Latest news with #VikhePatil
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.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Vikhe Patil to irrigation dept: Study concerns on Almatti dam
Kolhapur: Water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil on Wednesday asked irrigation department officials to study concerns raised by activists over Karnataka's plan to raise the height of the Almatti dam on Krishna river. Activists from Sangli and Kolhapur districts, along with elected representatives, met Vikhe Patil on Wednesday. They claimed raising the height of Almatti dam by 5 metres — from 519m to 524m — would aggravate the flooding situation in both districts. They also blamed the dam for the floods in 2005, 2019, and 2021. Sarjerao Patil, convenor of the Krishna Mahapur Niyantran Samiti, said, "The minister asked the irrigation department officials to study the issues and submit the report within 15 days. Kolhapur's guardian minister, Prakash Abitkar, who was present during the meeting, assured that a meeting will be held in Kolhapur to address this issue." Patil added that minister Chandrakant Patil mentioned that Maharashtra is a party to the petition filed by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh against raising the height of Almatti dam. "Vikhe Patil said that a plan of Rs3,200 crore to divert flood water from Krishna basin to Marathawada has been approved. We told him that it is not possible as per the Nandkumar Vadnere committee, to which the water resources minister said govt will make changes in the report and get it approved by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal," Patil said. After the meeting in Mumbai, Congress MLC Satej Patil met the activists and assured them that the fight to stop Karnataka from raising the height of the Almatti dam will continue.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Raze illegal resorts releasing sewage into dams across state, minister Vikhe Patil tells officials
Pune: Water resources minister on Friday admitted that several and other structures have come up around various dams in the state and asked officials concerned to start razing these structures on a priority Patil held a meeting with officials of the in Pune on this, the cabinet minister for the department of fisheries, Nitesh Rane, also visited the city, where he held a meeting with the district administration to review the production of the fisheries the meeting, Rane said the production of fish has been hampered due to the encroachments and pollution in water Vikhe Patil also admitted that encroachments have come up around the dam areas in various parts of the state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He said, "We have observed that some illegal resorts and other structures have come up around the dams in various parts. Some of these illegal structures are within the catchment areas."He added, "These illegal resorts and other structures are releasing their sewage and other effluents directly into the dam water. Such water pollution is causing problems for fish. Therefore, I have told the officials to issue notices and start razing these illegal structures on priority."Recently, Pune witnessed an outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), in which some patients also lost their lives. Various teams examining the cause of the sudden outbreak pointed out the release of untreated sewage in the water of .State govt claimed that it is taking policy decisions to take action against those responsible for polluting water bodies."Keeping water pollution-free is the responsibility of the water resources department, and we will take all possible measures to prevent water pollution," Vikhe Patil said.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
After FIR, Vikhe Patil 3rd minister in Mahayuti to face opposition's heat; chorus grows for resignation
Pune: Veteran politician Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil has become the third minister, after Dhananjay Munde and Manikrao Kokate, in the Mahayuti cabinet to be in the line of the opposition's fire after being named in an FIR in connection with an alleged bank loan fraud case. Loni police in Ahilyanagar have registered a case against Vikhe Patil, the state water resources minister, and 53 others on the charge of cheating and conniving with then officials of two banks and forging documents to secure loans of over Rs 8 crore between 2004 and 2006. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Earlier this year, NCP's Munde had resigned over the controversy surrounding the Massajog sarpanch murder case. Kokate, also from the same party, faced conviction in an alleged housing scam case. However, a court subsequently stayed the conviction. Opposition parties had in both cases pressed for the two ministers' resignation. They have now again raised a pitch seeking the resignation of BJP's Vikhe Patil. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brazil: New Container Houses (Take A Look At The Prices) Container House Search Now Undo It is also a kind of history being repeated for chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. In his earlier tenure as the CM in 2014, three cabinet ministers — Eknath Khadse, Vinod Tawde, and Pankaja Munde — had faced allegations. Khadse was then removed from the cabinet, and he subsequently left BJP, while Tawde and Munde's portfolios were changed. Now, within five months of the Mahayuti govt's second term, three senior members in the Fadnavis-led cabinet are in the dock. Of them, Munde lost the cabinet post after his close associate Valmik Karad was arrested in the Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case. Agriculture minister Kokate and his brother, Vijay, were convicted and handed two years of rigorous imprisonment for securing a flat each in 1995 under the state govt's 10% housing quota for economically weaker section by fudging documents to show less income. Kokate got a brief relief after a court stayed the conviction. When Vikhe Patil's name was mentioned in the FIR, the opposition was quick to demand his resignation. Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said: "When the FIR has been registered following directions of the Supreme Court, Vikhe Patil should immediately be removed from the cabinet on moral grounds. He is facing charges of swindling farmers' money. The opposition should maintain the pressure on govt till he resigns. The chief minister should not speak about transparent and corruption-free governance anymore." NCP (SP)'s Nilesh Lanke said: "When the custodians of the state are siphoning off money, what can we expect from govt that is making tall claims of good governance? I will take up the issue in the next parliament session and will keep demanding his resignation." State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal also joined his MVA partners and demanded Vikhe Patil's resignation. Vikhe Patil said he was ready to face any inquiry in connection with the FIR filed against him and 53 others of the Padmashri Vikhe Patil Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana at Pravaranagar. He told reporters in Ahilyanagar that the case was over for him in 2019 "when the Supreme Court made it clear that no criminal case was made out as per the enquiry report submitted to it". Vikhe Patil is from a political heavyweight family from Ahilyanagar, which has kept its influence in state politics for over four generations. Originally from Congress Party, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil's grandfather, Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil, was instrumental in setting up the first cooperative sugar factory in the then Ahmednagar. His father, Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, was a Union minister. Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil himself is active in politics for over 30 years. Starting his political career with Congress, he joined BJP in 2019. His son Sujay also entered politics and represented Ahmednagar in the Lok Sabha after the 2019 election. He lost the seat in 2024.
Hindustan Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
FIR filed against Vikhe Patil in bogus loan waiver case
Pune: A first information report (FIR) has been registered against senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Maharashtra cabinet minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and 53 others in connection with an alleged loan waiver fraud amounting to approximately ₹8.86 crore. Loni-Rahata Police Station in Ahilyanagar district filed the case on April 28 following a court directive. The FIR names senior bank officials, directors of the Padmashri Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil Cooperative Sugar Factory — an entity linked to Vikhe Patil— and others. Vikhe Patil has been named as accused number 19 in the FIR. The complaint accuses them of financial misappropriation and defrauding the government by misusing a loan waiver scheme meant for farmers. 'The offence has been registered under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) after the local court under Section 156 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) directed the Ahilyanagar police to file an offence and investigate the matter,' said a senior police officer. Police have invoked Sections 420, 415, 464, 465, 467, 471, 34, and 120 (b) of IPC in the case. According to the FIR, between 2004 and 2006, the factory's board of directors allegedly prepared forged documents in the names of member-farmers to obtain 'basal dose' loans. Basal doses of fertilisers are needed for plantation. Of the total sum, ₹3.11 crore was sanctioned by the Union Bank and ₹5.74 crore by the Bank of India. The money, however, was never disbursed to the farmers but was allegedly siphoned off by factory officials in collusion with bank officers. In 2007, the accused allegedly took advantage of a government loan waiver scheme by submitting these fake loans as genuine, thereby securing unlawful debt relief and causing a substantial loss to the exchequer. The FIR is based on a complaint by Balasaheb Kerunath Vikhe, a 66-year-old farmer and long-time member of the cooperative. He claimed that the loans were sanctioned in farmers' names without their knowledge or consent, and that the fraud was executed through coordinated efforts between factory management and bank staff. The accused have been booked under charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and misuse of government schemes. Police said all those named in the FIR, including minister Vikhe Patil, will be investigated as per legal procedure. Police are expected to record statements and examine records from the cooperative factory and the two banks involved.
