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Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
As MIDC runs into losses, Opposition alleges land racket; chairman orders special meeting
The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) reported a deficit of Rs 1,416.82 crore in the fiscal 2024-25 due to land acquisition, allotment of lands at subsidised rates and payments to local bodies. Amid Opposition allegations over government forcing MIDC to acquire lands for industries at higher rates, Legislative Council chairman Ram Shinde ordered a meeting in his chamber in the next few weeks. Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLC Shashikant Shinde on Monday raised a question in the legislative council, seeking reasons for the deficit in MIDC's budget for the year 2024-25 and the steps taken in the next fiscal to counter it. 'The MIDC never had a deficit. It was always in profit. This is nothing but mismanagement of its resources. At a time when the government claims that it has attracted huge industrial investments, what are the reasons for the deficit,' he asked. Minister of State for Industries, Indraneel Naik said, 'The MIDC has been acquiring land and due to the act, compensation has gone up by almost 4 to 5 times. In addition, we offer lands at subsidised rates to industries in Vidarbha and Marathwada. Water royalty and other taxes have to be paid to local bodies, increasing the expenses. However, we have signed MoUs worth Rs 15 lakh crore from world Economic Forum and will soon have surplus.' The Opposition, however, countered Naik saying there has been a racket going on within the MIDC. Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve said, 'There are multiple examples where land has been acquired and been lying vacant for years without use. A racket of individuals is being run which forces the MIDC to buy land at higher prices and earns profit through it. This needs to be investigated.' Shashikant Shinde, too, joined Danve saying a detailed discussion is required on the topic and asked to not conclude the discussion on the starred question.
New Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Maharashtra state council passes special public security bill; Opposition walks out in protest
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra State Legislative Council on Friday passed the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, aimed at curbing 'unlawful activities of Left Wing Extremist organisations or similar groups." In protest against the Bill, the Opposition staged a walk out and wrote the dissent note. Maharashtra would be the fifth state to pass this special bill after Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand. The bill was passed with one dissent from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA Vinod Nikole. No legislators belonging to the Congress, NCP SP and Shiv Sena (UBT) objected to the bill. However, the Congress,, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP SP raised their dissent in the state council when the bill was passed on Friday and walked out of the council in protest. The Opposition parties also wrote the eight pages dissent note and submitted it to State Legislative council chairman Ram Shinde. They pointed out that there are several loopholes in the bill and it can be misused by the ruling party to target people having left wing ideology and organisations. The dissent letter reads that this new law will empower the people who have power and there will be concentration of the power. 'And, this will lead to an authoritarian regime and dictatorship. If someone disagrees with the ruling party that person and organization will be targeted by labeling them urban naxal. The vagueness in law will also be misused. Besides, this law has not addressed the queries raised by the constitutional experts, opposition members and citizens. The joint committee constituted by the state government to study and change the bill, accepted only three changes in the original draft of the bill while remaining suggestions were not accepted,' the letter noted.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Maharashtra MLC complains about ‘forged' transfer of local area funds
M umbai: MLC Prasad Lad on Wednesday complained about his local area funds being transferred from Ratnagiri to Beed district by forging his signature and using a fake letterhead. Raising a point of information, he said in his case, Rs 3.2 crore were transferred, which raised the suspicion of the development planning officer, who called him to ascertain if he asked for the money to be transferred. Upon this, Council chairman Ram Shinde said in the past a similar incident happened in his case, as well as in the cases of MLCs Uma Khapre and Niranjan Davkhare. Shinde said he lodged a police complaint. "This poses a challenge for the govt, and it needs to frame a policy," he said.
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Probe ordered into alleged TDR scam on reserved land in Deolali
Nashik: On Thursday, Ram Shinde, the chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, directed the civic and district administration to investigate an alleged Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) scam related to the acquisition of land reserved for public amenities in the Deolali area of Nashik city. He instructed them to submit a report within 15 days. The directive emerged during a meeting with the relevant officials following a complaint that the Nashik Municipal Corporation issued TDR certificates to a landowner at rates exceeding the govt market value in exchange for land in Survey No. 295 at Deolali within the NMC limits, designated for a garden, school, and the 18m DP Road. The meeting took place at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on Thursday. Ram Shinde, the state legislative council chairman, said the complaint indicates NMC issued TDR certificates to the landowner concerned at a rate of Rs 25,100 per sqmt, while govt market value of the reserved land at Deolali was Rs 6,500 per sqmt. At first glance, this appears to have resulted in losses to state govt. Shinde asked the NMC commissioner, inspector-general of Registration and Controller of Stamps, and district collector to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged TDR scam and submit the report within 15 days. Shinde also instructed that if the inquiry establishes the facts, criminal cases should be filed immediately against those found guilty during the probe. The officials attended the meeting via video conference.
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Water conservation dept awaiting transfer of personnel for 8 yrs
Eight years since the Maharashtra agriculture department was divided to carve out the water conservation department, the transfer of nearly 9,000 personnel from the parent department to the new one is yet to be completed. Citing shortage of workforce, the agriculture department has shown reluctance to release even 2,000 personnel as per the new demand. The shortage is likely to affect the ongoing work of on-site inspection of water conservation structure, which is also a part of the third version of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ' pet project Jalyukta Shivar, aimed to improve water availability through artificial farm ponds, deepening river beds, and constructing check dams to boost water percolation. In 2017, the water conservation department was carved out as an independent department. Then Minister of State (Home) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ram Shinde, was elevated as cabinet minister to head the new department. After the formation of the new department, the state cabinet approved for transferring 9,000 officials. However, the decision was never implemented. 'After several rounds of discussions, the Water Conservation Department agreed to a compromise of receiving 2,000 staff, but even that has not been completed,' another official from the water conservation department said. With no clear resolution in sight, the senior official from the water conservation department indicated that the ministry might need to redraw its staffing structure and begin fresh recruitment. 'This will be a long process, and until then, many of the department's works could be severely impacted,' he added. Under the third version of Jalyukta Shivar, the water conservation department is being tasked to physically verify around 14 lakh water conservation structures constructed from 1972 till 2022 that are mapped by the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC). The work is yet to begin. 'There are around 27,000 sanctioned posts in the agriculture department, but only 19,000 are filled. If 9,000 staff members are transferred, the department would be severely crippled,' a senior official from the agriculture department said.
