy's chairman
Kolhapur: Navid Mushrif, the 39-year-old son of state cabinet minister Hasan Mushrif, has been named the next — and youngest — chairman of the Kolhapur Zilla Sahakari Dudh Utpadak Sangh Ltd, popularly known by its brand name Gokul dairy. Gokul is the largest cooperative milk dairy in Maharashtra, connecting with every milk-supplying farmer in Kolhapur district, a major supply market in Mumbai, Pune, and Goa, and an annual turnover of over Rs3,500 crore. Navid will hold the post for one year, the remainder of the five-year tenure. The next elections for Gokul dairy are going to take place next year. Interestingly, barely ten days ago, when Mushrif was asked about whether Navid is in the race for the chairman's post, he had told reporters: "He has to wait for now. There is no question of his acceptance. The horse will be in the race only if he is unleashed." At the time, then-chairman of Gokul, Arun Dongle, had refused to resign. This had pushed Mushrif — a key leader of the Rajarshi Shahu Parivartan Aghadi, which won Gokul's election in 2021 — into a corner. The state-level leadership of Mahayuti, especially BJP and Shiv Sena leaders, had been insisting that someone from their alliance should become chairman of Gokul dairy to boost chances of a win in the local body elections. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Mahayuti won all 10 seats in the district during the assembly elections last year, and the leadership was keen to put MVA — mainly Congress MLC Satej Patil — into a corner by reducing his dominance. Patil is also a member of the Rajarshi Shahu Parivartan Aghadi along with Mushrif. In a twist, it was Patil himself who handed the closed envelope with Navid's name inside to the senior director of Gokul dairy, Vishwas Patil, to table before the directors' meeting. The name was accepted unopposed, thus making Navid the youngest ever chairman in the history of Gokul dairy. Commenting on the development, Satej Patil said, "We all leaders met together and finalized the name unanimously. There is no political colour to the choice made by all of us. There were many directors who were interested to become chairman for the remainder of the term." Among top runners 24 hours before Navid's name started doing rounds was Shashikant Patil Chuyekar, son of Anandrao Patil Chuyekar, founder of Gokul dairy. His name was almost final and was said to be accepted by leaders across political parties — but it was not to be. Commenting on the development, Chuyekar said, "Gokul dairy is our family. The decision was taken by the leaders, and he (Navid) was elected unopposed." Besides being a state cabinet minister, Hasan Mushrif is also chairman of the Kolhapur District Central Cooperative Bank. Now, his son is following in his footsteps and two important institutions connected to farmers of the district are with the Mushrif family. After accepting congratulatory felicitations at the dairy's headquarters, Navid, who is also the chairman of a sugar factory, told reporters, "I have decided not to use the official vehicle of the dairy and will use my own. The decision to choose me was taken by all leaders. We are all united. We must expand Gokul with the help of state govt."
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
HMT land: Minister seeks suspension of senior IFS officer
Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre on Friday recommended the suspension of two serving IFS officers, including Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R. Gokul, in connection with a case filed in the Supreme Court seeking permission to denotify HMT forest land valued over ₹14,000 crore. In addition, he has also recommended action against two retired bureaucrats under service rules. Mr. Khandre told reporters that the land which is under HMT's control has not been legally converted for non-forest purposes, and therefore, as per various Supreme Court judgments and the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, the land remains classified as forest. He added that despite this the land has been encroached upon and real estate companies have built hundreds of flats. Besides film shoots have taken place on the HMT land. To a question on why no action had been taken in the past seven months since notices were issued to the officials in the IA filing case which was done without Cabinet approval, the Minister said: 'A few officers submitted the IA without bringing it to the attention of the then Forest Minister or obtaining Cabinet approval. Notices were issued to four officers (two retired and two serving), and a recommendation has been made to the Chief Minister for further action.' IFS officer writes to CBI Mr. Gokul had reportedly written to the CBI seeking protection and claimed that he was being made a 'scapegoat' for taking action against Congress MLAs in the Belekeri case. The Minister denied the allegations by the senior IFS officer and said that on September 24, 2024, he sent a written note to the Additional Chief Secretary, to issue notices and take action against officials who filed the IA without prior cabinet approval. 'A month later, in October 2024, the Belikeri verdict came out. Mr. Gokul, to cover his own misdeeds, falsely accused the government in a letter to the CBI,' he said. Mr. Khandre said he has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recommending suspension of Mr. Gokul and to order a departmental inquiry against another officer.
