An average voter turnout of 59.64 per cent has been recorded in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra during polling in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024, as per the state poll authorities, reported news agency PTI. Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase 4: Highest voter turnout was recorded in Beed Polling was held on Monday in Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, and Beed seats. The highest voter turnout was recorded in Beed and the lowest in Pune, as per official figures. The 11 constituencies registered an average polling of 59.64 per cent, according to the data shared at around midnight on Monday by the office of the state's chief electoral officer, reported PTI. The Beed Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest 69.74 per cent polling, followed by Jalna 68.30 per cent, Nandurbar 67.12 per cent, Ahmednagar 62.76 per cent, Raver 61.36 per cent, Shirdi 61.13 per cent, Aurangabad 60.73 per cent, Jalgaon 53.65 per cent, Maval 52.90 per cent, Shirur 51.46 per cent and Pune 51.25 per cent, reported PTI. Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase 4: Raosaheb Danve, Pankaja Munde, Amol Kolhe in fray Union minister Raosaheb Danve contested the poll from Jalna, BJP leader Pankaja Munde from Beed and actor-turned-politician Amol Kolhe from Shirur. Three candidates are residents of places outside the constituency from where they contested. BJP candidate from Ahmednagar, Sujay Vikhe Patil, lives in Loni, part of the Shirdi Lok Sabha seat, while Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's Pune candidate Vasant More, lives in Katraj, part of the Shirur constituency. Sandipan Bhumare, the nominee of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Aurangabad, is a voter in Paithan, which is in the Jalna Lok Sabha constituency. A total of 298 candidates were in the fray, with Beed having the highest number of 41 nominees and Nandurbar the lowest number at 11. Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase 4: 2.28 crore voters were eligible Altogether, 2.28 crore voters were eligible to participate in the fourth phase of the election in the state. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after 80 in Uttar Pradesh. Polling has so far been held in 35 seats in Maharashtra. The remaining 13 constituencies, including six in Mumbai, will vote in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 on May 20. Votes will be counted on June 4. (With inputs from PTI)
14 May,2024 09:21 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has said stringent action will be taken against those responsible for the hoarding collapse incident in the city, reported news agency PTI. Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: 14 persons killed At least 14 persons were killed and 74 injured after a 100 feet tall illegal billboard fell at a petrol pump in Ghatkopar during dust storms and unseasonal rains that lashed Mumbai on Monday, as per civic officials. Phansalkar visited the spot late Monday evening where he spoke to reporters and assured of action against those responsible for the incident. Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Stringent legal action In a post on his official X handle on Monday, Phansalkar said, "Heartfelt condolences to families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate mishap at Ghatkopar. @MumbaiPolice team is on the spot in the rescue operation. We assure citizens that stringent legal action will be taken against those responsible for this mishap." Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Case against hoarding owner A case has been registered against Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of M/s Ego Media Private Limited and others for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at Pant Nagar police station, another official said, reported PTI. Search and rescue operations were going on at the Chheda Nagar-based petrol pump on Tuesday morning, according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials. The billboard was illegal and no permission was taken to install it, as per civic officials. Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: CM Eknath Shinde visits incident spot Maharashta Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the incident spot late Monday evening and ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in the city, reported PTI. "The hoardings, if found illegal and dangerous, would be removed immediately," he said. "It is a very unfortunate incident. The government will probe it, and the people responsible will face action. I have also asked the BMC commissioner to conduct a structural audit of all the hoardings in the city. Those found illegal and dangerous will be removed," Shinde told reporters. He announced an aid of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each person killed in the hoarding collapse. (With inputs from PTI)
14 May,2024 09:13 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe death toll in the hoarding collapse incident in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area has risen to 14 while 74 people are injured, civic officials said on Tuesday morning. Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Search and rescue operations underway The 100-foot-tall illegal billboard fell at a petrol pump in Ghatkopar during dust storms and unseasonal rains that lashed Mumbai on Monday. According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, search and rescue operations were going on at the Chheda Nagar-based petrol pump on Tuesday morning, reported PTI. Of the injured, 31 people have been discharged from Rajawadi Hospital, a BMC official said, reported PTI. The search and rescue operation is underway, the official said. NDRF has deployed two teams for the operation being carried out with Mumbai Fire Brigade and other agencies. Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Mumbai police chief assures strict action against those responsible Meanwhile, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has said stringent action will be taken against those responsible for the hoarding collapse incident in the city, reported PTI. At least 14 persons were killed and 74 injured after a 100 feet tall illegal billboard fell at a petrol pump in Ghatkopar during dust storms and unseasonal rains that lashed Mumbai on Monday, as per civic officials. Phansalkar visited the spot late Monday evening where he spoke to reporters and assured of action against those responsible for the incident. In a post on his official X handle on Monday, Phansalkar said, "Heartfelt condolences to families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate mishap at Ghatkopar. @MumbaiPolice team is on the spot in the rescue operation. We assure citizens that stringent legal action will be taken against those responsible for this mishap," reported PTI. A case has been registered against Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of M/s Ego Media Private Limited and others for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at Pant Nagar police station, another official said, reported PTI. Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: CM Eknath Shinde announces an aid of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each person killed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the incident spot late Monday evening and ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in the city. "The hoardings, if found illegal and dangerous, would be removed immediately," he said. "It is a very unfortunate incident. The government will probe it, and the people responsible will face action. I have also asked the BMC commissioner to conduct a structural audit of all the hoardings in the city. Those found illegal and dangerous will be removed," Shinde told reporters. He announced an aid of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each person killed in the hoarding collapse. (With inputs from PTI)
14 May,2024 09:02 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe fight between the BJP and INDIA bloc in Ayodhya appears to be a closely contested one. While the saffron party seems to have an advantage due to its role in the construction of the Ram temple and the recently held Pran Pratishtha ceremony, when mid-day visited the area, numerous locals and shopkeepers near the sacred site expressed resentment towards the BJP regarding the demolition of their shops during road widening and dissatisfaction with the compensation offered by the state government. According to locals, the demolition drive in Ayodhya near the temple aimed at widening the road, particularly between Lata Mangeshkar Chowk and Shahadat Ganj, also known as Ram Path, a 13-kilometre stretch with several hundred shops. They asserted that most of their shops were affected, with only a small portion remaining. The government offered compensation ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh, with some receiving R40,000 or R50,000, based on the area of their shop affected by the demolition. Anant Ram sweet shop owner Locals argue that the real estate value of the area surrounding the temple is approximately Rs 1 lakh per square foot, suggesting that those who lost 40 square feet of shop space should have received at least Rs 40 lakh. However, they did not receive any such amount. Some claim that property owners received satisfactory compensation, while those renting their shops, especially those with illegal constructions, expressed dissatisfaction. These individuals either received minimal compensation or were relocated within Ayodhya. ‘Is this justice?’ Anant Ram, the owner of a sweet shop near the main gate of the temple, when questioned about the demolition drive during road widening, his eyes welled up with tears and he said, “Half of my shop has been demolished, leaving just a 4x15-foot area. The government has only compensated me with R1 lakh. Is this justice?” He added, “If you speak to anyone here, everyone will tell you the same story of suffering and government neglect regarding compensation. None of us have issues with road widening; we understand that as Ayodhya becomes an international tourist destination, good roads are essential. However, what about our compensation? We have lived here for several decades.” Saurabh Jaiswal, who runs a shop where utensils are sold for religious ceremonies, claimed that he had lost 70 square feet of shop area during the demolition in 2017 and had got only R1.14 lakh in compensation from the government. Ram Path, the stretch where shops were demolished. PICS/FAIZAN KHAN “Initially I was getting compensation of Rs 40,000 and when we sought a larger sum, we got Rs 1.14 lakh, the current property rate near the temple is around R1 lakh per square foot. Ideally, I should have been getting compensation of Rs 70 lakh, but that didn’t happen,” Jaiswal said. When mid-day asked why people still vote for the BJP despite the evident anger, Anant Ram responded, “Who told you that anger doesn’t reflect in elections? Let’s talk about the Ayodhya Vidhan Sabha seat. In 2017, the BJP won with a margin of 70,000 votes. However, in the 2022 state elections, the margin was just 10,000, indicating that 60,000 voters didn’t vote for the BJP. I feel that this Lok Sabha election is going to be tough; anything can happen. The alliance candidate is also putting up a tough fight.” ‘Media missing during razing’ Near Jaiswal’s shop, mid-day encountered an elderly toy seller. When approached, he refused to speak and displayed anger towards media coverage of the Ayodhya demolition drive. “I beg you with folded hands, please do not come to my shop. I don’t want to speak to the media. When our shops were demolished, what were you media people doing? Please leave my shop and do not come here again,” the shopkeeper said. Later, this reporter learned that a significant portion of his shop had been demolished, leaving him only a few square feet to run his shop. He had received only Rs 1,14,000. Another shopkeeper, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “My shop is just 500 metres from the entry gate of the temple, and this road is now called Ram Path. Behind the shop, I had my residence. Now, my shop is fully demolished, and only a 2x10-foot area remains. This is the only shop I have, and now I use my home to store merchandise. The compensation I received is beyond description; I lost around 1,000 square feet of shop space during the demolition.” He added, “People buy everything near the temple and hardly come this side. You will see a rush in the evening, but hardly anyone purchases anything. I feel that this election is going to be tough for the BJP if they don’t focus on these issues.” Another shopkeeper next to him echoed his sentiments, stating, “A lot of people want to speak up but are afraid of the authorities, so they choose to remain silent. I believe that this election is going to play an important role, especially in Ayodhya.” Different perspective Nandlal Gupta, a shopkeeper who revealed himself to be the parshad of the BJP in Ayodhya as well as the president of a trader association in Ayodhya, presented a different perspective on the demolition and explained that the landlords and owners of the plots had received adequate compensation. “See, today Ayodhya has become an international tourist destination. Hundreds of thousands of people come here daily, and who benefits from whatever they eat and shop? The people of Ayodhya. Individuals who are unhappy with the compensation are not the actual owners or landlords; the landlords have received good compensation,” Gupta said. He added, “The government has relocated several individuals who were renting or illegally occupying land. They have received compensation and proper shops within Ayodhya. Road widening was necessary because as we are developing into an international city, proper roads are essential. Today, Ayodhya also has an international airport, and a lot of development work is underway.” Opposition Speak Pawan Pandey, spokesperson for the Samajwadi Party and a close aide of Akhilesh Yadav, accused the BJP of deceiving the people of Ayodhya under the guise of road widening. “Thousands of houses and shops were demolished, and people received compensation ranging from R25,000 to R1.5 lakh, for shops worth R20-25 lakh. People have incurred losses in lakhs and crores due to this demolition drive. The BJP has done injustice to the residents of Ayodhya.” He added that the construction of the temple was a welcome move after the Supreme Court’s order and Hindus and Muslims in Ayodhya were living peacefully. “However, the BJP only knows politics that divides Hindus and Muslims. Certainly, this time, polarisation is not working. The people of Ayodhya will seek revenge on the BJP,” he said.
14 May,2024 07:25 AM IST | Faizabad | Faizan KhanDuring the fourth phase of polling, the Maval Parliamentary Constituency, encompassing six assembly constituencies, experienced a historically low voter turnout on Monday. As of 5 PM, the turnout stood at a mere 46.03 per cent, with expectations of a slight increase to just over 50 per cent by the close of polling. The six assembly constituencies within Maval are Panvel, Karjat, Uran, Maval, Chinchwad, and Pimpri. Sources from the district administration said, “The overall voting began at a sluggish pace, with only a slight increase of 5 per cent recorded during the first two hours of polling, which commenced at 7:00 am. By 5:00 pm, Uran had the highest voter turnout in the entire assembly constituency, reaching approximately 55.05 per cent. Pimpri and Panvel witnessed the lowest voter turnout, with rates of 42.2 and 42.24 per cent respectively, by 5pm. Anticipated a higher turnout “All the six-assembly constituencies had a collective of over 25.85 lakh voters, who were to cast their vote on May 13, at 2,566 polling stations that were set up in the entire Maval Parliamentary Constituency,” explained a district administration official. “The district administration had been working day and night to ensure a large public turnout for voting and were anticipating the percentage of the vote to go up to 60 to 65 per cent, as compared to the overall voting percentage of 59.57 per cent recorded in 2019,” the official said. “It is unfortunate that even after requesting people every year between April, June, and December to come forward and make request for any correction in the electorate/voters list, people wait till the date of election and then crib of their name not found in the voter list, this is being a bit unfair,” the official added. Voter slip issued early “We had availed special permission from the competent authorities to start distributing the voters list almost 10 to 12 days before the actual date of the election (May 13) instead of the mandatory practice of five days, and had almost distributed 90 per cent to the voters, well in time, still the overall voting percentage was below expectation,” said the official. When asked the reason for the same, the officer candidly said, “May be a long weekend.” However, on serious note, he said, “Through the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) program, we have diligently covered not just residential neighborhoods but also industrial areas like Maval. Our efforts extended to educating the public, including those within industrial belts, about their voting rights and how to access their voting details online and via mobile applications.” Challenges faced “Some of our block development officials and election duty personnel faced obstacles when attempting to enter certain upscale cooperative housing societies for the distribution of voter slips. In response, we enlisted the help of the District Deputy Registrar of the Cooperative Department. With their intervention, election staff gained access to these housing societies and successfully distributed the slips,” said the official. Technical glitches The officer said, that barring a few incidents of technical glitches, during the mock polling and actual polling, overall polling across the 2,566 polling stations went smoothly, with no untoward incidents. When asked to elaborate, the officer said, “During the mock polling on May 13, before the actual polling commenced, 25 ballot units (BUs), 6 counting units (CUs), and 14 voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines encountered technical glitches and were promptly replaced. Subsequently, when the actual voting began, we replaced 12 BUs, 4 CUs, and 25 VVPAT machines due to technical issues. The polling process resumed smoothly after the faulty machines were replaced in accordance with the established procedure.” 52.49% turnoutA Voter turnout of 52.49 per cent was recorded till 5 pm on Monday in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra, where polling is underway in the fourth phase, the state electoral office said. Polling began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm in Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, and Beed constituencies.
14 May,2024 07:23 AM IST | Maval | Vinod Kumar MenonNCP (SP) leader and candidate for the Baramati constituency, Supriya Sule, shared a video on her official X handle on Monday, alleging that the CCTV cameras in the godown where the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were stored after the poll were switched off for 45 minutes. “The CCTV cameras of the godown were switched off for 45 minutes this morning (Monday). When something as important as EVMs is kept, the cameras being switched off is suspicious. This is a significant lapse,” Supriya Sule wrote on X. “Our election representative did not get satisfactory answers from the concerned authority; no technician was available at the place,” she added. Supriya Sule urged the Election Commission to immediately take notice of this and disclose the reason why the cameras were switched off. The Baramati constituency this time witnessed high-voltage political drama, as Supriya Sule is contesting against Sunetra Pawar, wife of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The returning officer for Baramati said, “We have investigated the claim made by the party. It was found that an electrician at the godown had removed a cable, which caused the display unit to shut down. However, there is no harm to the EVMs or data. Also, the recording of the CCTV is intact.”
14 May,2024 07:20 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentOn Monday, elderly members from Kushtharog Nivaran Samiti Shantivan at Panvel cast their votes, keeping their practice going for yet another election. mid-day, in its report titled ‘If we can vote, what stops you?’ published on Monday highlighted how the elderly recovered leprosy patients never miss the opportunity to do their duty to society. According to centre officials, among those who cast their votes were Narayan Madavi, 76, Pundlik Gore, 82, his wife Janku, 77, three close friends Bakabai Ade, 70, Shyamabhai Mhatare, 72, and Bhayabhai Mhatre, 70, along with others who have been staying in Shantivan since decades. Ambulances needed According to Advocate Pramod Thakur, chairman of Kushtarog Niwaran Samiti Shantivan, special arrangements were made to transport the in-house elderly and those in wards to the polling centre close to the ashram. “They left in the morning when the rush was comparatively less. The polling booth was the closest one as their residential address given is Shantivan,” he said. Zero transmission aim A highly placed government official from the health department informed mid-day that the Government of India launched National Strategic Plan (NSP) & Roadmap for Leprosy (2023-27) on January 30, 2023, to achieve zero transmission of leprosy by 2027 i.e. three years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). “The NSP and roadmap contains implementation strategies, year-wise targets, public health approaches and overall technical guidance for the programme. The strategy and roadmap focuses on awareness for zero stigma and discrimination, promotion of early case detection, prevention of disease transmission by prophylaxis (leprosy post-exposure prophylaxis) and rollout of web-based information portal for reporting of leprosy cases,” the official said. Cases endemic After achieving elimination status at the national level, the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) has taken several initiatives to encourage early case detection of leprosy patients to prevent Grade 2 Disabilities, and to ensure free-of-cost treatment for leprosy patients. There are few districts within states/UTs, where leprosy is endemic. With various interventions introduced under NLEP in the last few years, the number of new leprosy cases detected has come down to 75,394 in 2021-22, from 1,25,785 in 2014-15, accounting for 53.6 per cent of global new leprosy cases. India has achieved the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem as per WHO criteria of less than 1 case per 10,000 population at the national level in 2005. 75,394New leprosy cases detected in 2021-22
14 May,2024 07:20 AM IST | Mumbai | Vinod Kumar MenonUnion Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who had arrived in Vasai to address an election rally in separate choppers on Monday, had to return to Mumbai by road amidst heavy security arrangements because the helicopters could not fly them back due to sudden dust storm in the city. The political heavyweights had gathered to garner support for BJP candidate Hemant Savara, who is contesting the Lok Sabha poll from Palghar. After the rally ended, Shah and Shinde left the ground to go to Mumbai by road. Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police officials had cleared the stretch for sudden VIP movement. “Our team of officers took all precautionary measures to ensure a smooth journey for the VIPs who reached Mumbai by road as the weather conditions were not favourable to go by helicopter,” Pournima Chougule-Shringi, zonal deputy commissioner of police, told mid-day at the rally ground. The campaign rally of Hemant Savara in Palghar. Pics/Hanif Patel After arriving in Mumbai, Shah is expected to fly to Varanasi, said a source in his party. A large tent was erected at Suncity ground in Vasai where two helipads were constructed under the supervision of PWD staff. “One helipad had been constructed for the safe landing of the helicopter in which Shah arrived,” a senior PWD officer told mid-day. “We had been given information that Shah’s PR team would also arrive via helicopter; so, another helipad was constructed adjacent to it,” said the PWD officer. Shinde, who also arrived in a helicopter at a different location in Vasai, entered the rally ground along with Shah at 4 pm. Weather conditions had changed while Shah was addressing the rally at the Suncity ground in Vasai. Though the roads were cleared for the VIPs to travel to Mumbai, the Mumbai-based PR team got stuck in Vasai for a while, but soon, the chopper started and took them to Mumbai.
14 May,2024 07:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar SharmaThe Maharashtra Home Ministry's Prison Department has begun its action against serial parole jumpers who failed to return to their respective jails after completing parole. Murder convict Azam Aslam Butt, who was serving time in Nagpur Jail, has jumped parole for the fourth time and hasn't returned to jail since 2023. The Home Ministry has also cancelled Butt's surety and informed Unit 9 Crime Branch and Zone 9 DCP to arrest him immediately. Azam Aslam Butt, serving a life sentence at Nagpur Jail for killing property dealer Kashinath Gharat in 2005, is involved in over 13 cases including murder, extortion, assault, threatening, and cheating across various locations. mid-day reported a series of stories detailing how Butt managed to obtain parole from different jails and was even seen partying with jail cops during parole. Butt also misled the high court, claiming he was in Nagpur jail and filed a writ petition to get a three-month parole under the new parole law. According to the notice issued by the Maharashtra Home Ministry (Prison) Department. "The accused Azam Aslam Butt was released for 28 days on April 7, 2023, and was supposed to return to jail on May 6, 2023. However, he didn't return and jumped parole. An FIR was registered against him at Kalamna police station in Nagpur under IPC section 224 on 8 May 2023. Due to his failure to return, the witness Ajijul Mustasak Shaikh Haidar, who provided surety, had to cancel the bond and submit it to the court. With this letter, we are informing Zone 9 DCP and Unit 9 Crime Branch to arrest him as soon as possible." Butt is a serial parole jumper who has jumped parole four times. During the Lok Sabha election 2024, the Maharashtra state prison began taking action against several serious offenders involved in multiple serious offences like murder. Speaking with mid-day, Superintendent Vaibhav Aghe of Nagpur prison said, "We have issued a notice to the surety of the accused Azam Butt, who took responsibility for Butt but jumped parole and didn't return to jail. The accused Butt is absconding and is now on the wanted list. We have informed the local police in Mumbai to arrest him immediately." The head of the prison, Amitabh Gupta, stated, "Azam Butt is a serial parole jumper, and we are actively searching for him. We have informed the police to arrest him, and strict action will be taken against him once he's apprehended." Vishwanath Gharat, brother of the deceased Kashinath Gharat, expressed, "Recently, my mother passed away at the age of 93, and our only wish is to see accused Azam Butt behind bars until he dies. He killed my brother in 2005 but managed to get bail and was later released on parole multiple times, jumping parole each time. Yet, he has been roaming freely for the past year, and Zone 9 DCP and Crime Branch have done nothing to arrest him."
14 May,2024 07:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaThis is the first Lok Sabha election where I’m witnessing politicians targeting each other as there is no proper topic for discussion like before,” MNS chief Raj Thackeray slammed political parties at a rally in Thane on Sunday. At the rally organised for Shiv Sena (Shinde) candidate of Kalyan Dr Shrikant Shinde and Thane candidate Naresh Mhaske, Raj slammed Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar. Raj Thackeray addressing the people. Pics/Sameer Markande “Now you are being accused of breaking your party. But you broke my party, you took my 6 corporators with the ‘khoka’,” Raj said targeting Uddhav. “You come to power with parties who broke Shiv Sena in the past just because you wanted to be chief minister. You sit with Chhagan Bhujbal who arrests Balasaheb Thackeray. I never support party-breaking politics.” Raj also showed a video of Sena UBT leader Sushma Andhare mocking Balasaheb Thackeray. “The person who mocks Balasaheb is a leader of your party,” he said. Taking on Sharad Pawar, he said that Pawar was the pioneer of the party-breaking politics in Maharashtra. “First he broke the Congress, then the Shiv Sena,” he said. Talking about “taxpayers”, Raj said the Thane district is experiencing the highest migration in the country and in the world. “Until this migration doesn’t stop, the development of the district cannot be done. Marathi people have first rights in Maharashtra. But lots of other people are also living here, who are taxpayers. They are also ours. But they should learn Marathi first,” Raj said. Raj further stated that Muslims are now issuing fatwas to vote for the Congress. He said this election is related to the development of the country as well as security. “Both these candidates should keep an eye on that when they are elected,” he said.
14 May,2024 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentBudget airline Go First is staring at more trouble as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is reportedly looking to take away domestic airport slots and international flying rights of the carrier. A senior government official said, “If an airline does not utilise its airport slots for a year, it loses its historic precedence to domestic airport slots. It has been a year since the collapse of Go First. The domestic airport slots have already been allocated to other airlines and its international flying rights will soon be redistributed.” Another official told mid-day that the government had temporarily reallocated the flying rights of Go First in the Winter Schedule for 2023 and Summer Schedule for 2024, and these reallocations are likely to be made permanent by the end of the month. The reallocation of slots was done to cater to the rising domestic and international traffic demand. According to the official, losing its domestic slots and flying rights to international destinations such as Oman, Dubai, Thailand, Singapore and Abu Dhabi is expected to further impact the valuation of the airline. “Go First’s flying rights and domestic slots were protected after the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) imposed a moratorium on its assets after the airline declared bankruptcy in May 2023. In April this year, the Delhi High Court asked the DGCA to process the deregistration applications for the aircraft leased by the airline. Following this, on May 1, the DGCA approved the deregistration of Go First’s aircraft,” said an industry source aware of the matter. “Go First had filed for insolvency on May 2, 2023, and ceased its operations the next day. It blamed its financial woes on the ‘faulty’ engines of Pratt & Whitney that led to the grounding of half of its fleet. The airline has liabilities worth thousands of crores, to all its creditors combined,” the source added. May 3Day Go First ceased operations in 2023
14 May,2024 07:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Prasun ChoudhariADVERTISEMENT
