Latest news with #MahaVikasAghadi
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Almatti dam height issue: MVA netas seek meeting with flood study panel members
Kolhapur: Maha Vikas Aghadi's elected representatives have written to state irrigation minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, expressing concern over their exclusion from discussions regarding the Almatti dam height issue. They are requesting clarification on state govt's position concerning floods and Karnataka's plans for the dam's elevation. Despite Vikhe Patil's assurance at a May 21 meeting in Mumbai about including all political parties in subsequent discussions, MVA functionaries report they weren't invited to the May 31 meeting. The correspondence, endorsed by MPs Shahu Chhatrapati, Vishal Patil, and legislators from Kolhapur, Sangli, and Satara districts, raises several queries. They seek information about the implementation status of the Nandkumar Vadnere committee's recommendations following the 2019 floods. The MVA politicians requested a consultation with the panel to understand their conclusions about the dam height on flooding. They also raised questions about the status of the National Institute of Hydrology's study regarding the dam's backwater effects on flooding, and whether their findings have been submitted to the govt. "Over the past month, approximately 3,000 objections have been filed with central govt by the people of Sangli and Kolhapur regarding the concerns of raising the height of the dam. What is central govt's stance on these objections, and has state govt corresponded with central govt on this matter? If not, why? These issues need clarification," said Satej Patil, Congress MLC. The representatives are also requesting details about the Maharashtra Resilient Development Programme (MRDP), a Rs 3,200 crore initiative to address recurring floods in Kolhapur and Sangli districts. They specifically asked whether scientific studies support the project's effectiveness in flood control and requested access to relevant reports.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra CM, is guest at Express Adda today
JUST OVER six months ago, after significant losses in the 2024 general elections, he became the architect of a remarkable victory in the Maharashtra Assembly polls that saw the BJP and its allies cross the two-third mark and the BJP secure close to a majority on its own. Key to BJP's strategy of wresting power from the Maha Vikas Aghadi in June 2022, Devendra Fadnavis has over the past 35 months seen through the strengthening of the BJP and progression and completion of largescale infrastructure projects that began during his first term as Chief Minister, in Mumbai as well as rest of Maharashtra. From Atal Setu, the 21-km-long sea bridge connecting South Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, to the coastal road connecting Marine Drive with Sea-Link and the Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway — Chief Minister Fadnavis's vision is marked by his mission to transform Maharashtra so that it plays a crucial role in Viksit Bharat 2047. Fadnavis will be the guest at Express Adda in Mumbai on Wednesday. He will be in conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, and Vandita Mishra, National Opinion Editor, The Indian Express. In this polarised polity, Fadnavis is among the few at the top who can reach across the aisle — a skill that has also ensured stability in his alliance. Just a month after forming the new government, he signed a record number of MoUs for investment worth over Rs 15 lakh crore in the state at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January this year. With an illustratious political career spanning over 25 years, Fadnavis started as a corporator of Nagpur Municipal Corporation. He rose to become the country's second youngest mayor. Elected as an MLA for five consecutive terms since 1999, Fadnavis with his oratory skills always stood apart as a politician. In April 2013, he took over as the state BJP president and led the party to victory in the 2014 Assembly polls after which he became the Chief Minister for the first time. He completed the full five-year term in office. The 2019 post-polls developments were a body blow to Fadnavis as BJP ally Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray joined hands with the Congress and NCP to form the government. In 2022, he returned to power, although as the Deputy Chief Minister in the Eknath Shinde government. The 2024 Lok Sabha polls was a major jolt to the BJP, which won just nine of the 28 seats it contested. As questions were raised on his leadership, Fadnavis again bounced back, turning the party's fortunes within six months in the Assembly elections. Since he took oath as the Chief Minister on December 5, 2024, he has initiated a slew of reforms and policy initiatives to bring greater accountability and transparency in administration. The Express Adda is a series of informal interactions organised by The Indian Express Group and features those at the centre of change. Previous guests at the Adda include Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, philanthropist Bill Gates, actors Pankaj Tripathi and Tabu, oncologist and writer Siddhartha Mukherjee, musician T M Krishna, ecologist Romulus Whitaker and writer William Dalrymple.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Factional Feud Erupts In Shinde Shiv Sena In Akola
1 2 3 Akola: A major rift has surfaced within the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with two district chiefs openly rebelling against party leader and former MLC Gopikishan Bajoriya. The tension stems from the recent appointment of four district chiefs in Akola — a first for the party in the district — with the inclusion of two allegedly controversial names triggering dissent. Appointment of Narayanrao Gawhankar and Chandrashekhar Pandey (Guruji) as new district heads sparked outrage among incumbent Shrirang Pinjarkar and Ashwin Navale. On Friday, both leaders held a protest meeting wherein they blamed Bajoriya of weakening the party by getting Gawhankar and Pandey appointed as district heads by 'misleading the party high command'. The leaders also accused Bajoriya of corruption, land grab, and even siding with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi during the legislative council elections. The protesters claimed Bajoriya had helped Congress MLA Sajid Khan Pathan secure support, thereby harming BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance's prospects. Following the meeting, angry Shiv Sena workers from the rebel faction burned Bajoriya's posters and effigies at two separate locations. Chants of 'Remove Bajoriya, Save Shiv Sena' filled the air as party symbols were desecrated with footwear — a sign of extreme protest in local political culture. In response, Bajoriya hit back and dismissed the accusations. "The move to appoint four district heads is aimed at expanding the party's base in Akola. Those making allegations are simply frustrated non-performers," he said. The infighting within Shiv Sena's Akola unit could pose a serious challenge for Shinde-led faction, especially ahead of upcoming elections. Such divisions may not only impact local organizational strength but also dent the image of the ruling alliance in the region, say political observers. The leadership will now be under pressure to manage the crisis and prevent further escalation. Whether the Shiv Sena (Shinde) can hold its ground and emerge united will be closely watched across Maharashtra.
News18
25-05-2025
- Business
- News18
Bullet Train May Have First Run In Gujarat By 2028, Reach Mumbai By 2030
Last Updated: As per a document accessed by News18, a 30-year-long assessment of ridership on the high-speed train service has been sought The bullet train could run in Gujarat by 2028 between Sabarmati and Vapi and then in the full 508-km section from Ahmedabad to Mumbai by 2030, indicates a document accessed exclusively by CNN-News18. The National High Speed Rail Authority (NHSRCL) is earmarking a ridership survey to determine the fare and traffic projections for this bullet train. As per the document, the ridership assessment has been sought for 2028 for the Sabarmati-Vapi section in Gujarat and for the base year 2030, 'the first year of operation" for the entire section between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. A 30-year-long assessment of ridership on the bullet train has been sought. The under-construction Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor would be passing through Mumbai-Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Thane, Virar, and Boisar in Maharashtra and Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati in Gujarat—a total of about 508 km. CNN-News18 earlier reported that the train could run first in the Gujarat section since that is on the fast track to completion, while the progress in Maharashtra has been slow due to the earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi regime putting off the project for almost three years. The central government has so far not announced any official date for the commencement of operations for this high-speed train. The train would be ushering India into the category of select countries of the world (about 15) using a high-speed railway system. The project, apart from being a technological marvel, would afford many other quantifiable benefits. Progress so far Officials say the project would contribute to savings in travel time, vehicle operation cost, reduction in pollution, job creation, reduction in accidents/enhanced safety, imported fuel substitution, and reduction in pollutants. The project would also boost the infrastructure and further add to the growth of the economy, they maintain. How will ridership survey help? The ridership survey to be conducted by NHSCRL would assess the existing traffic characteristics of the study area and estimate the travel demand along the under-construction corridor. The travel demand assessment would include optimal fare where the overall revenue is maximised, ridership assessment for the above fare level, projected annual revenue, station loads with peak hour footfalls, and customer segmentation based on passenger profile (age, income, occupation, purpose of trip, etc). The survey will be carried out along the major arterial network in the study area, mainly comprising national highways and expressways. It will estimate the expected shift from the existing modes (car, taxi, rail, bus, train—AC class—and airlines) to high-speed rail and the key factors responsible for the shift. Population of the areas in the influence of the high-speed train route and traffic data from the toll plazas operating on the national highways and expressways running along the new train corridor route will also be sought. First Published: May 25, 2025, 08:00 IST
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
No invite for MVA politicians for Almatti meeting
Kolhapur: Politicians of the Maha Vikas Aghadi said they received no invitation from state govt to participate in discussions regarding Karnataka's proposals to increase the Almatti dam height on the Krishna river. Recently, representatives from various parties conducted protests at Ankali Bridge, aiming to draw state govt's attention to the concerns of villagers from Kolhapur and Sangli districts. Local residents and activists said any increase in the dam's height would worsen the existing flood situation, as they attribute the current flooding to the Almatti dam. Following the dharna, govt officials conveyed that the water resources minister, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil , scheduled a meeting for Wednesday to address these concerns and discuss future steps. MVA politicians said that invitations were exclusively extended to elected representatives from Mahayuti parties — BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP — whilst MVA representatives were excluded. "The list of invitees includes MLAs from constituencies that do not get floods. We staged a dharna by bringing all parties together to avoid politicisation of the issue. However, MVA's elected representatives, who, in a real sense, have to address the inconvenience faced by the people in their constituencies, have not been invited. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch Bitcoin và Ethereum - Không cần ví! IC Markets BẮT ĐẦU NGAY Undo If state govt invited us, we would have made suggestions accordingly," said Congress MLC Satej Patil. Notable omissions from the meeting's invitation list include Sangli's MP Vishal Patil, Kolhapur MP Shahu Chhatrapati, and MLAs Vishwajeet Kadam and Jayant Patil. These representatives' constituencies have rivers that regularly experience flooding during the monsoon.
