Latest news with #ManikraoKokate
Time of India
03-08-2025
- General
- Time of India
Give space to farmers for sale of wild vegetables, says Kokate
Nashik: The state minister for sports and youth welfare Manikrao Kokate inaugurated the unique ran-bhaji or wild vegetable festival in Nashik city on Sunday. Kokate, in his inaugural address, called for the state agriculture and other related departments to provide space and stalls to farmers and farmer groups at the taluka-level for direct sales of wild vegetables to customers. Kokate also encouraged farmers to add value and quality to their produce to attract urban consumers. The district-level wild vegetable festival was organised by the state agriculture department, Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) Nashik, and Regional Agricultural Extension Management Training Institute (RAMETI) Nashik at RAMETI premises along the Untwadi Road of the city. Wild vegetables, rich in essential nutrients and medicinal properties, were highlighted for their health benefits and pesticide-free cultivation. The festival aimed to generate economic benefits for tribal farmers through sales arrangements and to raise public awareness. The wild vegetable season, starting with the June-July rain, continues until Oct and includes vegetables varieties. State education minister Dadaji Bhuse highlighted the need to sell quality farm produce to consumers and educate urban consumers on wild vegetable recipes. Minister Narhari Zhirwal emphasised the importance of wild vegetables in the human diet and methods of their preparation, advocating their daily consumption. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Mint
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Maharashtra Cabinet reshuffle: Manikrao Kokate, caught playing ‘rummy', loses agriculture ministry, gets new portfolio
Maharashtra minister and NCP MLA Manikrao Kokate was reportedly divested of the agriculture ministry and alloted new portfolios in a late-night cabinet reshuffle on Thursday. Kokate has been shifted from the agriculture ministry to the sports and youth welfare department. He will also be in charge of the minority development and Auqaf departments, accordign to a notification issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) on Thursday night. Dattatrey Bharne, the current sports minister, will be the new agriculture minister, as per the notification cited by new agency PTI. Both Kokate and Bharne are MLAs of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Bharne is MLA from Indapur in Pune district. Kokate, a legislator from Sinnar in Nashik district, found himself in hot water after a video of him playing an online rummy game on his mobile phone while sitting in the legislative council during the monsoon session was shared on social media by NCP (SP) leaders Rohit Pawar and Jitendra Awhad. Manikrao Kokate later claimed that it was a "solitaire game" and that he was only trying to skip a downloaded game on his mobile phone. "It is a solitaire game, not Rummy. Any of my colleagues must have downloaded it. I was trying to see what was happening in the lower house. I was not playing Rummy. The Opposition is trying to demean the government," Kokate said. "I don't even know what rummy is," he said. "Ten different types of ads come up on YouTube... You have to watch it for 30 seconds and you can't even skip it...," he said. Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate also claimed that selective footage had been shared on social media to defame him. "When the upper house of the state legislature was adjourned, I took out my mobile phone to check the business transacted in the lower house and was trying to open YouTube," he was quoted by news agency PTI as saying. "The downloaded game suddenly opened, and I was skipping it. It was a matter of just 5 to 10 seconds; why that part was not shown?" he said while responding to the criticism he was facing over the video. "The full video should come out. Only a short clip has been made viral. This is a ploy by the opposition, but their tactics will never succeed," Kokate was quoted by India Today as saying. He also courted controversy for allegedly equating farmers with beggars a few months ago. Earlier this year, Dhananjay Munde, another NCP leader, had to resign from the Devendra Fadnavis-led ministry after his close aide Walmik Karad was named as the prime accused in the Santosh Deshmukh murder case.
The Hindu
31-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
'Rummy' video row: Never asked to resign by NCP leaders or CM Devendra Fadnavis, says Manikrao Kokate
Amid speculation on his continuation in the Maharashtra Cabinet, controversial Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate on Thursday (July 31, 2025) claimed he neither offered to resign nor was he asked to step down by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. A huge political firestorm erupted after videos purportedly showing Mr. Kokate playing a rummy game of cards in the State legislature went viral. The Opposition has been demanding Mr. Kokate's resignation over his repeated remarks that have triggered controversies in the last few months. The NCP leader has denied allegations of playing a game of cards. "I do not want to speak on this issue anymore. I will speak after the inquiry report (on the card game issue) is out," Mr. Kokate told a Marathi news channel in Pune. Mr. Kokate was reportedly ticked off by Ajit Pawar on Tuesday (July 29, 2025) during their meeting in Mantralaya. Manikrao Kokate denies playing rummy during Assembly, calls controversy politically motivated "I met Ajitdada on my own and clarified my stand. I had apologised to farmers recently during media interaction if their sentiments were hurt due to the card game controversy," he said. Responding to a specific query, Mr. Kokate said neither he offered to quit as a Minister nor was he asked to step down by any leader of the NCP, government or the Chief Minister. He recently ignited another row by terming the State Government a "beggar" while clarifying his previous controversial remarks directed at farmers on the ₹1 crop insurance. Maharashtra Agriculture Minister in row over video showing him playing rummy in Assembly "The Chief Minister had expressed his displeasure over the beggar's statement. I called him up and clarified my stand. I blame it on the lack of articulation," he added.
NDTV
25-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
The Many Controversies Of Maharashtra Minister Who Played Rummy In Assembly
Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, who was recently found playing rummy on his mobile phone in the state assembly, is no stranger to controversies. From making remarks on farmers to the powers of ministers, he found himself at the centre of several rows since the start of the year. Here is a list of controversies he stoked: January 21: Mr Kokate admitted corruption in implementation of government schemes but said there is no reason to discontinue it. "There have been some irregularities in the scheme but two to four percent corruption in any scheme does not mean that it should be closed," he said. February 14: The minister made headlines when he likened farmers to beggars while defending the Re 1 crop insurance scheme. "Even beggars do not take one rupee but the government is giving crop insurance of the same amount, and this is also being misused," he said. February 20: Mr Kokate and his brother Sunil Kokate were awarded two years in prison by a Nashik court on charges of submitting fake documents to get flats under a government quota between 1995 and 1997. A fine of Rs 50,000 was also imposed on each of them. The minister was granted bail, on a personal bond of Rs 15,000, just two hours after the verdict. February 24: The Agriculture Minister complained that ministers have no power, saying: "Now, the Chief Minister is also appointing PAs (personal assistants) and OSDs (officers on special duty). We have nothing in our hands." April 4: In another controversial comment, Mr Kokate alleged that the money disbursed through government schemes to farmers are used for events like weddings instead. "Farmers do not repay loans for five to 10 years while waiting for a waiver. The money received from agricultural schemes is not spent on the intended purposes but for engagement ceremonies and weddings. The farmers do not invest in a single rupee in farming," he said. July 20: A video of the minister playing rummy on his phone in Maharashtra went viral after the clip was shared by Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar. July 22: Mr Kokate kicked up a fresh storm when he said: "Actually, the government itself is a beggar, the government does not give a single rupee to the farmers but takes a rupee from them (for crop insurance) The government itself is a beggar, because it is taking Rs 1 from the farmers." In an attempt at damage control, he later said his statement was understood differently.
Hans India
24-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Maha: Outstanding Agri loans to various banks surge to Rs 37,392 crore
Mumbai: Amid hope for a crop loan waiver decision by the MahaYuti government as promised ahead of assembly elections, the arrears towards agriculture loan repayable to banks as on June this year have been reported at Rs 37,392 crore. According to the data compiled by the state cooperation department, of the Rs 37,392 crore, the district central cooperative banks (DCCBs) have yet to recover arrears of Rs 15,492 crore, nationalised banks Rs 18,00 crore, regional rural banks Rs 800 crore and private banks Rs 3,000 crore. The increasing outstanding dues are adversely impacting the finances of these banks. Nearly 20.37 lakh bank accounts of farmers have outstanding dues. The department sources on Thursday hinted that the arrears due to non-repayment by farmers towards crop loan, short, medium and major loans are expected to grow further as the farmers expect an early decision on crop loan waiver. Further, the department sources said that farmers are not repaying the loans despite the appeal made by the Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar and Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate to clear their dues at the earliest without waiting for the announcement of crop loan waiver. The government, on the last day of the monsoon session on July 18, announced the establishment of a committee to look into the crop loan waiver issue and the present state of agricultural stress. Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil said, 'The government has set up a committee to study the crop loan waiver option. It is a matter of concern that even the financially sound farmers are not repaying the loan. The financial health of district central cooperation banks, which play a major role in the rural economy, is becoming delicate. They are expected to land in big financial trouble.' According to the cooperation department sources, crop loans worth Rs 70,000 crore on average are disbursed annually in the state. Of which, 65 per cent of loans are disbursed by nationalised banks and 35 per cent by district central cooperative banks. 'Financially sound farmers with large land holdings opt for loans from the nationalised banks, while farmers having small and marginal holdings take loans from district central cooperative banks.' Sources said that the financial condition of many district central cooperative banks, including Nashik, Wardha, and Nagpur district banks, has become fragile. Even the financially sound district central cooperative banks are likely to face similar financial problems if the arrears from farmers towards agriculture loans increase in future. 'The government provides agricultural loans at concessional interest rates. However, farmers are not in the mood to repay loans as they anxiously wait for a decision on the crop loan waiver. However, if the farmers continue to repay loans, then there is every possibility that the rural agricultural credit system may collapse,' warned sources from the cooperation department.
