Admitting that there were lessons to be learnt from the devastating fire at Mantralaya that claimed five lives, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Monday announced that a fire audit would be conducted in all the government buildings.
The Congress party has not only distanced itself from Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan but also made him clarify his recent statement that the party's decision to give the home ministry to the Nationalist Congress Party -- its ally in the state -- was a mistake. Both the central leadership and the state unit of the Congress preferred not to offer any comment but indicated that it was Chavan's personal remark that came after the July 13 blasts.
Condemning the killing of a senior journalist in Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday said that police will conduct an in-depth inquiry into the incident to nab the culprits and ensure that they get stringent punishment. "Media plays an important role in democracy and efforts to terrorise the media will be foiled," Chavan said after senior investigative journalist Jyoti Dey was shot dead by motorcycle-borne killers in broad daylight in Mumbai.
The Congress has appointed observers to coordinate meetings of its legislature party in four states where assembly election results will be declared on Sunday.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan will be contesting the bye-election for a legislative council seat in Maharashtra on May 4. Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday approved his candidature for the seat, paving the way for him to get elected to the legislature as per constitutional requirements. At present, he is not a member of either of the two Houses of the state legislature. The seat fell vacant after Congress leader Sanjay Dutt resigned on March 11.
The impasse over government formation continued in Maharashtra on Friday, eight days after the state assembly poll results were announced, even as the Congress targeted the BJP for "cheating" the Sena.
Senior leaders P Chidambaram and Digvijaya Singh are learnt to be the front-runners to take on the mantle of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan plans to overhaul the Rs 15,000-crore Dharavi redevelopment project. Chavan - who has already flagged what he called an "unholy nexus" among builders, politicians and middlemen in the wake of the Adarsh housing society scam - now wants state-run Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority (Mhada) to carry out the big-ticket project.
India has planned an unmanned scientific mission to moon called Chandayan-I.
Sources reveal that the Assam chief minister may be on his way out even as it seems that his Haryana and Maharashtra counterparts will survive the crisis. Rediff.com contributor Anita Katyal reports.
"I think it was a mistake. We should have re-looked at it. I don't know of any other coalition government where the portfolios of Home, Finance and Planning are not with the chief minister," Chavan said.
In the coming assembly election, negotiations over seat-sharing will be as important as actual outreach to voters.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray was on Wednesday detained before being released during his party's uncharacteristically peaceful 'Rasta Roko' agitation against toll collection across Maharashtra after receiving an invitation for talks with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.
"Since home minister has called a meeting of the chief ministers on internal security on Januray 6, I hope to take over before that so that I could represent J&K as the chief minister. But we have few formalities. The governor's rule has to be revoked before that," Omar Abdullah said.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan will take up the matter for hearing on Thursday.
The CM-elect would have to strive to regain the state's past glory, as its earlier eminence has been challenged by Gujarat, Karnataka, and many other states. Besides, the burgeoning debt burden, which has already crossed Rs 1,70,000 crore, rising fiscal and revenue deficits had put increasing pressure on the administration to avoid overdrafts.
Rediff.com highlights the few potential candidates who are left in the race for the Maharashtra CM's post.
Narendra Modi arrived in Mumbai on Monday on his first visit to Mumbai after becoming the Prime Minister.
Rich tributes were today paid to the architect of Constitution Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his death anniversary, observed as 'Mahaparinirvan Din' by lakhs of followers from all over the state who converged at his memorial 'Chaityabhoomi' near Shivaji Park in Dadar.
In a bid to minimise the impact of recent fuel price hike on consumers, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday reduced Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel and kerosene by two per cent.
The much-debated Nuclear Liability Bill, crucial for operationalising the India-US civil nuclear deal, would be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on March 15, Minister of State for Atomic Energy Prithviraj Chavan has said.
The project, which has been in the making for five years, includes a 550-metre twin tunnel and a 9.29 km elevated road.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary Prithviraj Chavan, former Chief Minster Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Union Minister Saiffudin Soz, along with Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and A K Antony are likely to take part in the deliberations. Congress sources said the election results clearly indicate that National Conference will be in a position to form the government with support of Congress and from some independents.
PM Modi on Monday visited the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre where he was apprised of the safety and security measures adopted by the DAE and India's excellent record in this regard.
Here's what your favourite Bollywood celebrities are tweeting.
Battle lines have been drawn between the ruling Congress-NCP government and opposition parties for the two-week winter session of the Maharashtra legislature, starting on Monday in Nagpur.
In a bold move, Devendra Fadnavis-led Bharatiya Janata Party government has decided to downgrade security of top politicians of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party and their kin, including former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and his then deputy Ajit Pawar.
Maharashtra Governor K Sankarnarayanan on Saturday accepted the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who quit following reports about his alleged involvement in a Rs 20,000 crore irrigation scam.
The buzz about the "health" of Shinde, who was at his native village in Satara, grew louder after his supporter and MLA Sanjay Shirsat recently claimed the CM has fallen sick as he works for 24 hours.
Opposition to the controversial Local Body Tax in Congress and NCP-ruled Maharashtra reached in New Delhi on Thursday, with several party MPs making a strong plea to All India Congress Committee Chief Sonia Gandhi to intervene and prevail upon Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to find an "acceptable" solution.
P N Dhoot wins 'Man of Electronics' award
The Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution demanding that the Centre should declare disputed areas of Belgaum and other boundary areas as Union territory till the Supreme Court takes final decision on the border row between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday directed Home Minister P Chidambaram to do everything necessary after serial blasts rocked Mumbai, and keep him updated.
Palghar Member of Parliament Baliram Jadhav who proudly claimed that the Dahanu-Churchgate suburban local services is his achievement, promptly ended up violating two rules immediately after the Union Railway Minister and Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan inaugurated the service on Tuesday.
Senior Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has demanded that homicide cases be filed against those involved in female foeticide.
At a time when the lavish wedding of a Maharashtra minister's children has come under the scanner, it now emerges that almost half the ministers in the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government have flouted Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's directive to declare assets.
As Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan celebrates three years in office, the BJP and Shiv Sena which hope to oust him when the state goes to the polls next year have reached a pact that they will stay silent on who the Opposition alliance's chief ministerial candidate will be, state BJP President Devendra Fadnavis reveals in an interview to Rediff.com
Amidst demand for action against Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia for allegedly making provocative speeches, the Centre has asked the Maharashtra government to probe the charges and book the Hindu outfit leader if he is found to be violating laws.
Raut said industrialists should be supported, but not corruption.
Sheela Bhatt reports how Ajmal Kasab's execution is significant for the central government and for the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra.
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