Sena Growls As ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ Row Knocks On Uddhav Thackeray’s Door

April 23, 2022

Unfazed by the Shiv Sena’s ire and notice by Mumbai Police, the couple maintained they were firm on their plan to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’

Mumbai: Shiv Sena workers gathered in large numbers outside the apartment of Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana in Mumbai this morning, and shouted slogans after the couple announced that they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’, the residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

The Shiv Sena workers broke through the barricades and tried to enter the premises of the legislator couple’s residence in Suburban Khar, however, the police brought the situation under control and stopped the Shiv Sena workers from going further.

Both Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana are independent legislators from the Vidarbha region in Maharashtra.

Police have increased security outside ‘Matoshree’ and placed barricades on the road leading to the Thackeray residence to avoid crowding. Police personnel were deployed outside the couple’s apartment as well after Shiv Sena workers staged protests and dared the couple to step out of their residence.

On Friday, Mumbai police had served a notice to the couple, asking them not to disturb the law and order situation in the city. Besides ‘Matoshree’, the police have also increased security at ‘Varsha’, the official residence of Uddhav Thackeray in south Mumbai.

However, unfazed by the Shiv Sena’s ire and notice by Mumbai Police, the couple said they were firm on their plan. “Maharashtra Chief Minister ordered Shiv Sena workers to heckle us. They’re breaking the barricades. I’m reiterating that I’ll go outside and will chant Hanuman Chalisa at ‘Matroshree’,” said Navneet Rana.

Navneet Rana’s husband Ravi Rana slammed Uddhav Thackeray over the issue of idealogy claiming that the Maharashtra Chief Minister had deviated from the ideology practiced by Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

“This is not the same Shiv Sena that Balasaheb Thackeray formed. That Shiv Sena would have allowed us to chant Hanuman Chalisa,’ Mr Rana said.

He alleged that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was misusing his power. “Police aren’t allowing us to step outside our house. Chief Minister has given them the instruction to do so and Shiv Sena workers are trying to attack our residence,” Mr Rana added.

Shiv Sena workers, who have strongly objected to the politician couple’s plan, have been camping outside ‘Matoshree’ since yesterday. Former Mumbai Mayor and Shiv Sena leader Kishori Pednekar said, “We have accepted the challenge of the Rana couple. Let them come, we are ready to welcome them and give them ‘prasad’.”

The party leaders accused the BJP of hatching a conspiracy to harass the Sena-led coalition government in the state and using the Ranas and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray as pawns.

“They (MLA Ravi Rana and MP Navneet Rana) have challenged the law and order situation. They were prompted to do this by someone. Shiv Sena workers are here to protect ‘Matoshree’,” said Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai.

Senior party leader Sanjay Raut described the legislator couple as ‘Bunty aur Babli’, referring to a Hindi movie. “People like Rana are characters in the nautanki (drama) and stunt of the BJP. People don’t take this stunt seriously,” he said.

Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil claimed that the couple’s attempt to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’ was part of a conspiracy to disturb the law and order situation in the state.

“Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana want to tarnish the state government’s image and spoil the atmosphere. What’s the need to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’. They can do it at their home,” said Mr Patil.

Bawankule blasts MVA Govt over poor show on power front, warns stir

April 23, 2022

Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule नागपूर

Nagpur: Blasting the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Government over poor show on power front, BJP MLC and former Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule criticised the decision of MSEDCL to double the security deposit being recovered from consumers. He warned that BJP will stage a state-wide agitation if the MVA Government resorted to forcible recovery of electricity dues from the consumers.

Addressing the media on Friday, the BJP General Secretary squarely blamed the MVA Government for its wrong policies that had pushed Maharashtra to power crisis. “The current shortage of power in the State indicates faulty planning and since last three weeks several parts have suffered undeclared load-shedding. The financial mismanagement at MSEDCL is solely due to non-recovery of dues amounting to thousands of crores from Government departments while common consumers’ power connections are being disconnected for a petty amount of default,” Bawankule said.

The BJP leader further said that the power outage has been on rise in the state since the last three weeks amid the rising temperatures. In some parts, the citizens have to face the load shedding for as long as six hours. On the other hand, the MSEDCL has doubled the security deposit. If this harassment to the consumers is not stopped, the BJP would launch state-wide agitation, he said.

The MLC said the entire power management was crippled in the state, but no attempts were made to recover the dues from the government’s own departments. “The government is faking the maintenance and repair jobs at the power stations to shut the production. It is leading to losing the livelihood of lakhs of poor people in the state. The BJP workers would be on road to protest if the government did not stop power cuts in the name of load-shedding,” Bawankule warned.

According to Bawankule, about 20 generation sets in the state were closed. “Originally, these plants needed to be maintained and repaired when the demand for electricity was low. But the MVA Government was in deep slumber and hence the people of Maharashtra have to face the problem of power shortage in peak summer,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pravin Datke, MLC and President, BJP, Nagpur Unit, also appealed to consumers not to pay the additional security deposit being sought by MSEDCL. He said during the tenure of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra was No. 1 in power generation with 25,000 MW, excluding Mumbai, and now within two years due to mismanagement the citizens have to bear the brunt of power cuts, he added.

Actor Sonu Sood in Nagpur, joins crowdfunding to secure Rs 16 Cr life-saving shot for city kid

April 23, 2022

Nagpur: Sonu Sood, renowned Bollywood star turn Maseeha for many during devastating novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) has united with the “crowdfunding” cause of Nagpur parents to secure a shot worth Re 16 Crore to save their child.

A 15-year-old Vihaan is suffering from a rare and life-threatening disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Vihaan needs ‘Zolgesma’ — world’s costliest injection — to be imported from USA. Raising this hefty amount is impossible for a middle-class family in the Second Capital of the State. So, Vihaan’s parents – Dr Vikrant and Meenakshi Akulkwar — have already started crowd funding from March 1.

Notably, Vihaan needs this injection at the earliest and latest before his second birthday otherwise it could be too late. Five kids in India so far have received this injection through crowd funding and these kids are living a normal life now.

After coming across Akulkwar couple bid to save their child through social media, actor Sonu Sood decided to extend his help to Vihaan and amplify his parent’s effort.

No load-shedding in Nagpur as Adani doubles up power generation

April 23, 2022

MSEDCL cracks down on power thefts as demand-supply gap widens

Nagpur: Even as the political atmosphere over power shortage heated up, Nagpurians heaved a sigh of relief as there is no load-shedding in the Second Capital of Maharashtra. Thanks to Adani’s Tiroda plant which quickly doubled-up its generation, the threat of load-shedding in the city has subsided, according to MSEDCL sources.

Meanwhile, faced with widening demand-supply gap on the power front, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) launched a drive against power thefts with a view to plug the gap. About 42 cases of unauthorised usage of power were detected in Nagpur Circle, especially on agriculture feeders. Throughout the State a special focus is on agriculture feeders to curb unauthorised drawl of power.

During the checks, the feeder where extra load is detected the MSEDCL team undertook a visit and detected usage of hooks to draw the power. Offence under sections 135 and 126 of Indian Electricity Act, 2003, was registered against the culprits. The offence is non-cognisable and non-bailable. The drive started in Circle from April 21 and will continue further, warned MSEDCL.

The MSEDCL , to stave off load-shedding or restrict it to the minimum possible time, is frantically searching for options to get additional power to meet the growing demand in the State. The MahaGenco was producing 6800 MW and was asked to increase production to 7500 MW. Adani plant whose production had dipped to 1700 MW has increased it to2250 MW and would further step it to 3011 MW. This additional power is going to come handy in keeping the load-shedding at bay.

With summer at its peak, the power demand increased to unprecedented levels. The shortfall in demand and supply has now risen to 2500 MW. On Friday, some areas in the city under Category C faced power cuts. These feeders are those where losses (distribution and collection) are in range of 24 to 36per percent as transmission from Adani’s power plant dipped due to shortage of coal.

Tata Starbucks enters Nagpur, marks its presence in the 5th city in Maharashtra

April 22, 2022

The new store marks Tata Starbucks 270″ store in India as the company celebrates its 10th anniversary this year

Nagpur: Tata Starbucks Private Limited today announced its entry into Nagpur with the launch of a brand-new store at Shivaji Nagar. Delivering the iconic ‘Third Place’ experience to customers, the opening marks Tata Starbucks 5′ city in Maharashtra, bringing the total to 270 stores across 27 cities in India.

Nagpur residents will now have a new spot to cherish human connections over a cup of coffee while witnessing the iconic Starbucks Experience. “We are pleased to introduce our customers in Nagpur to a unique sensorial and immersive coffee experience” said Sushant Dash, ceo, Tata Starbucks Pvt. Ltd. “Tata Starbucks has had an incredible journey in India, and we are honored to celebrate our tenth year by entering newer and vibrant cities, like Nagpur. We are excited to expand our footprint in India and continue to delight our customers with the unique offerings and an unparalleled Starbucks experience.”

The interior is inspired by Starbucks’ brand heritage and India’s coffee farming community. In the center of the double height space is an installation created by wooden laser cut siren scales and it draws attention to the high ceiling and welcomes customers into the space. Inside the community room is where the custom artwork is located with the 3 dimensional artwork made by local banana fibre material. Each piece is shaped by hand to celebrate India’s coffee farming landscape.

Customers will be able to select from a range of Starbucks beverages including the all-time favourites such as Java Chip Frappuccino®, Cafe Mocha, Signature Hot Chocolate and Caramel Macchiato. Customers can also enjoy the summer offerings such as Mango on the beach Frappuccino, S’mores Latte and S’mores Frappuccino.

Water supply up by 30MLD to meet summer demand

April 22, 2022

Nagpur: In view of the increased demand for water due to the rise in temperatures, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has increased the supply to the city by almost 30MLD (million litres per day).

A senior official from NMC’s water works department told TOI that with the temperature hovering around 44 degree Celsius mark, the water supply has been increased from 650MLD to 680MLD to meet the additional demand.

On an average, the NMC supplies around 640-650MLD water to the city. Of this, 190MLD comes from Kanhan river while the rest is pumped from Pench, the official said. “The supply has been increased in the last four days,” said the official.

The official said NMC is also supplying water through 273 tankers. The civic body has deployed 213 tankers for non-network areas while private operator Orange City Water has deployed 60. The tankers are making around 2,184 trips a day and supplying almost 10.28 lakh litres water per day.

According to the available data, the situation is grave in areas like Satranjipura, Ashi Nagar, Lakadganj and Nehru Nagar zones where each tanker is is making eight trips daily.

The department has deployed 95 tankers for Ashi Nagar and Satranjipura zones having many non-network areas. For Lakadganj, 42 tankers have been deployed to meet water requirement in the east Nagpur localities.

Many non-network areas under the Nehru Nagar zone too were facing water crisis. Here NMC has pressed 37 tankers.

Many big residential societies have been pressing private tankers into service to meet their water needs. “Come summers, water starts flowing at very low pressure. This happens when the demand for water in our society increases. We then purchase water from private tanker operators,” said Rahul Sahare, a resident of Jaripatka.

In the last fortnight, NMC had witnessed many morchas over the water crisis. Not only Congress netas but even former corporators from BJP, which ruled the civic body for 15 years straight, too took out a morcha to NMC over water crisis.

Most of the people’s representatives complained of no water, low pressure and contaminated supply.

As temperatures start rising, many people reportedly use booster pumps to draw additional water. To curb this, OCW-NMC have formed a joint flying squad to detect such pumps. The team has seized 40 booster pumps in its drive across the city. As per the data obtained from OCW, the highest number of booster pumps were seized from Ashi Nagar zone (20), 11 in Nehru Nagar, six in Dharampeth zone, two in Dhantoli and one under Laxmi Nagar zone.

Fireworks trigger bush fire near Gorewada Square- Our Nagpur

April 22, 2022

Nagpur: Fireworks lit during wedding procession triggered a bush fire near Gorewada Square on late Thursday night. Fortunately, no one reportedly sustained any sorted of serious injuries in the incident.

A wedding ceremony was underway at Sawana Lawn on Thursday night. During the arrival of groom, his family members lit fireworks near Gorewada Square, to mark his presence near the wedding site. However, the celebration soon turn into mayhem after fireworks triggered bush fire.

Following which, Fire Department was alerted. The officials of fire department then doused the flames.

President Ramnath Kovind’s Nagpur tour rescheduled to May 8

April 22, 2022

Nagpur: President Ramnath Kovind’s maiden Nagpur tour was rescheduled a day prior to his visit to the Second Capital of the State on Thursday. Due to some unavoidable circumstances, President Kovind will be visiting the city on May 8.

Notably, tight security is in place for the visit of President Ramnath Kovind who was set to arrive on Saturday, April 23 to grace the function organised by Indian Institute of Management- Nagpur (IIM-N).

As per reports, the President will inaugurate the new campus of IIM-N at MIHAN.

It is pertinent to mention that a joint team of Nagpur police and SPG commandos reviewed the security arrangements. For bandobast, around 4000 security personnel including two companies of SPF set to be deployed. On Wednesday, the Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar held a meeting with high officials and discussed the security plan.

Power-starved MSEDCL revives load-shedding after gap of 6 days

April 22, 2022

Energy Minister Nitin Raut blames Adani Power for sudden stop of 1,400 mw electricity supply

Nagpur: The flip-flop over load-shedding continues in Maharashtra. After almost six days, the State-run power distribution company Mahavitaran (MSEDCL) has revived the load shedding of 1,400 to 2,000 mw from Thursday. It would continue for another five to six days after Adani Power suddenly reduced the power supply by 1,400 mw and 300 mw by JSW, according to media reports.

Further, Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd has brought down the power supply to 630 mw against 760 mw as assured after the recent Cabinet decision. The load shedding is also inevitable as the power demand has soared to 24,500 mw but for want of coal and rakes, the MahaGenco was unable to generate at full capacity.

According reports, Maharashtra Government has sent notice to Adani Power (APML) & JSW Power under the Electricity Act 2003 and regulations of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission for not providing adequate electricity supply and sudden stop of power supply, Action will be taken against them for non-compliance of power purchase agreement, said Energy Minister Nitin Raut.

Raut, who after attending the review meeting, said the MSEDCL has resumed the load shedding as suddenly there has been a drop of 1,830 mw of power supply from Adani Power, JSW and Coastal Gujarat Power ltd. The Minister said that load shedding is inevitable as the demand for power has increased sharply due to summer. Besides, there are constraints on MahaGenco’s generation due to a reduction in coal supply by the Centre and also a lack of availability of adequate rakes. Moreover, the decision by Adani Power, JSW and Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd to suddenly reduce the power supply has led to the power deficit resulting in load shedding by MahaVitaran, Raut stated.

In addition, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) is facing serious problems in the purchase of 2,000 mw from power exchanges and open markets as power is not available as few power plants have been either closed down or reduced generation for want of sufficient coal in various parts of the country, The Energy Minister noted.

Raut has appealed to the electricity consumers to save power and cooperate with MahaVitaran in handling the present situation.

While earlier the load-shedding was confined to heavy loss making feeders categorised as G-1, G-2 and G-3, a new circular issued on April 18, 2022, by MSEDCL, said due to shortage of power, load-shedding ranging from 1.30 to 5 hours would be carried out on all feeders that are categorised on basis of distribution and calculation losses. The new guidelines state that there is a shortfall in power supply due to shortage of coal and heavy increase in demand due to lifting of all COVID-19 related restrictions.

The circular issued by Executive Director (II) mentions that emergency load-shedding is being implemented as and when required at present. Now, load-shedding will be carried out even in A to F category feeders and notified the criteria for the same. In Group A the load-shedding hours will be 1.30 hours against distribution losses of 0 to 18 per cent, in Group B about two hours for losses of 18 to 26 per cent, for C-26 to 34 per cent power cuts would be of 2.30 hours, in Group D- three hours for losses in 34 to 42 per cent, Group E-losses of 42 to 50 per cent the cuts will be of 3.30 hours, in Group F-for 50 to 58 percent losses the load-shedding will be of four hours.

Similarly for G-1 category feeders the time of power cuts would be 4.15 hours and they are those where losses range from 58 to 66 per cent, in G-2 from 66 to 74 per cent the power cuts are for 4.30 hours and in G-3 category where losses are above 74 per cent the load-shedding will be of five hours at stretch. MSEDCL has also said a similar rule of load-shedding protocol would also apply for Mix agriculture dominated feeders.

It’s official! Nagpur University to conduct exams in “Online Mode”

April 22, 2022

RTMNU Exam — RTMNU declares 16 more results of Summer 2022 examinations

Nagpur: Following a prolong discussion, a decision came in the favour of students as Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) is set to conduct exams in “Online Mode”.

As per RTMNU officials commonly known as Nagpur University (NU), the university has set to conduct exams online with an option of offline to students.

Students, who have agitated in this regard, after NU officials had confirmed that the university will hold exams offline, took sigh of relief. Time table and exam schedule of the upcoming exams will be disclosed soon, the offical sources added.

365 trees gone, Nagpur Municipal Corporation nod to cut 193 more at Empress Vann

April 21, 2022

NAGPUR: With 365 trees already cut, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has given permission to a private company to chop down another 193 trees at Empress Vann. The Tree Authority Committee gave consent to this proposal on the last day of the five-year tenure of corporators on March 4.

The civic body’s permission has come to fore now as the private company — Royal Sandesh Business Park LLP — deposited a few days ago the security deposit of Rs41.01 lakh, of which Rs37.29 lakh is security deposit and Rs3.72 lakh is administrative fees. For last couple of days, NMC’s garden department has started to search for open space where the private company will plant 3,729 compensatory trees.

On July 11, 2011, TOI had reported that NMC chopped down over 365 trees for construction of road connecting Marwadi Chawl to Rajwada Palace, though it was not required and a parallel wide road was already available in front of Empress Mall and Gandhisagar Lake. It was also reported that remaining trees situated on plots auctioned by Maharashtra State Textile Corporation (MSTC) will also go in coming days.

In the industrial layout of MSTC, Royal Sandesh Business Park LLP had purchased plot no. 1 spread measuring 1,53,000 sq ft from MSTC in 2019. One of the directors Ramdeo ‘Rammu’ Agrawal submitted an application with NMC seeking to cut down trees on his plot on September 24, 2021.

The Tree Authority Committee headed by the civic chief gave its permission on March 4. Of total 193 trees, 182 are subabul, 4 chinchbhilai, 2 kadu neem, 1 maharuk, 3 karanji and 1 jangli karanji. NMC tree officer and garden superintendent Amol Chorpagar did not respond to TOI’s call and message.

Agrawal told TOI, “It is an industrial area since many decades. Majority of trees are subabul. MSTC auctioned the plot for development of textile sector and empowerment of farmers. We have planned a state-of-the-art garment complex along with wholesale market for saris and other types of cloths. It will also ease congestion in Itwari and Mahal, which are crowded localities. Itwari and Mahal will become retail markets if wholesale traders shift to this area.”

Agrawal added they are planning to plant more trees than demanded by NMC. “We have been asked to plant trees of six feet height, but we plan to go for more height. All species suggested by NMC will be planted. We will also take care of survival of these plants for seven years,” he said.

For last few decades, Empress Vann comprising large number trees was untouched. Former mayor Dayashankar Tiwari planned the road cutting the green space into two parts followed by auction of three plots by MSTC.

Tiwari said, “There is no impact on environment if subabul trees are cut. Actually, no permission is required to cut down subabul trees as per norms of urban local body and also forest. Still, private company ensured permission from the authority and is also planning to plant compensatory trees. The road being developed will ease congestion and also benefit a large number of people. Vande Mataram garden is also under construction to mark 75th independence year of the country. Once lying abandoned, the area is going to benefit the people as well as city to a great extent.”

Activist Kunal Mourya said NMC and other government agencies are destroying greenery of the city despite their responsibility to ensure conservation of environment. “Each and every tree plays a own role in the environment so one should not chop them down but plant more. I have serious doubts about trees counted by NMC. Also, there is no check over illegal felling of trees,” he said.

Apart from these 558 trees, there are many more trees on the remaining vacant plots in Empress Vann. Those trees will also go whenever purchasers begin construction.

Tight security in place for President Kovind’s visit to Nagpur on April 23

April 21, 2022

Nagpur: Tight security is in place for the visit of President Ramnath Kovind who is arriving in Nagpur on Saturday, April 23 to grace the function organised by Indian Institute of Management– Nagpur (IIM-N).

As per reports, the President will inaugurate the new campus of IIM-N at MIHAN. This will be his first visit to Nagpur after becoming the President of India.

A joint team of Nagpur police and SPG commandos reviewed the security arrangements. For bandobast, around 4000 security personnel including two companies of SRPF will be deployed. On Wednesday, the Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar held a meeting with high officials and discussed the security plan.

According to reports, 12 DCPs, 11 ACPs, 70-80 Police Inspectors, around 180 APIs, and 3000 police personnel would be deployed for bandobast duty during the visit of the First Citizen of India. CCTV cameras would keep an on movement of people on the routes taken by the President.

Nagpur was added to the list of IIMs in the country during the tenure of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Initially, it started functioning from the premises of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) with IIM, Ahmedabad, as its mentor. Shifting of IIM-N to its own campus got delayed for various reasons, Covid-19 pandemic being one of them.

Reserve Bank of India changes bank timings

April 21, 2022

Nagpur: Bank customers will now get an extra hour to complete bank-related work. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has changed the timings for the trading hours of the market and banks with effect from April 18, 2022.

The RBI changed the opening hours of banks from April 18, 2022 after four days of closure. Now, banks will operate from 9 am. However, no change has been made to the closing time.

Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in India, the opening hours of banks were reduced. But with things getting back to normal, the RBI is implementing this facility from April 18, 2022.

Meanwhile, the RBI also said that from April 18 the trading hours of markets regulated by it will be from 9 am to 3.30 pm.

“With the substantial easing of restrictions on the movement of people and functioning of offices, it has now been decided to restore the opening time for regulated financial markets to their pre-pandemic timing of 9 am,” the RBI release said.

First phase of Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg to open on May 2

April 21, 2022

The 210 km stretch from Nagpur to Shelu Bazaar in Washim district will be thrown open for traffic in the first phase.

Nagpur: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is gearing up for the inauguration of the first phase of Nagpur- Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg on May 2. The 210 km stretch from Nagpur to Shelu Bazaar in Washim district will be opened for traffic in the first phase.

The ambitious project, which is also known as the ‘Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg’ is aimed at reducing the travel time between Nagpur and Mumbai by half. Currently, the travel time between the two cities is somewhere between 16-18 hours.

According to MSRDC, it has completed over 70 per cent of the work of the Rs 55,000 crore project. The construction work started in January 2019. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister directed MSRDC to ensure that the entire stretch has greenery alongside the Expressway so that people can enjoy the journey.

Treat to tourists to see leopards in NNTR

April 21, 2022

The increasing number of leopards in Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR)in Gondia district, tourists stand good chances of sighting these carnivores. Tiger sighting in this reserve is comparatively less because of low number of tigers.

Ambadas, a Guide working in this tiger reserve, was lucky to see three leopards at a time near Pitezari gate in Nagzira sanctuary recently when they were strolling in jungle. He lost no time to click the movement of these leopards.

Wild animals, including herbivores such as spotted deer, sambar, biosons, blue bulls etc are now commonly seen at different waterholes. Now, the temperature is going over 43.2 degrees Celcius in Gondia, the animals are also feeling pinch of the scorching summer heat. Water source is one of the precious thing for them to quench their thirst, take rest or wallow to beat the heat. Tourists have a treat to see the wild animals at the places such as ponds, nullahs, rivers, lakes or saucer-shaped cement tanks during morning and evening hours.

Generally speaking, sighting of leopards is not that easy. One may see tiger but it is difficult to sight a leopard in the jungle. The conservation practices adopted by Forest Department have resulted in the increase of leopards, it is said.

According to recent figures, there are 133 leopards inside and around NNTR, which is spread in 663 sq km area. Majority of leopards have made their habitat on the periphery of the reserve and near human settlements. This has also resulted in man-animal conflict as these carnivores kill domestic animals and attack human beings.

The State Government in its report submitted to National Tiger Conservation Authority, Delhi, has made a mention of 635 leopards all over the State, including 145 in and around Melghat Tiger Reserve and 133 in NNTR. It is reported that eight tigers have made their home inside the park. During this peak season, lucky tourists are sighting the tigers at Chorkhamara, Pitezari and other areas as there are only 8 tigers in the park.

Brahmapuri hottest with 45.3 degrees C; Chanda – 45.2 degrees C, Nagpur – 43.2 Degrees C

April 21, 2022

Brahmapuri was the hottest place in Vidarbha region on Wednesday by recording maximum temperature of 45.3 degrees C. Chandrapur proved to be the second hottest place in the region with 45.2 degrees C. Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, is also sizzling with 43.2 degrees C today. People going out during noontime at these places are taking due care while riding the vehicles to save them from sunstroke.

Akola is feeling the pinch by registering 44.9 degrees C, where the maximum temperature was 44.8 degrees C yesterday. Gondia has suddenly taken a jump from yesterday’s temperature of 43.2 degrees C to 44.0 degrees C on Wednesday. Similarly, the citizens from Amravati and Wardha are also suffering in the scorching heat at 44.2 degrees C on Wednesday.

Washim has recorded maximum temperature of 43.5 degrees C today. The lowest temperature of 42.0 degrees C was recorded at Gadchiroli. The temperature figures at Yavatmal and Buldana were not made available till filing report.

7-yr old Nagpur twins enter Asia Book of Records in avian style

April 21, 2022

Nagpur: The 7-year old twin brothers from Nagpur, Anay and Abeer Ramakrishnan, created the India and Asia Record by identifying 248 different species of birds in just 4 minutes of time. They not only identified the maximum number of bird species, at a record time, but also created a record as they are the youngest twins.

Studying in Grade 2, Centre Point School, their names were registered in the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records. The award includes a medal, a certificate and a record book. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari congratulated and felicitated Anay and Abeer. He had a chat with them to understand their knowledge of the subject.

One of the twin brothers, Abeer Ramakrishnan said, “We don’t own the Planet Earth, we belong to it, therefore we should share it with birds, insects, plants and animals responsibly.” Birds play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance, even some birds like Rosy Starling and White Stork keep a check on Locust insects, Anay stated.

Anay and Abeer gave the credit of their achievement to the ecosystem of Nagpur city, which has many birding sites like Gorewada Lake, Little Woods, Biodiversity Park and OCR nature trail and more particularly to the contributions by selfless nature enthusiasts like Kundan Hate, Avinash Londhe and Venkatesh Mudaliar.

RTE admission date extended till April 29 in Nagpur | Our Nagpur

April 21, 2022

Date Extended Until June 28th For The Third Round Of Admissions To RTE

Nagpur: The last date of admissions to be done under Right To Education Act (RTE) in schools has been extended till April 29. Earlier, the last date for the admissions was April 20.

The Director (Education), Primary Education Directorate, has taken the decision of extending the date. Rohini Kumbhar, Education Officer (Primary), Zilla Parishad in a press release said, “The parents of the wards whose names are selected for the admission received the SMS to this effect.If parents have not received any SMS, they can check it on ‘www.student.maharashtra.gov.in under Applicationwise Details. Parents should avail the opportunity of the date extension. They also should contact the office of Taluka-level scrutiny committee with all the necessary documents.

The Education Officer has appealed to parents not to bring the child to the scrutiny committee office. In Nagpur 31,411 students have applied to get the admission under Right to Education Act (RTE) in schools. There are 663 schools where the quota of 25% seats is kept for the admissions to be made under RTE. After the final scrutiny 6,106 are found eligible to get admissions.

In Nagpur 2,114 candidates have confirmed their admissions. The lottery draw was conducted on March 30, 2022. They have to take admissions in the schools allotted to them, which will be mandatory. Parents can not insist on getting admission to their wards in a particular school, the Education Department has made it clear.

Cleanliness of 84 nullahs completed | Our Nagpur

April 21, 2022

Nagpur Municipal Corporation launched cleanliness drive for rivers and nullahs in the city from Apirl 12 and it cleaned as many as 84 nullahs out of a total of 227.

Dr Gajendra Mahalle, Deputy Commissioner, Solid Waste Management Department, said that the NMC would try to achieve the target by May 31.

Radhakrishnan B, Municipal Commissioner, had given instructions to clean the rivers and nullahs passing through the city before onset of monsoon.

The cleanliness campaign is being implemented in two stages. In the first, it would be executed in six sub areas while second phase would begin from May 1. The workers would take out garbage in these water bodies to increase their water storage capacity. Every year, around 1.5 lakh metric ton garbage is taken out from these water bodies. The corporation is using seven JCB machines for clearing the garbade.

NDS takes action against 6 firms for dumping building debris on roads, using plastic bags

April 21, 2022

Nagpur: The Nuisance Detection Squad (NDS) of NMC on Wednesday initiated action against six establishments in Dhantoli, Gandhibagh, Managalwari and Lakadganj Zones under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The NDS recovered a fine of Rs 60,000 from the offending firms.

In Dhantoli Zone, the NDS took action against Chaitanya Apartment builder in New Manish Nagar for dumping construction material along roadside and thus creating traffic problem. A fine of Rs 10,000 was recovered from the builder.

Similarly, the Nuisance Detection Squad initiated action against Soni Hospital in Adivasi Nagar, Minimata Nagar under Lakadganj Zone. The NDS found bio-medical waste was mixed with general waste and thrown at an unauthorised place. The hospital was fined Rs 25,000. Similarly, Murli Builder in Mangalwari Zone was also fined Rs 10,000 for dumping building debris on the road in Nara.

The Nuisance Detection Squad of Gandhibagh and Dhantoli Zone also initiated action for using banned plastic bags. Two firms, Radha Polymer and Jayesh Traders in Itwari were found using banned plastic bags. The two firms were fined Rs 10,000 each.

In Dhantoli Zone, a firm named Metro Cafe in Manish Nagar was also found using banned plastic bags and was fined Rs 5,000.

The action was initiated under the directives of Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B and under the leadership of NDS Chief Veersen Tambe and his team.

IMD forecasts pre-monsoon rains in Vidarbha till Saturday

April 20, 2022

Nagpur: After facing scorching heat wave, Vidarbha has set to witness some respite as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted light rainfall till Saturday in the region.

“Thunderstorms will lash Pune, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Satara, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nanded, Latur, Osmanabad, Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Nagpur, Wardha, Washim and Yavatmal districts during Thursday and Saturday. Parbhani and Hingoli shall experience rainfall on Friday and Saturday,” IMD said.

It is pertinent to mention that heat wave conditions had started to prevail across Vidarbha region. At all the major locations across the region, the maximum temperature was 40 degrees Celsius or above on Monday. Chandrapur and Akola were the hottest in the region with maximum temperature at 44.2 degrees Celsius. Wardha and Nagpur followed with 43.8 degrees Celsius and 43.6 degrees Celsius respectively.

Nagpur, on Monday, recorded the highest maximum temperature of the season so far this year. In fact, the maximum temperature it recorded was the highest for the month of April since 2019. In 2019, it had recorded 45.3 degrees Celsius on April 28.

The day temperatures are also expected to drop marginally during the next three days. Notably, if the rains take place, this will be the first pre-monsoon showers to hit the state this year.

Marathwada and Vidarbha regions continue to remain dry and arid in the absence of any pre-monsoon rainfall activity so far. Currently, there are northerly or northwesterly winds affecting the state. Besides, the region is under the influence of a trough that prevails between Telangana and southern Tamil Nadu.

Nagpur-Wardha-Nagpur passenger train resumes from April 22

April 20, 2022

Cancellation and short termination of passenger trains — Ashadhi special trains from July 6

Nagpur: The Railway Board has restored the popular Nagpur-Wardha-Nagpur passenger train. The train has now been reintroduced from April 22 onwards ex-Wardha and from April 23 ex-Nagpur.

The Board has replaced the traditional ICF coach with MEMU that would ensure grant of more stoppages on Wardha route for the benefit of travellers. Stoppages for the train would include Sewagram, Warud Orange City, Seloo Road, Tuljapur, Sindi, Borkhedi, Butibori, Gumgaon, Khapri and Ajni.

From Wardha, the Train No. 01373 will start at 17.15 hrs and reach Nagpur at 19.30 and run for six days a week, except Sunday.

The ex-Nagpur Train No. 01374 will start at 08.00 hrs and reach Wardha at 09.53 hrs and will not be available on Saturday. The train will have eight coaches and the distance of nearly 75 kms will take nearly 1.45 hrs to negotiate, which is something strange as one expected faster run owing to the introduction of MEMU coaches. The same rake will be utilised to run Wardha to Amravati during the spare time on Sunday.

The rake will be maintained by Bhusawal Division after a run of 15 days. On Saturday, during lie over, the rake will be utilised to run Wardha to Ballarshah service.

The restoration of the passenger service is going to provide respite to travellers, especially those who have to daily travel between Nagpur and Wardha. The morning passenger train was quite popular due to convenient timings of operations. Especially for students and those who had to travel to Wardha to attend office, the train was very convenient till the outbreak of the pandemic, which disrupted the movement as restrictions kicked in.

Now with the introduction of MEMU rake, the train will run faster as the route is having permissible speed for 130 km/hr for LHB rakes. The Board, on recommendation of Nagpur Division of Central Railway, has added new stoppages on Wardha route that would ease pressure on other long distance trains.

Earlier, when Nagpur-Wardha and Wardha-Nagpur passenger was operating with ICF rake, the train was prone to detention enroute as its maximum speed was never above50 km/hr.

As its timing used to clash with Mail/Express trains, the train would often be taken on loop lines, resulting in its detention. Also, the utilisation of MEMU rake for running weekend services to Ballarshah and Amravati ex-Wardha and back would also prove useful in benefiting the travellers.

NMC confirms irregularities, seeks reply from garbage operator

April 20, 2022

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has confirmed construction and demolition (C&D) waste and debris of stones, mud at the garbage transfer station of one of the two garbage operators — AG Enviro Infra Projects Private Ltd.

The civic body has also admitted to the operator dumping garbage on the ground by violating the terms and conditions of the contract.

On April 18, TOI had reported how AG Enviro continued to mix stones, mud and C&D waste in garbage in violation of the contract’s norms, causing financial loss and cheating NMC.

Violation and causing pollution by dumping garbage on the ground instead of transferring it from small vehicles to big ones was also reported.

NMC deputy commissioner and director of the solid waste management department Dr Gajendra Mahalle visited the garbage transfer station of AG Enviro at Sahakar Nagar and issued a show cause notice (dated April 18) to the operator asking why action should not be taken against the company for the violations.

Mahalle has given the operator a deadline of 48 hours to reply. In reference to TOI’s reports, Mahalle said, “The inspection revealed the presence of C&D waste and also debris of stones and mud at the garbage transfer station, a clear violation of the contract. Huge quantity of stones, mud and C&D waste raises suspicion that the material was brought to the garbage transfer station for mixing with garbage and transportation to the Bhandewadi dumping yard. On June 28, 2020, it was proved that garbage was mixed with stones and mud and transported to the dumping yard. A fine of Rs 27,11,103 was recovered. Also, a warning was issued to terminate the contract if violations continued.”

Mahalle said the notice was for violation of the contract. “Garbage has to be transferred from small vehicles to heavy vehicles without putting it on the ground. It was observed that terms and conditions of the contract were violated intentionally,” he said.

West Nagpur MLA Vikas Thakre and Shiv Sena leader Nitin Tiwari want the NMC to register an offence against the operator and termination of the contract.

Following the expose by Thakre and Tiwari coupled with poor service and complaints from other public representatives, the NMC general body had conducted an inquiry which revealed irregularities and violations by AG Enviro and another operator — Pune-based BVG India.

On January 30, the general body had passed a resolution to terminate the contracts of the two operators. Directives were issued to the administration to consult a senior counsel and start the process of termination followed by a tender process to appoint a new operator parallelly.

The general body had fixed a deadline of three months for appointment of a new operator. “The resolution was sent to the NMC’s legal department. We are yet to get a reply for the further course of action,” said NMC officials.

Only ten days are remaining for the deadline to end which means the NMC administration is likely to over rule the decision of the general body.

CNG price hiked again after 13 days, to cost Rs 115/kg

April 20, 2022

Nagpur: The price of eco-friendly compressed natural cas (CNG) was increased by Rs3.50 on Monday, taking the cost to Rs115/kg in Nagpur.

Last time the hike was effected on April 5 taking the CNG cost to Rs111.50/kg after a Rs1.50/kg increase.

Sources said the revision has been done due to shortage of liquefied natural gas in the international market. Because of frequent fuel price hikes, the transportation cost has also gone up. The only CNG dealer in the city — Rawmatt Industries — is facing severe crisis as the firm transports LNG from Gujarat and then converts it into CNG.

“Increased transportation cost and hike in natural gas price are the reasons for the hike in CNG cost in the city,” said an official from Rawmatt.
As on April 18, petrol was costing Rs121.30 per litre in Nagpur and diesel Rs105.64 per litre.

Test of exam patterns: online, offline, open source

April 20, 2022

Nagpur University Cancels BSc Fourth Semester Maths 1 Exam As Gondia College Clerk Leaks Paper Online

Ahead of the Nagpur University administration’s meeting on Thursday in view of students’ stiff opposition to pen-paper exams, TOI looks at how premier educational institutes and other universities are conducting their assessments

Institute: Visvesvarya National Institute of Technology (VNIT)

Mode: Pen-paper for 3rd year, final year, MTech students. Online for the rest

Number of examinees: Around 2,500
VNIT authorities didn’t receive any official representation from the students demanding online exams, but faculty members said students are in self-doubt as they have lost the writing habit. Personal interaction and regular counselling are helping students gain confidence for the upcoming exams, officials said. Students are getting assignments, class tests and quizzes as a drill. “We didn’t call the first and second-year students as the the third wave happened the last time and they had to be sent back,” they said.

Institute: Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU)

Exam commencement: April 21 for graduating batch, May 12 for the rest
Mode: Online, open source access
Number of examinees: More than 800

MNLU vice-chancellor Vijendra Kumar said the online open source exam is part of the contingency exam policy of the university, taken during a pandemic which is still in existence. “Questions will be application-based and descriptive in nature. Undergraduate courses have six papers. Once question papers are uploaded, they will have one week’s time to submit answers in the specified format,” he said.
Kumar added that the broader vision is to have a paperless university. “The world is struggling with climate change. We don’t want trees to be cut for paper, and are essentially becoming a paperless university in all ways,” he said. As budding legal practitioners, these students need to be trained in online transactions as case filings and hearings are happening online, Kumar further said.

Institute: Indian Institute of Management (IIM)
Exam commencement: Completed
Mode: Offline

Number of examinees: Approximately 450

IIM director Bhimaraya Metri said there was no reluctance from students for their final exams. “The third trimester and sixth trimester (final year) exams were held in offline mode. In fact, all our students wanted to be present at the new campus. They are the first ones to utilize the facilities. This was the first time we had offline exams in two years. No special concessions were required. Varying from course to course, two to three hours were allotted for writing,” he said.

Institute: College of Agriculture
Exam commencement: April 18
Mode: Offline
Number of examinees: 1,150

Principal Devanand Panchbai said during the lockdown, they opted for multiple-choice (MCQ) and descriptive-type open source exams in online mode. “No concession has been given for the pen and paper exam now. We have resumed academic activities like before Covid. The students have supported us,” he said.

Institute: Nagpur Veterinary College and College of Fishery Science (Under MAFSU)
Exam commencement: May
Mode: Offline
Number of examinees: 550

MAFSU officials said instructions have been given to maintain gaps between exams so that students get enough time to prepare. The university has 10 colleges under it, including these two from Nagpur. “Physical classes have also started. Some students who joined when Covid curbs were in place have doubts. We received some representation to hold exams online. But we counselled them and allayed their fears. Syllabi have been completed,” they said.

Institute: Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University (KKSU)
Exam commencement: May-end
Mode: Offline
Number of examinees: 28,000

KKSU director of examinations and evaluation Umesh Shivhare said theirs being a language-based university, the MCQ pattern never suited them. “During lockdown, we held open source exams. These will be the first offline exams after the onset of pandemic. Our university’s jurisdiction is spread across Maharashtra and Goa. We never faced opposition from students or colleges. In fact, they have always insisted on offline,” he said.

Institute: Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (Symbiosis International (deemed university))
Exam commencement: Completed
Mode: Online
Number of examinees: 320

Institute director Shrirang Altekar said the exams were held online and they were proctored. “The papers comprised 50% theory and 50% viva. Students had to scan the answer sheets and mail them back. We announced the exam schedule in advance. As there was no certainty regarding Covid restrictions then, we decided to hold exams online. UGC and government’s orders came later. In April, our students go for summer internship and those in final year have to join their jobs. For the next academic year, we have declared that all activities will be in physical mode from June 13,” he said.

Institute: Amravati University
Exam commencement: May 18
Mode: Offline
Number of examinees: Approximately 5 lakh

AU director of examinations and evaluation Hemant Deshmukh said the students need to attempt only 50% questions but they will be marked for the entire paper. “We are ready to hold exams like the pre-Covid days. The marking pattern has been eased considering that students have lost practice. We will convert the 50% questions attempted into 100% marks. For example, if they attempt five questions out of 10, the assessment would be based only on the attempted questions,” he said.

Deshmukh said no additional time has been allotted since they have to attempt only 50% questions. “Students had demanded online exam mode, but we are sticking to offline as classes are offline. If Std 10 and 12 had online classes but offline exams, why can’t university students do it. We have also given full carry on to next year. Even if students have backlog, we will give admission to final year,” he said.

Nagpur one step away from Zero Covid-19 cases

April 20, 2022

Nagpur: All hospital beds in Nagpur district are vacant as the only patient in the city (NMC) area is under home isolation. It means, Nagpur is one step away from hitting Zero Covid-19 cases. With 5 out of 6 under-treatment patients in Nagpur having recovered in home isolation on Tuesday, the entire district now has only 1 Covid patient under treatment.

Similarly, the number of active cases in Vidarbha came down to a single digit for the first time since the onset of the first wave in 2020. On Tuesday, Vidarbha region saw only 8 patients under treatment. All of them are in home isolation, except the two in Gadchiroli who are under observation in hospital.

Total 620 tests were conducted in Nagpur and none was positive. Now, only 1 patient is under treatment and the patient is in Nagpur city.

Any bid to foment communal tension will be dealt with firmly: Walse-Patil

April 20, 2022

The Minister’s warning comes against the backdrop of the May 3 ultimatum by the MNS chief Raj Thackeray for removal of loudspeakers from all mosques in the State

Nagpur: Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil on Tuesday warned that the Maha Vikas Aghadi Government will not tolerate any attempt to create communal tension as appropriate action will be taken against those indulging in such activities.

The Minister was interacting with the media after addressing a meeting of NCP workers at Ravi Bhavan in the city on Tuesday.

Walse-Patil said that some parties are making efforts to create a communal divide. There is no information on riots in the state. However, the police are monitoring the situation closely. Any attempt to foment communal strike will be dealt with firmly, he said against the backdrop of the May 3 ultimatum by the MNS chief Raj Thackeray for the removal of loudspeakers from all mosques failing which his party workers would read Hanuman Chalisa.

The State Home Minister further said he did not see the likelihood of a law and order situation after May 3 in the state. ‘’We are fully prepared and are taking steps to prevent untoward incidents. If any statement or action incites hatred or disturbs peace between communities, then action will be taken accordingly against the person or organisation concerned,” he added.

Even though clashes were reported in some parts of the country, the state government is fully prepared to tackle any such eventuality, said Walse-Patil adding that there was no need for the State Cabinet’s approval for restricting the use of loudspeakers in religious places. There is no time limit for issuing guidelines for use of loudspeakers in public places. Field level input will be taken and the government will take action and there is no need to go to the Cabinet regarding this issue, he stated.

Walse-Patil without directly naming BJP or MNS claimed that efforts are made to divert the people’s attention from various burning issues including inflation, unemployment, and border situation adding that it should be exposed by the police. The minister expressed serious displeasure over the security cover provided to various state leaders by the Centre claiming that it was an encroachment on the state government’s rights. His statement came a day after the media reports about the possibility of beefing up security cover for Raj Thackeray before his proposed Ayodhya visit.

Walse-Patil said a committee headed by the Chief Secretary comprising police officers and intelligence officers decides on providing security based on threat perception and a politician cannot take a call on the matter.

MSEDCL snaps power supply to 499 ZP schools in Nagpur over pending dues

April 19, 2022

Nagpur: Digital education has taken a severe beating as MSEDCL has snapped power supply to at least 499 Zilla Parishad schools over non-payment of dues in Nagpur district, a report said.

The Zilla Parishad runs a total of 1518 schools having more than 65,000 students. Of these schools, MSEDCL has to recover 27.29 lakh pending power dues from 499 schools. Since the dues were not cleared, the power distribution company disconnected the supply leaving the students in the lurch.

According to MSEDCL sources, the company is helpless as it is facing a severe money crunch. Load-shedding is being resorted, power supply to households are being cut. Due to non-clearance of pending dues, power supply to schools is being disconnected, sources said.

The cumulative outstanding bill amount is over Rs 27.29 lakh and the primary cause of the disconnections was non-payment of power bills by schools. Power supply has been snapped for around 499 schools. Primarily, the cause of the disconnection is due to non-payment of bills, and issues about wrong billing have been raised with the MSEDCL, said the management of some schools.

Gram panchayats have been allowed to pay off the bills from their funds such as school improvement funds, sources said.

There are 1518 schools in Nagpur district, of which 499 have lost power connections. Issues regarding disputed bills have been raised with the power utility officials, sources said.

Digital education is the ingenious use of digital technologies and tools throughout teaching and learning and is frequently known as Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) or digital learning. Digital learning is a learning facilitated by technology that offers students some factors of command over the place, time, pace, and path. Digital learning is replacing traditional educational procedures more and more each day.

But with no power supply, digital education is taking a severe beating in the affected schools of Nagpur Zilla Parishad.

No time limit for issuing of guidelines on use of loudspeakers: State Home Minister

April 19, 2022

Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil on Tuesday said that there is no time limit for issuing of guidelines for use of loudspeakers in public places.

The political strife between the opposition and Maha Vikas Agadi party over the loudspeaker row in the state is still on.

While talking to the media Walse Patil said, “There is no need to go to the Cabinet regarding this. Field level input will be taken and the government will take action. There is no time limit (for issuing of guidelines) as talk with all stakeholders to be done”.

State Home Minister, on Monday after a meeting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the state Director General of Police (DGP) and the Mumbai Police Commissioner will frame the guidelines which all places of worship must follow.

“The state DGP Rajnish Seth and Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey will together prepare the guidelines over the use of loudspeakers. These guidelines will be issued in a day or two. All will have to follow the rules,” said Walse-Patil.

Strict action will be taken against the unauthorised use of loudspeakers at any place of worship or events.

NMC’s Tax Monitoring App bags 2nd prize at State level

April 19, 2022

Nagpur: In a proud moment for Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), the civic body’s pioneering work got recognised at State-level. On health front, the NMC’s makeover of Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) were awarded by Health Department under Rejuvenation Scheme of State Government. Also, under Rajiv Gandhi Administrative Acceleration Campaign, the development of ‘Tax Monitoring App’ was adjudged second best innovation from Municipal Corporation category.

The App is introduced to help on spot assessment of properties and ensure transparency in property tax collection. The competition was conducted by the General Administration Department of the State Government with a view to increase the quality of services in the administration, promote people oriented decision making as well as implementation of good governance.

The civic body would get prize money of Rs 6 lakh along with a citation. The concept of App is to bring dynamism in the tax collection of NMC, have accurate information regarding the property and same would be available at click of a button on mobile handsets.

Milind Meshram, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), NMC, said that the ‘Tax Monitoring App’ of the Property Tax Department of the NMC is going to bring transparency and speed-up the work. Civic body has prepared GIS for properties in Nagpur area for which data collection started from 2016 onwards and database of 6,27,833 properties is ready. The expected monthly rent, annual rent and taxable value of the respective property is now available at click of button on mobile handset.

Civic employees are assisted by the App, as to whether Property Tax is assessed on the basis of actual data for property within a radial distance of one hundred meters, when the taxpayer has paid the tax, for how many years the property tax is in arrears, at the same time the tax collector may collect property tax from the person concerned on spot. All such information is received by authorities on a strategic basis and App has given impetus to work administration as well as the Tax Department and the work has become transparent.

Similarly, under the Health Department’s Rejuvenation Awards, NMC’s Futala UPHC bagged first prize of Rs 2 lakh while Indora UPHC was adjudged second and received an award of Rs 1.50 lakh. Jagnath Budhwari, Babulkheda, Bhaldarpura, Shanti Nagar, Shende Nagar, Telenkhedi/Sudam Nagari, Hazari Pahad and Mominpura have each received consolation prize of Rs 50,000 each.

UPHCs, hospitals and PHCs in Corporation area are evaluated on cleanliness, drinking water arrangement, overall ambiance and status of centre, OPD, disposal of bio-medical waste, management of epidemic etc.

Futala UPHC received 88.90 per cent was adjudged second at State level, Indora received 85.80 per cent. Administrator, NMC, Radhakrishnan B, Additional Commissioner Ram Joshi have congratulated the Health Department officials of NMC.

OurNagpurGlobal News

Our NagpurGlobal News

OurNagpurGlobal News

Our NagpurPRO

Nagpur Weather

Stay connected

Most Popular

OurNagpurPRO

About us

Company

The latest

Subscribe