1. BJP Seeks to Preserve History With Archive
At a meeting to elect him as the leader of BJP’s parliamentary party at the central hall of the Parliament in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said with moist eyes, “It is the work of five to six generations of party workers and leaders since Jan Sangh days that has given absolute majority to us in 2014.”
Now, BJP has decided to commemorate that “work of its five to six generations” by archiving resolutions passed in the party’s executive committee meetings since its foundation in 1951, its manifestos in various elections since 1952’s first general elections, other campaign materials, booklets published on various issues, photographs of senior leaders, their letters, articles used by them, among other documents.
A pet project of party president Amit Shah, the archive will not only help the party to document its official history, but will be also available for research scholars, journalists and others, who want to write about the progress of Right-winged ideologies in India since Independence.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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2. Cuffe Parade to Get Green Reclamation
If all goes according to plan, Mumbai’s deteriorating green lungs will get a breath of fresh air. There are plans afoot for a green reclamation to be built at Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai. This will be the city’s first such project where the trees uprooted for the Metro 3 project will be replanted. The project will be built on the land behind the Cuffe Parade Residents Association (CPRAs) Suraksha garden, and it has enough space to house about 1,000 trees.
A green reclamation uses reclaimed land from the sea for planting trees. There is no construction or development work.
Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta has already given a go ahead and has put it on the fast track. “We are also taking care to make sure the local fishermen are not affected in anyway,” Mehta told Mumbai Mirror.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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3. Censor Certificates for Cash: Ex-Chief Made up to Rs 1.5 Lakh a Week
In his brief, eight-month tenure as Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) CEO, Rakesh Kumar allegedly made a fortune by certifying big-budget films like Singham Returns, Kick and Bobby Jasoos, as well as short films and advertisements, in exchange for bribes.
This is according to the chargesheet the CBI has filed against Kumar.
Kumar, an Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) officer who was arrested in August 2014, has been charged under Sections 7, 8,12 and 13(2), read with Section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act for demanding and accepting bribes. Sarvesh Jaiswal, who was on the advisory panel of the CBFC, and private agent Shripati Mishra, for facilitating “illegal” transactions, were also accused in the case.
The case came to light when Mishra and Jaiswal were caught accepting a bribe on Kumar’s behalf for passing a film from Chhattisgarh called Mor Dauki ke Bihav, and for 13 advertisements respectively. However, the deal for the film did not work out.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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4. ’93 Mumbai Blasts: Prosecution Seeks Maximum Sentence For Convicts
The prosecution on Thursday told a TADA court that it would seek maximum punishment under the law for the six persons convicted last week in the 1993 serial blasts case.
The statement came after the defence lawyer Sudeep Passbola said the prosecution should make arguments on the quantum of sentence first, as the defence needs to know the aggravating circumstances against the convicts which the prosecution may put forth.
Special CBI counsel Deepak Salvi, however, said the prosecution will start arguments only after the accused put forth mitigating circumstances in their favour.
(Source: The Quint)
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5. Maha Farmers Clash With Police Over Proposed Airport Plan
Farmers protesting land acquisition for a proposed airport at Nevali, set vehicles on fire and clashed with police on Thursday, leaving 12 policemen injured, according to ANI.
The agitated farmers also blocked a busy road in the area by throwing burning tyres on it, a police official said.
A Defence spokesperson said the land is owned by the Ministry of Defence and the state government land records certify the same.
The state government had, some years back, started acquiring land in the area to set up the proposed airport which the farmers have been opposing.
(Source: The Quint)
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6. Mum-Nagpur Highway Will Cut Right Through Tansa Lake Sanctuary
The Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Highway will pass through forest land in ten districts, and most of the land that it will eat up will be in Thane. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s pet project, which has met with protests from farmers along several parts of its proposed route, will eat up about 475 hectares of forest land in the state.
“The highway will pass through the eco-sensitive zone of the Tansa Sanctuary in Thane, but we have avoided Kalsubai,” said KV Kurundkar, who heads the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation that is building the 706-km highway. “The carriage needs a total of 9,575 hectares of land. Out of this, 475 hectares will be forest land.”
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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7. Cash Vanishes From ATM, Kalyan Bank Clueless as No Records to Show
The manager of the Hindustan Co-Operative Bank in Baiturkarpada, Kalyan (west), has filed a case with the Bazarpeth police after an account holder broke into one of their ATM machines and fled with Rs 18,000.
The incident came to light when the main branch of the bank tallied the account details with the amount withdrawn from the ATM.
According to police sources, the incident took place in the wee hours of May 17, but the fraud was recognised this week. "In his statement, the bank manager said a biker, accompanied by another individual, arrived at the ATM kiosk in the early hours of May 17. Although CCTV footage from inside the kiosk shows the person swiping his debit card, the bank has no record of card withdrawal for that date at that particular time. But R18,000 is missing from their records," a Bazarpeth police officer said.
(Source: Mid-Day)
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8. Top Doctor Critical After Fire At Plush Sobo Bldg
One of the senior-most orthopaedic surgeons in Mumbai is battling for life, and his wife -- a well-known interior designer -- suffered serious injuries after a fire broke out in their building on Malabar Hill around 4 am Thursday.
Dr Keku Kavarana, 76, who practises at the Breach Candy Hospital, his wife Feroza, 68, and their dog found their 2,000 sq ft ground floor apartment in Dilkhush building covered in smoke after the fire started in their flat’s AC duct.
Less than half-an-hour later, when the fire brigade officials managed to pull out the couple and their pet, they found Dr Kavarana and his wife had suffered severe asphyxia, and their dog had already died.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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9. Mumbai's 123-Year-Old Ruttonsee Muljee Jetha Fountain Gets New Lease of Life
A century-old water fountain has got a new lease of life thanks to a residents' association in south Mumbai.
Marking the inauguration of the restored Ruttonsee Muljee Jetha Fountain at Fort's Mint Road on Wednesday, civic chief Ajoy Mehta said, "We want to restore Mumbai to its old glory." Lined with small candles and garlands, the fountain is one of 17 sites which the BMC is working on restoring in A ward.
(Source: Times of India)
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