1. Sharad Pawar Bats For Congress, Rahul Gandhi
NCP president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday declared his party’s support to the Congress for forging an anti-BJP plank and praised the leadership of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of an event at YB Chavan Pratishthan auditorium here, Pawar said the “Congress has a pivotal role in the alternative to the BJP”. Asking the Opposition to join hands, Pawar said, “We won’t have a third front alliance or UPA-III. But (Opposition) parties must set aside their personal differences to join hands in resolving national level issues.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Nine Guilty BMC Officers Face Punishment For 2017 Mumbai Fire
Nine civic officials who were found guilty after an internal probe was conducted into the Kamala Mills fire last December that killed 14 people, face punishment by the civic body for negligence and failure to take action against illegalities in the two restaurants where the fire broke out.
The quantum of punishment, which could be from stopping of increments to dismissal from service, will be decided by municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. PM Narendra Modi To Lay Foundation Stone For New Mumbai Metro Lines On 18 December
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for Metro 5 (Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan) and Metro 9 (Dahisar-Mira Bhayander) on 18 December along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The event in Kalyan will also see the launch of a housing scheme for 60,000 affordable homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) by the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (Cidco).
Sources said the PM will head to Pune the same day for the launch of Metro corridors in the neighbouring city.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Rs 4,000-Cr Credit Default Crisis Hits Kutchi-Visa-Oswal Community In City
A credit default crisis involving loans worth over Rs 4,000 crore, backed by no guarantees and collaterals, has hit the Kutchi-Visa-Oswal community, one of Mumbai’s most influential business communities.
On 5 December, prominent members of the community – including Sunil Gala of the Navneet Group and prominent builder Deepak Bheda – gathered at Dadar’s Kutchi Hall to discuss the crisis that has affected some of the smaller lenders to such an extent that they are struggling to meet their day-to-day expenses.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
4. Bombay High Court Imposes Rs 1 Lakh Cost On State For Delay In Constructing Court Building
The Bombay High Court Wednesday directed the state government to pay Rs 1 lakh to the Sangli Bar Association for delay in constructing a court building for the District and Sessions court.
The HC bench said: “We propose to quantify the costs at Rs 1,00,000, which will be payable to the petitioner (Sangli Bar Association) for utilising the same for the benefit of poor litigants. The petitioner may consider using the costs amount for setting up a permanent fund for providing legal aid to poor and needy litigants or for holding legal literacy camps in villages.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. To Capture T1’s Cubs, Forest Department Raising Chain-Link Fence
The forest department is raising a chain-link fence around 40 hectares of land to capture the T1 cubs, a male and a female, from the Ralegaon landscape in Yavatmal district.
The two were left orphaned after their mother T1, nicknamed Avni, was shot dead by Hyderabad-based sharpshooter Asghar Ali Khan on 2 November. Tigress Avni had turned man-eater and was responsible for the deaths of several people in the area.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. Indian Navy Inducts Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle
The Indian Navy on Wednesday inducted the 'Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle' into service at the Western Naval Command in Mumbai. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba inducted the vehicle into the Navy.
"The induction of the vehicle has put the Indian Navy into a small league of world navies that have an integral submarine rescue capability," a statement issued by the defence force read.
(Source: Midday)
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