Latest news with #SudhirMungantiwar
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Maharashtra legilsative assembly okays bill to book drug peddlers under MCOCA
Mumbai: The state legislative assembly on Wednesday passed the bill amending the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) to bring drug peddlers under its purview. Speaking on the amendment, BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar urged state govt to consider giving the death penalty to drug peddlers and setting up fast-track courts to try them. He said that hundreds of crores were being made from drugs and that money was used to defeat political opponents. Highlighting the massive pendency in courts, resulting in drug peddlers and even corrupt officials involved not being punished, Mungantiwar said: "...In lower courts across Maharashtra, there are over 56 lakh pending cases, and in the high court, close to six lakh cases are pending. The entire justice system is not working. Hundreds of judge posts are vacant, giving rise to govt must fill up all judicial posts." Minister of State for Home (MoS) Yogesh Kadam, who introduced the bill, said drugs like hydro ganja and synthetic drugs were being peddled through networks and stringent laws were needed to crack the peddlers' network. He mentioned that in the last five years, over 10,000 people were booked for possessing commercial quantities, and narcotics worth Rs 11,000 crore seized, of which Rs 10,000 crore were synthetic drugs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai BJP MLA Ameet Satam said the success of the amendment would only depend on its enforcement by the police. The bill stated that any illegal act that is continued will now include any persons who "cultivates, produces, manufactures, possesses, sells, purchases, transports, or stores narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances in commercial quantities, as notified under the said Act, in contravention of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, or the rules made thereunder, for the purpose of obtaining pecuniary advantage for himself or any other person, or of obtaining undue pecuniary or other advantage. "
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
BJP MLA says home dept has failed as ‘protector of culture'
MUMBAI: Ruling party MLAs caught the state government off guard on Monday by sharply criticising the home department headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on several fronts, including faltering in its role as the 'protector of culture'. BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar (Credit: ) Leading the charge was BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar, who while participating in the debate on supplementary demands in state Assembly, mentioned a leading hotel chain that was renting out rooms on an hourly basis, across the state. He said the chain operated hotels around 20km from cities and towns, where regular tourists would never patronise them. Clearly, he alleged, they were aimed at a specific clientele engaging in questionable activities. 'No tourist would dare to book these hotels as they are neither convenient, nor within reach. The 'sanskruti rakshak' (protector of culture) government should take note of this. The hotels are operated without any permission from local bodies,' Mungantiwar said. He also pointed to the rise in betting on cricket matches, and demanded that the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act be amended to include stricter punishment. On a different note, Mungantiwar said more than 5,500 files of police officers and personnel are pending with the office of the director general of police, for approval of housing loans. 'Police employees have not been able to pay for flats they booked as their loans have not been cleared under the DG loan scheme. The files have been gathering dust in Mantralaya,' he said. There was more criticism for the home department. Shiv Sena MLA from Jalna, Arjun Khotkar, slammed the state government over law and order and industrial policies. 'Although chief minister Devendraji Fadnavis has been making an effort to maintain law and order, the machinery does not fall in line. The police are helpless as they have not been equipped with modern technology,' he said. 'As a result, the crime rate has increased, with rampant instances of dacoity, loot and attacks on individuals.' Khotkar added that although the state government claims to have helped bring down electricity bills for industries, the price of power has risen 'and I can prove this on paper'. He remarked, 'The state government has established Chandrapur as a steel hub, but the steel industry in Jalna is in bad shape.' Opposition MLAs such as Bhaskar Jadhav, Amit Deshmukh and Rohit Pawar also took a few digs at the government¸ alleging deteriorating law and order and poor fiscal discipline of the state's economy. Jadhav said bags full of documents had been stolen from his car at Shivaji Park 18 months ago, but the culprits are still at large.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Maharashtra legislative assembly may discuss BJP MLA Mungantiwar's bill against religious conversion
Mumbai: A bill introduced by BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar to prevent forcible religious conversions could be taken up for discussion in the current session of the state legislature. It was initially introduced in the March session of the legislature. The bill seeks to prevent religious conversion by "force, inducement or fraudulent means". The private member bill proposes a punishment of imprisonment of up to one year and a fine of Rs 5,000 for those found guilty. If the victim of forcible conversion belongs to the SC or ST community, then the period of imprisonment should be raised to two years and the fine should be increased to Rs 10,000, the bill suggests. In his objectives for introducing the bill, Mungantiwar said, "Forced religious conversion involves coercion, deception or taking undue advantage of a person's poverty or by immoral means. This is highly undesirable." You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai "Owing to the increasing incidents of religious conversions or forced conversions, unrest is created in society, and the right to practice and propagate one's religion freely guaranteed by the Constitution is also violated. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Sensação de queimação nos pés? Insira essa receita ao acordar G!Saú Undo Therefore, it is appropriate to take measures to prevent such activities," Mungantiwar stated. This was just one of the over 30 private member bills which Mungantiwar was allowed to reintroduce in this assembly session on Friday, setting a record of sorts. His other bills span a range of issues from prisons, labourers, school staff, street children, and housing.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC dismisses Congress pleas against Maharashtra CM Fadnavis, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar over 2024 polls
NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed the election petitions filed by defeated Congress candidates against Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, senior BJP leader and former minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, and others. Justice Pravin Patil ruled that the petitions were not maintainable due to technical deficiencies. The Congress candidates—Praful Gudadhe, Girish Pandav, and others—had challenged the validity of the 2024 Assembly elections, alleging irregularities and violations of the Representation of the People Act. However, the court held that the petitions lacked essential particulars and were not in conformity with the statutory requirements for filing election challenges. Consequently, all the petitions were summarily dismissed. Petitioners' counsel Pavan Dahat told TOI they would challenge the High Court verdicts in the Supreme Court at the earliest. The development marks a setback for the Congress, which had alleged misuse of government machinery during the last year's elections.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Maharashtra government withdraws amended bill to hike illegal tree felling fine
Mumbai: State govt on Wednesday withdrew an amendment proposing a 50-time hike in penalty for illegal felling of trees and not recognising the cutting of branches as an offence. Forest minister Ganesh Naik moved the motion to withdraw the bill to amend the Maharashtra Felling of Trees (Regulation) Act of 1964, which proposed to increase the penalty for illegal tree felling from Rs 1,000 to Rs 50,000, in the legislative assembly. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Naik said state govt would speak to tree experts and a new bill would be introduced after a cabinet discussion on the issue. In 2024, govt had introduced the amendment bill to impose a hefty fine of Rs 50,000 on any person or party found guilty of felling trees without obtaining prior permission from the authorities concerned. Govt also got powers to forfeit the tools, vehicles, and materials used in felling and removing trees. The law was to extend to the whole of Maharashtra, excluding urban areas. However, environmentalists were sceptical about the enforcement of the rule. "According to the current law, it is not that trees cannot be cut down, only permission has to be taken. So, why is the forest minister asking to withdraw this bill?" asked BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar, who was state forest minister when the amendments were made in 2024. "Global warming is a worldwide phenomenon. Also, there is this kind of competition in every village to cut down trees," he pointed out. Naik replied in the assembly: "In this bill, even cutting branches is like cutting down a tree and attracts if farmers cut down a tree unknowingly, there was a fine of Rs 50,000. This bill is not being withdrawn to benefit someone. Also, there is no doubt about Sudhir Mungantiwar's intentions. But, the amendment bill is being withdrawn temporarily. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now We will bring a law with new changes." Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav supported govt's decision to withdraw the amendment, saying there were neither any differentials between urban and rural areas in the bill, nor a separation between trees on private land and on forest land.
