Nagpur

Amendments to Lokayukta Act bring IAS officers under its purview

   Staff Reporter : The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has given approval to amendments to the Lokayukta Act. The amendments will bring Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and several State-appointed officials under the purv..

With 200, Shiv Sena (Sh) leader tops the list

   Staff Reporter : The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Friday submitted an affidavit naming several political and social personalities who have put up illegal flexes, hoardings, banners and cutouts across the city. In the next h..

Another barrier bites the dust

   Staff Reporter :  Life is unpredictable, they say, but a heavy vehicle colliding into and damaging the height barriers at entrance on both ends of Shaheed Gowari flyover Sitabuldi, within days of installing them has become a predict..

Over 14,000 children died of malnutrition in seven districts in three years: Abitkar

   Staff Reporter : Seven districts of Maharashtra, including Vidarbha’s Nagpur, Amravati, Akola and Yavatmal, recorded 14,526 child deaths over the past three years. This was informed by Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar in..

Maharashtra launches Industries, Investment and Services Policy

The Government of Maharashtra has officially unveiled its ambitious Industries, Investment and Services (II and S) Policy 2025, marking a transformative shift in the State’s economic strategy. This policy aims to position Maharashtra as India’s first trillion-dollar economy and a trusted global hub for investment, by fostering smart manufacturing, high-value services, inclusive growth, and sustainability. Maharashtra Industries, Investment and Services Policy 2025 sets the roadmap for Manufacturing ..

How a village shed supplied MD drug worth crores to city

A major twist has emerged in the 128 kg Mephedrone (MD) factory case after investigators confirmed that most of the drugs cooked in a hidden shed in Karanja (Ghadge) were being sold in Nagpur city. Over the past year, several MD seizures by Nagpur City and Rural Police were unknowingly linked to this same factory, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have now found...

Cold night, Colder response Thousands of protesters stay put on Tekdi Rd

On the freezing night of December 10, nearly 2,000 ASHA workers, school cooks and helpers slept on the open streets of Tekdi Road, not out of choice, but out of sheer frustration. Nagpur was Vidarbha’s coldest city that night, yet the protesters refused to leave until the Maharashtra Government acknowledged what they described as two years of unkept promises. Throughout the day, the AITUC-led protesters marched and waited at their designated stopping point on Tekdi Road...

RTO (City) Kiran Bidkar suspended in Mankapur school bus mishap case

Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, on Thursday, announced in Legislative Assembly the suspension of Regional Transport Officer (City) Kiran Bidkar holding latter responsible for the dereliction of duty in the mishap in Mankapur that claimed life of a school girl student. Sarnaik said, the RTO failed to follow up on notice issued to bus owner about non-renewal of fitness certificate. The Minister, replying to the call attention motion tabled by Dr Nitin Raut, also announced inquiry into affairs of ..

Winter’s In, Blanket’s Out Uddhav targets CM, suggests setting up of Blanket Ministry

Taking a dig at MahaYuti alliance in Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, President, Shiv Sena (UBT), suggested to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about setting up a Blanket Ministry, as same would be easy to push all corrupt deals underneath. Thackeray said, given the fondness of the Chief Minister to provide clean chit for any corrupt act on part of his ministers, the Blanket Ministry, the one CM himself should helm, would come more than handy...

HCBA elections today; multiple candidates in close contests

The High Court Bar Association (HCBA) Nagpur elections will be held on Friday, with lawyers gearing up for a series of closely fought contests. After the withdrawal of nominations, the final list of candidates has been released, which shows close competition for all major posts. For the post of President, Adv Vasantrao Govindrao Bhamburkar, Adv Mohan Sopan Gawai and Adv Abhay Ramdas Sambre are in the fray. The Vice President’s post is being contested by Adv Nandkishor Wamanrao Doye, Adv Ganesh Narayan ..

FROM HOUSE TO ‘HOUSE’, LEOPARD RULES THE ROOST

When the increasing leopard population and their attack on humans in Maharashtra has become a matter of debate in both the Houses at the ongoing Winter Session, another leopard attack incident in Pardi area in Nagpur city attracted limelight in State politics on Wednesday. The leopard created panic among citizens of Pardi area on Wednesday morning, injuring seven persons, including one five-year-old girl, all residents of Shiv Nagar in Pardi area. It took two hours for Forest Department to rescue ..

‘Leopard’ enters Well of House

If the leopard creating havoc in people’s houses was not enough, the Maharashtra Legislature was shocked to witness a strange incident on Wednesday when a ‘leopard’ strayed into hallowed floor of the Lower House in the afternoon. Sharad Sonone, MLA, Shiv Sena (Shinde), representing Shirur Assembly segment, entered in the House dressed as a leopard. Tying to grab the spotlight against the backdrop of leopard straying into human settlements in Nagpur, Sonone wanted to highlight the pressing issue. Sonone, ..

DRAMA DURING RESCUE: TTC vehicle breaks down, team borrows safety shield

The Transit Treatment Centre (TTC), Seminary Hills, which is the busiest unit of Forest Department for rescuing wild animals in Maharashtra, has to deal with fund crunch for the last one year when it came to buying safety and rescue equipment. The TTC team, which performed the daredevil rescue operation of a leopard which injured more than half-a-dozen persons at Pardi area in city on Wednesday morning, were short of proper safety equipment and vehicle during that particular operation. According to ..

Nagpur Vidhan Bhavan expansion project yet to get official nod

By Vikas Vaidya : The plan for the expansion of Vidhan Bhavan at Nagpur is ready, but it can’t start till it gets official permission. A top Government officer told ‘The Hitavada’ that the process to get necessary permission i..

State Govt to recover Ladki Bahin Yojana aid from fake beneficiaries

The Maharashtra Assembly, on Wednesday, saw sharp exchange of words between the Treasury benches and the Opposition over alleged corruption in the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana for women, after the Government admitted that some 8,000 State employees received aid under the scheme despite being ineligible. Admitting the fact, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare also informed the House that the Government will crack down on such individuals. Recovery from ineligible beneficiaries ..

Incomplete road works near Agrasen Sq testing citizens’ patience

For over two-and-a-half years, the areas around Agrasen Chowk have been severely affected by the mismanaged construction of the overhead flyover. What was intended as an infrastructure development, instead has resulted in prolonged disruption, unsafe conditions, and mounting public frustration. One side of the primary road at Agrasen Chowk going towards Kamal Chowk has been blocked, forcing all traffic onto a narrow, uneven strip on the other side. Itwari is already one of the city’s most congested ..

Proposal for grants to SC Ashram schools comes up in Council

The issue of delays in granting financial support to Scheduled Caste Ashram schools again came into focus in the Legislative Council on Wednesday. MLC Vikram Kale raised a Calling Attention Motion and pointed out that 288 Shahu, Phule, Ambedkar Ashram schools in the State are still waiting for Government assurance on grants and the pending 20% salary subsidy for teachers and staff. He said, thousands of students study in these schools and the delay was affecting their functioning...

State to provide free health treatment upto Rs 22 lakh: Minister Abitkar

The Public Health Department of Maharashtra Government has given a major relief to the poor and needy as it has decided to bring the major healthcare procedures costing upto Rs 22 lakh in the ambit of Mahatma Phule Jan Aarogya Yojna. A happy Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar told ‘The Hitavada’, “We have increased the coverage of the healthcare procedures of MPJAY from 1,256 to 2,399 to benefit the poor and needy. I am happy about it as a large section of the society, which was deprived of costly ..

Body-worn cameras for traffic cops in State soon: Fadnavis

Body-worn cameras with traffic police personnel in Maharashtra is going to be a realty soon as the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the system will be rolled out in phases, beginning with major cities across the state. Fadnavis made this announcement in the Legislative Council on Wednesday. Fadnavis also announced that traffic cops with body-worn cameras will be authorised to issue challans for traffic rule violations. Fadnavis was replying to questions raised by members from both the ..

Minister Munde orders inquiry into faulty STPs in Naag river basin

Pankaja Munde, Minister of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, on Tuesday announced formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the malfunctioning of the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Naag River basin. While replying to a call attention motion in the Legislative Council, she said the problem is not limited to Nagpur. “In many parts of the State, STPs are not working properly, or contractors are running them for less than 24 hours to save money,” she said...

Just a week after launch MLC Fuke criticises Naag River Pollution Abatement Project; timing surprises many

WITHIN a week of the launch of the Rs 1,900 crore Naag River Pollution Abatement Project, BJP MLC Dr Parinay Fuke strongly criticised the project in the Legislative Council. The project aims to clean and restore the Naag river by 2032. However, MLC Fuke argued that the deadline was unrealistic. He said he had worked in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for 10 years and believed the project would not be completed on time. While raising the issue of malfunctioning Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) ..

State to release goats in forest as prey for leopards: Minister Naik

Forest Department has been told to release goats in large numbers to curb the straying of leopards in human settlements. Informing about the decision, Forest Minister Ganesh Naik informed the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that he has instructed officials to release the goats in core area of forest. The decision is necessary as prey base for wild animals has decline substantially and hence they are straying to attacks dogs and other domestic animals. The issue of deaths of humans in leopard attack ..

STRAY DOGS MENACE: Govt to convene special meetings to address issue

The Maharashtra Government on Tuesday announced that special meetings would be held to address the increasing incidents of stray dog attacks in urban areas, following demands raised across party lines in the state legislature. The decision came after a Calling Attention Motion was raised regarding the growing threats posed by stray dogs in cities, with legislators seeking strict and urgent measures. Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal, in a written reply, stated that Mumbai has an ..

Opposition stages protest on farmers’ issue in Vidhan Bhavan

Farmers’ issue became the matter of talk in the Vidhan Bhavan premises on Tuesday as Opposition members staged a protest on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan on the second day of the State Legislature’s Winter Session, demanding a complete loan waiver for farmers. Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, including Congress’ Vijay Wadettiwar, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party — Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) Shashikant Shinde, among others, gathered on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan ..

Orange City Marathi Film Festival to be organised on December 13, 14

The Orange City Cultural Foundation will organise a two-day Marathi Film Festival at the Kavi Kulguru Kalidas Auditorium, Persistent Systems Ltd, Gayatri Nagar, on December 13 and 14, informed Dr Chandrashekhar Meshram, Founder President, Orange City Cultural Foundation at a press conference held on Tuesday. The event is being organised by Orange City Cultural Foundation, along with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur ..

Winter Session heats up: Speaker, members clash over Bill discussion rules

The Legislative Assembly, on second day of the Winter Session, witnessed unusual war of words between Members and Speaker on interpretation of Rules of Business. The issue was the ruling by Speaker Rahul Narvekar about limiting the discussion on a Bill being piloted by Minister of State Adv Ashish Jaiswal. As per Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rule 123 and 124, the Speaker is empowered to decide if the ongoing discussion is enough on the Bill. The Members however saw it as an infringement on their ..

Power rolls in Convoys of leaders turn city into luxury motorcade zone

The Winter Session of the Maharashtra Legislature has returned to Nagpur, restoring the familiar annual churn that began as a political obligation under the 1953 Nagpur Pact. Seven decades later, the ritual continues with clockwork precision even as the region’s structural concerns remain largely unresolved. Yet the spectacle surrounding the session has evolved dramatically, and nothing captures this shift more sharply than the convoy culture now dominating Nagpur’s roads. A state once held up as ..

Nagpur, Chandrapur municipal corporations unlikely to go to polls

  ■ By Vikas Vaidya :   ■ 20 ZPs too may not go to polls; Crossing 50% reservation limit major headache ■ Municipal Council polls after Winter Session     ZP polls: Voting percentage may dip The municipal e..

State urges Centre to shift leopard toSchedule II of Wildlife Protection Act

IN THE wake of human-leopard conflicts in Maharashtra in recent times, the State Government has appealed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India to shift this elusive wild animal from the highly protected Schedule I category of the Wildlife Protection Act to the more flexible Schedule II category here on Monday...

Leopard sighting in Pardi, Shankarpur areas causes panic among residents

THE man-animal conflict in Nagpur city has been increasing day-by-day as two separate incidents of leopard sighting raised panic among citizens in the past few days. On Monday, a team of Transit Treatment Centre (TTC) rushed to Pardi after a call was received from some locals who sighted a leopard near an under construction road close to Pardi area during day time. A video also went viral in social media in which some commuters suddenly spotted the leopard under a nullah and in no time, passersby ..

Maha Yuti Govt tablessupplementary grantsof over Rs 75,286 cr

MAHAYUTI Government, on the very first day of Winter Session of State Legislature, tabled supplementary grants worth over Rs 75,286 crore, thereby taking the total demands during the current financial year to Rs 1,73,019 crore. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar tabled the supplementary grants in either House. As per the bifurcation given in the supplementary statement, Finance Department stated that the total expenditure on Revenue Account is Rs 8,89,671 that is charged while the voted component is ..

Colleges to get scholarship amountat the start of academic year: Patil

MAHARASHTRA Minister of Higher and Technical Education Chandrakant Patil has decided that from next year, colleges in State will get the student scholarship at the beginning of the academic year. The Maharashtra Government’s share in scholarship is 40%, while Centre bears the 60% amount. As per the earlier decision, scholarship amount was to be deposited directly in the bank accounts of the students. State Government has started depositing their share of scholarship amount to the colleges’ bank accounts ..

IndiGo crisis looms over Winter SessionMany members fail to attend Day 1

THE widespread air travel disruption due to IndiGo crisis also affected the State Winter Session on day 1 on Monday as many Members of Legislative Assembly and Council were compelled to take alternate options in the form of trains and buses to reach Nagpur to attend the session. Meanwhile, first day of theWinter Session of the State Legislature also wrapped up within an hour on Monday as many members failed to reach the second capital before start of the session. Several politicians faced delays due ..

Dr Vedprakash Mishra frames drama as force that refines society

DRAMA is the artistic force that turns stone-age society into a cultured, civil, prudent and egalitarian society,” said Dr Vedprakash Mishra, Chief Advisor, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, after inauguration of the Bal Darbar Mega Children’s Drama Festival organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVM), Nagpur Kendra at Bhavan’s Bhagwandas, Civil Lines Auditorium, on Monday...

Mahayuti violating Constitution by keepingLoP post vacant in State Legislature: Oppn

  Staff Reporter ;  Opposition boycotts tea party on eve of Winter Session of State Legislature stating that State is trampling upon parliamentary traditions   REFERRING to vacant positions of Leader of Opposition in both Houses o..

‘Will propagate story of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s sacrifice to everyone’

“The story of sacrifice of Guru Tegh Bahadur for protection of his religion and unity will be spread to every citizen including school children,” announced Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister, on Sunday. He was speaking at the programme marking the 350th martyrdom anniversary of ‘Hind Ki Chadar’ Guru Tegh Bahadur at the Sureshchandra Suri ground in Nara. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways; Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Minister of Revenue; Girish Mahajan, Minister of Water Resources; ..

1,200 yrs old Karpur Baoli near Ramtek on verge of extinction

Karpur Baoli, a 1,200-year-old stepwell located in the dense forests at the foothills of Sindhuragiri, north of Ramtek Gad Mandir, is facing severe neglect and is now on the verge of extinction. Despite its historical and architectural importance, the administration has failed to protect and preserve this heritage structure. Built during the Yadav period, the Baoli is situated about 1.5 km southeast of the Jain temple in Ramtek city. It represents the Hemadpanthi architectural style. The Baoli is ..

Metro girder ‘Giri’ to close structural work on Reach 4A by December-end

Giri, the third and concluding launching girder for the Prajapati Nagar - Transport Nagar corridor spanning 6.5 kilometre, is now scheduled for commissioning in the final week of December, with internal planning pencilling in December 22 as the tentative work date. The system will execute the last 37 spans between Kapsi Khurd metro station and the end of the double-decker ramp at Pardi, which will complete the structural envelope of Reach 4A. The implication of this is that bearings will be fixed ..

Still Grounded Passengers suffer as aviation fiasco continues

Air travellers, specially those who had opted IndiGo Airlines, continued to suffer as the most-popular airline had to cancel its flights from Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport even on Saturday. The chaos following the inadequate crew and non-compliance of rules set by the Directorate of General Civil Aviation (DGCA) continued on the fourth day leaving over 3,000 air passengers high and dry. Passengers’ anger erupted at the airport on Saturday morning. Due to continuous cancellation ..

Govt’s upper hand with numbers, Oppn down but not out

The Winter Session of Maharashtra State Legislature is set to begin from December 8 even as the Second Capital warms up for some political action. Despite being outnumbered, the Opposition is gearing up to corner the Mahayuti Government on various fronts. Down but not out seems to be the mantra of the Opposition this time. On the other hand, the Devendra Fadnavis-led State Government, which completed one year on Friday, is sitting comfortable due to overwhelming majority. The Opposition has decided ..

Global Nagpur Summit 2025 kicks off, brings together diehard Nagpurians

The two-day Global Nagpur Summit 2025 kicked off at the IIM Campus in MIHAN, on Saturday, bringing together a large gathering of entrepreneurs, bureaucrats, professionals, social workers, and students who all wish to see Nagpur becoming a global city. Adding vitality to the event organised by the Nagpur First Foundation (NFF), the inaugural session witnessed the presence of diehard Nagpurians like Anoop Kumar, retired IAS officer and Professor at IIM, Nagpur; Dinesh Jain, Co-founder of NFF; Tanveer ..

Young entrepreneurs empowering city’s progress

Nagpur is seeing a surge of young entrepreneurs who are turning their passion into businesses and creating careers that give them independence and fulfillment. From chocolates and desserts to tote bags, clothes, books, and restaurants, these entrepreneurs are redefining success for their generation. Shruti Meghani, an engineering student at Ramdeobaba University (RBU), turned her love for baking into a thriving chocolate and dessert business. Her primary motivations were both financial independence ..

All set for ‘Hind Ki Chadar’ today

Nagpur is set to welcome around 5 lakh devotees on Sunday for the 350th martyrdom anniversary of ‘Hind Ki Chadar’ Guru Tegh Bahadur to be commemorated by Government of Maharashtra at Suresh Chandra Suri ground, Nara from 9 am till 10 pm. The event, marked with a massive satsang, has attracted participation from across Maharashtra and beyond, reflecting the widespread reverence for the Sikh Guru’s sacrifice and his defense of religious freedom. Though the religious programmes will start from 9 am, ..

Delays, cancellations, lack of accountability Over 20 IndiGo flights cancelled from Nagpur in 3 days

Inadequate crew members, non-following of rules of Directorate of General Civil Aviation (DGCA), compelled IndiGo airlines to cancel all of its flights on Friday. In last three days in Nagpur, almost 21 flights have been cancelled leading to over 2,000 passengers suffering. Some passengers en route to Nagpur are stranded at various airports in the country. Several flights of IndiGo are grounded at Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport...

‘Weaning youth away from Macaulay mindset’

At the glittering fashion show where countless college students showcased their attires and themes, the climax came when the chief of the institution came onstage. He appreciated the artistic presentations of all participants and groups that showed fashions from different cultures. ‘The members of the jury would do their job of selecting winners, all right. But I am announcing a special Director’s Award for the group that presented its show based on a theme from the epic Mahabharat. This unexpected ..

Conscious foodpreneurs turn Ngp’s fields into organic innovation hubs

Entrepreneurship often springs from restless ambition fueled by a vision to solve pressing problems. For Amit Bhide and Shivani, it was a journey from corporate careers in the Gulf to cultivating chemical-free turmeric on their own farmland, embodying this entrepreneurial spirit. In 2022, the couple left behind stable jobs after completing engineering and MBA degrees to return to Nagpur and start turmeric farming on a modest 5-acre plot. Employing natural farming methods alongside rigorous agricultural ..

Pressure to marry led to murder in Nandanvan

A shocking twist has emerged in the Nandanvan murder case. Police investigation has revealed that 25-year-old Rati Sahebrao Deshmukh killed her boyfriend, Balaji Vinayak Kalyane, because he was pressuring her to marry him. The police say she planned the murder, brought a knife with her and attacked him while he was asleep. Balaji (28), a resident of Mudkhed in Nanded, had come to Nagpur a year ago for police recruitment and competitive exam preparation. He lived as a tenant in Nandanvan Colony with ..

International wildlife criminal involved in poaching, illegal trade arrested in Sikkim

In a major breakthrough, the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (MP STSF), in a co-ordinated operation with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), has successfully apprehended Yangchen Lachungpa, an international wildlife offender wanted under an Interpol Red Notice. She was arrested on December 2, from Lachung in North Sikkim, following sustained intelligence efforts and co-ordinated ground action. According to the official, this marks as one of the most significant arrests in the country ..

Incomplete works undercut Nagpur’s Smart City promise

The dream of Nagpur becoming a Smart City, first envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016 through his ambitious Smart City Mission (SCM), seems to have been just that, a pipe dream. The project that was originally supposed to be completed in 2021 still remains unfinished, with seven works still pending. This was stated by Manohar Lal, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, in a written reply to Dr Shrikant Shinde in the Lok Sabha on December 1...

New dawn for Naag river: Multi-crore pollution abatement project commences

The much-awaited Naag River Pollution Abatement project has finally taken off, although at much slower speed, as Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) initiated baby steps by allocating first of the five packages. The project outlay is Rs 1,926.99 crore and work order for installation of electric crematorium at Mokshadham was issued. The same is meant to prevent disposal of ashes in adjoining Naag River flow post cremation, which at present has only Diesel unit and traditional wood based pyres. Incidentally, ..