Rao was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2014.
'I remember walking up to him and telling him, "Sambhal ke khelna".'
A section of auto ickshaws in the metropolis kept off roads to demand a fare hike causing inconvenience to office goers in the morning rush hour on Monday.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation staff, owing allegiance to the Municipal Mazdoor Union led by Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Rao, went on a strike on Tuesday demanding salaries on the lines of the sixth pay commission. Civic employees who have joined the strike include those involved in jobs such as garbage collection, dousing fires, monitoring water supply and working in civic hospitals.
Singling out trade unionist Sharad Rao whose Mumbai Auto-rickshawmen's Union has threatened to go on indefinite strike next month, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday said his party would step in to counter the inconvenience caused to commuters due to their "arrogant" behaviour.
A section of auto ickshaws in the metropolis kept off roads to demand a fare hike causing inconvenience to office goers in the morning rush hour.
Despite the Shiv Sena deciding to support the two-day trade union strike from Wednesday, the city enjoyed normal functioning of transport, thanks to Hind Mazdoor Sabha president Sharad Rao's decision not to participate.
The Sharad Rao-led autorickshaw union on Wednesday announced that 7.5 lakh autos will launch an indefinite state-wide agitation from April 16 for their demands, which include hike in the minimum fare.
A ride in an auto rickshaw in suburban Mumbai turned out to be an unexpected educational experience for Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar.
The strike by a section of employees of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for a pay hike was called off on Tuesday evening following "positive assurance" on the issue from the Maharashtra government, bringing relief to citizens affected by the stir.
Commuters had a hard time getting to their offices in Mumbai due to the strike by the Sharad Rao-led Mumbai Autorickshawmen's Union, seeking a hike in minimum fares.
ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal chairman Michael Beloff on Wednesday explained the procedures that will be adopted at the full hearing of the Pakistani players involved in the spot-fixing scandal. Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer are all set to face an anti-corruption tribunal from January 6-in Doha with threat of life bans looming over.
The strike has received complete support across the city and approximately 55,000 taxis and 1.5 lakh rickshaws stayed off the roads on Thursday, union leader Sharad Rao told PTI. The union said the phasing out of the existing taxis, a majority of which are of the Premier Padmini make, was wrong since the emission norms prescribed were being met by the vehicles.
"We will go on a strike from midnight on Monday and we expect about 14 lakh drivers (two drivers per auto working in two shifts) across the state to join us and stay off the roads," Head of the Mumbai Auto men's Union, Sharad Rao told PTI. The strike was being held to protest against the state government's proposal to introduce electronic meters on auto-rickshaws, which has been done without any consultation with them, Rao said.
"We decided to call off the strike since we did not wish to inconvenience the citizens. That was not the aim of the strike," union sources said in Mumbai.
Recalling the veteran socialist's association with the city, Communist Party of India leader Prakash Reddy said that Fernandes had in 1967 emerged as the "giant killer" by defeating Patil, who was then called the "uncrowned king of Bombay" and represented the Bombay South Lok Sabha seat.
Four individuals who have taken up poker professionally tell Norma Godinho/Rediff.com how their stars have changed for the better.
'When you looked at him even at that age, you could make out he was special.'
Six persons allegedly involved in vandalising a cathedral premises and a Catholic school, where people had gathered for a religious convention, were arrested in the wee hours on Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday shared dais with NCP leader Sharad Pawar and had lunch with him in Baramati
Given that Mumbai civic body deals with the lives of the people at the cutting edge, the better way would have been to agree to have giant television screens put up outside the civic headquarters to relay the proceedings live so the people are kept in the loop. It eliminates to an extent the distance between the people and their civic keepers but perhaps it is farfetched now, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
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