Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has rubbished suggestions that coalitionpartner Nationalist Congress Party has put pressure on him to give clearance to Lavasa Hill city project.
In the season of scams, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and his close relatives were on Thursday dragged into a corruption scandal by a former India Police Service officer-turned-lawyer for benefiting a private developer by allegedly bestowing undue favours for the controversial Lavasa hill city project.
As someone who could not predict a single beat in advance, who was exhilarated by its audacity to throw random elements together and take chances all over the place, Sreehari Nair thinks Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira is one of the best films of the year.
Lavasa is attempting to create an idea that such a city can be built, and rapidly, and not only restore or preserve the ecology but enhance it as well.
The Environment Ministry on Monday said there were loopholes in Lavasa Corporation's reply to its notice for alleged violation of norms in its 25,000-hectares hill city project near Pune.
Of the five towns planned, work is progressing in two, Dasve and Mogao.
According to sources in the Maharashtra government, directors of the multi-crore Lavasa township project will be prosecuted for violating environmental laws and the terms and conditions stipulated under them. Lavasa is an ambitious hill city project worth Rs 3,000 crore that is being developed near Pune. The directors can face five years imprisonment and a fine of Rs one lakh if found guilty.
Firm ready to accept the five preconditions specified by environment ministry.
The legal battle between Lavasa Corporation, an arm of Hindustan Construction Company involved in the development of a hill city in Maharashtra, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is expected to prolong further.
The Adarsh housing scam, which exposed the politician-bureaucrat nexus and dethroned a chief minister, the political storm over Lavasa hill city project, and war of words between the Thackeray cousins dominated Maharashtra's political landscape during the year.
In a major setback to Ajit Gulabchand's ambitious hill city project, the Union environment ministry has asked the Maharashtra government to initiate action against Lavasa Corporation for violation of green norms.
Lavasa, a hill city project majority owned by Hindustan Construction Company, plans to raise as much as Rs 1,500 crore (Rs 15 billion) through an initial public offering to fund the cost of the project being planned near Pune. The company plans to sell shares by 2010.
The Maharashtra government has found "some irregularities" in Lavasa, the country's first planned hill city project, and would take action if its probe proved any wrongdoing, a senior state minister said.
Infrastructure major Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) on Friday expressed hope that it would soon get environment clearances for the first phase of its Rs 3,000 crore (Rs 30 billion) Lavasa project, a hill city being developed near Pune.
Ezekiel Kemboi won the steeplechase gold in 2004 at Athens and in 2012 at the London Games. His brother Isaac is hoping to replicate the success at the Rio Olympics in two years' time even if it means beating the champion sibling.
The man behind the Bandra-Worli sea link and Lavasa is far from triumphant despite the brightening prospects for the controversial hill city.
The company plans to raise Rs 750 crore; other realtors may follow.
"As of now there is no abnormality due to the injury," Dr Gandhi added.
Rediff readers shared these interesting photographs of India from their travels across the country.
Noise levels began to climb and everyone else in the room stared agape as the fracas escalated, including the trio of accused at the back. Peter, Sanjeev and Indrani stood at the edge of their enclosure craning to see the spectacle.
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