Latest news with #HasanMushrif
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Mushrif blames Ladki Bahin for delay in rolling out farm loan waiver
Mumbai: Maharashtra medical education minister Hasan Mushrif on Sunday blamed the Ladki Bahin scheme for delay in announcing the farm loan waiver promised by ruling Mahayuti alliance in its manifesto for the assembly poll held last year. Hasan Mushrif, medical education minister (Hindustan Times) 'We had promised to waive crop loans taken by farmers but the state government is spending ₹46,000 crore a year on our Ladki Bahin (scheme),' Mushrif said while addressing a public meeting in Kolhapur on Sunday. Under the scheme, introduced in July last year ahead of the assembly poll, nearly 24.6 million women from low-income families are paid a monthly dole of ₹1,500. The state government spends around ₹3,800 crore per month on the scheme, which has affected expenditure on other welfare programmes and compelled several ministers to speak out against its impact on the state exchequer. 'Despite the financial constraints, the government has introduced several measures to help the farming community,' Mushrif told the gathering. 'I have a different point of view on farm loan waivers,' he went on to say. As soon as the government promises a waiver, farmers stop repaying loans, putting banks in trouble. The government should instead double grants given to farmers who honestly repay their loans to help them emerge from crises, he said. On July 13, Mushrif's colleague in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and sports and youth welfare minister Datta Bharne had said that funds were delayed because of the Ladki Bahin scheme. Chhagan Bhujbal, another NCP leader and minister, too had raised the issue, saying the scheme had placed immense financial strain on the exchequer. Before them, Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat had objected to the diversion of ₹410 crore to the scheme from the social justice department. The Ladki Bahin scheme was credited as a major reason behind the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance's landslide win in the 2024 assembly elections. However, with an estimated revenue deficit of ₹45,892 crore in the financial year 2025-26, the government is now finding it difficult to make budgetary allocations for various other populist schemes announced ahead of the assembly elections. Consequently, it has postponed implementing its poll promise to increase the monthly allowance under the scheme from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100. 'If I were CM' Eyebrows were raised in political corridors on Sunday when Mushrif said that he would double the grants given to farmers who repaid loans on time if he became the chief minister some day. 'By God's grace, if at all I become the chief minister some day, I will double the grant to farmers who are honestly repaying loans. If they are getting a sum of ₹50,000 I will increase the amount to ₹1 lakh. This will help build a habit of repayment of loans among farmers,' he told the gathering at Kolhapur. The reference to chances of him becoming chief minister caused an uproar as his political boss and NCP chief Ajit Pawar has had the same desire for a long time.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Medical aspirants, parents write to Maharashtra govt; oppose EWS quota in private medical colleges
Days after the Maharashtra government's decision to extend the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation to private medical colleges came to light, medical aspirants and their parents have started sending emails to Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif, requesting him to revoke the decision. The content of the letters is more or less the same, with the mailers citing Supreme Court rulings that stated seats can be reserved for the EWS category without affecting seats of any other category. '…there was a commitment by (the) Central Government to increase seats by 25 per cent to implement this 10 per cent EWS quota. So how is your Government not complying with the Central rule and Supreme Court verdict?' the letters stated. The letters further said, 'Students have to burn midnight oil to crack these entrance exams and sometimes have to repeat multiple times to reach that score of a suitable seat. This decision of yours puts the middle-class general category students at a disadvantage, who are unable to obtain (an) EWS certificate due to various reasons.' Aspirants and parents claimed that the reduction in the number of merit-based seats due to the implementation of the EWS quota will result in a steep increase in cut-off scores. The emails, with the subject line – 'Request to Revoke 10 per cent EWS in Private Medical Colleges of Maharashtra' – will also be sent to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and both Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, among others.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Private medical colleges up in arms after govt pushes 10% EWS reservation
A day after the Maharashtra government's decision to extend 10 percent reservation to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in private medical colleges came to light, private institutions across the state have expressed strong opposition and said they were not even consulted before this crucial decision was taken. Pointing out that the government did not think about increasing the overall intake to accommodate EWS seats, they said it will hurt their finances. Upset by the move, office-bearers of the Association of Managements of Unaided Private Medical and Dental Colleges (AMUPMDC) said they will soon write to the state government to register their opposition to the government's move. While raising various concerns about the move, members of AMUPMDC, who are the trustees/owners of private medical colleges, said they will demand a proportionate increase in intake within general merit seats as they said if the government insists on implementing the EWS reservation without the increase in intake, it will be impossible for them to continue functioning effectively. A member of the association said, 'This decision has just surfaced and is currently under discussion among our members. We are definitely going to write to the government to raise our concerns. If they insist on implementing 10 percent EWS reservation in private medical colleges, the government must ensure proportionate additional intake—unconditionally—just as it was allowed for government medical colleges.' Meanwhile, state government representatives–medical education minister Hasan Mushrif, secretary Dheeraj Kumar and representatives from Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) – did not respond to calls and messages sent by The Indian Express requesting for their comments. Pointing out their concerns, another member of AMUPMDC said the decision to increase intake would require approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC), which is the sole authority for sanctioning additional intake. 'It is unheard of to grant an unconditional 10 percent increase in intake,' the member added. According to the association, this additional intake has to be unconditional. 'If colleges are asked to increase the number of beds, faculty members etc to allow additional intake, then that is not a solution and also quite unfair as GMCs were not asked to meet any conditions for the additional intake,' said the head of a private medical college. Referring to the 2019 decision when the EWS reservation was introduced in government medical colleges (GMCs), and a proportionate increase in general merit seats was sanctioned to accommodate EWS seats without reducing the number of open-merit seats, the member said, 'All GMCs received additional intake. It is unfair to ask private medical colleges to reserve 10 percent of seats from the existing lot without offering similar relief,' a member said. The issue surfaced when the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell released the state medical admissions information brochure on Wednesday, revealing that 10 percent EWS reservation would now apply to private medical colleges as well. The announcement caused immediate shockwaves among stakeholders—students, parents, and colleges—as they were not consulted in advance. With this change expected to significantly reduce the number of open-merit seats, candidates and parents now fear a steep rise in cut-off scores, making it harder to secure admission. Colleges, on the other hand, warn that this move could impact their financial conditions to a great extent. A trustee of a private medical college said, 'The reimbursement expected from the government for students admitted under various reservation categories is already delayed. Now, adding 10 percent more students under reserved categories while reducing general merit seats—where students pay full fees—will severely impact our income and thereby college's day-to-day functioning.' Private colleges argue that had the government consulted them, these challenges could have been highlighted in advance. 'We were shocked to learn about such a critical decision through the admission brochure. If this move directly affects private medical colleges, their representation should have been ensured in the committee that made the decision,' said the head of another private medical college.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Nurses strike enters day 5, patient care takes a big hit
Nagpur: The indefinite strike by the Maharashtra State Nurses Union entered its fifth day on Tuesday, continuing to severely impact patient care services in major govt hospitals across the state, especially in districts like Nagpur, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, and Amravati. Although a meeting was held with medical education minister Hasan Mushrif in Mumbai, the union has declared that the strike will not be withdrawn unless firm written govt orders are issued addressing their long-standing demands. On Tuesday evening, Mushrif chaired a meeting with representatives of the Maharashtra State Nurses Union at Mantralaya, where three key demands saw positive verbal assurances, said Union representative Suresh Madankar. The minister agreed that orders to change designations will be issued soon. Also, there will be no contract-based recruitment for nursing posts in the future. Most importantly, no disciplinary action will be taken against probationary nurses currently participating in the strike. However, despite these assurances, union leaders have categorically stated that "no strike withdrawal will happen based on verbal commitments alone". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The protest will continue until official govt orders are issued. "Only written orders will be trusted, verbal promises are not enough," said Madankar, adding, "This time, we will not return to work unless our rights are guaranteed in writing." Meanwhile, letters issued by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) and individual hospital deans created a sense of fear among some probationary staff, especially in Nagpur and Yavatmal. A section of these nurses returned to duty, concerned about possible future consequences. However, the union has assured all its members that complete legal and organisational protection will be provided, especially to those on probation.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Nurses' Strike Hits Surgeries at Mayo and GMCH
Nagpur: Health services at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and Mayo Hospital were partially disrupted on Thursday as hundreds of nurses went on a one-day strike to protest pay anomalies under the 7th Pay Commission . The protest forced the postponement of several planned surgeries, and with no breakthrough in talks, the Maharashtra State Nurses Association (MSNA) has called for an indefinite strike starting Friday, raising concerns over further disruptions in patient care. MSNA has been demanding rectification of salary discrepancies that emerged after the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission. Despite repeated assurances, the core issues remain unresolved. A sit-in protest was recently held at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on July 15 and 16, but a meeting with medical education minister Hasan Mushrif yielded no concrete outcome. "Since no resolution was reached, over 100 nurses at Mayo Hospital and many more at GMCH joined today's strike," said Shahzad Baba Khan, secretary of the MSNA. He added that union representatives were waiting outside health minister Dr Tanaji Sawant's office till late Thursday evening, but no meeting took place. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "We are left with no option but to begin an indefinite strike from Friday," he said. Planned surgeries take a hit at GMCH On an average day, the ophthalmology department at GMCH performs over 25 scheduled surgeries. Additionally, ENT, general surgery, and orthopaedics departments conduct around 50-60 planned surgeries daily. Due to Thursday's strike, most of these procedures had to be rescheduled. According to hospital sources, the number of minor surgeries performed on Thursday fell sharply — from a daily average of 125–135 to just 70 by 6pm. Similarly, major surgeries dropped from 75-80 to only 25. Partial impact at Mayo Hospital Mayo Hospital, which has 474 nursing staff, saw around 100 nurses join the strike. However, hospital authorities managed to mitigate the impact by temporarily deploying nurses from a private nursing college. Still, elective surgeries in the orthopaedics, gynaecology, and general surgery departments had to be deferred.
