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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

HC orders fresh elections in three months

Dr. Rumi F. Beramji Mumbai: In a jolt, the Bombay High Court has directed the state government to hold elections to the Maharashtra Council of Acupuncture (MCA) - which is managed by an Administrator for past three years – within three months, here on Friday. A division bench of the Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench) comprising Justice Ajit Kadethankar and Justice Vibha Kankanwadi were disposing off a petition filed a senior medical practitioner, Dr. Laxman Bhimrao Sawant through his...

HC orders fresh elections in three months

Dr. Rumi F. Beramji Mumbai : In a jolt, the Bombay High Court has directed the state government to hold elections to the Maharashtra Council of Acupuncture (MCA) - which is managed by an Administrator for past three years – within three months, here on Friday.   A division bench of the Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench) comprising Justice Ajit Kadethankar and Justice Vibha Kankanwadi were disposing off a petition filed a senior medical practitioner, Dr. Laxman Bhimrao Sawant through his lawyer Sharad V. Natu, seeking different reliefs.   These included alleged serious irregularities in the functioning of the MCA and challenging the continuation of the Administrator for a prolonged period pending the elections. The matter was highlighted in detail by  ‘ The Perfect Voice’   on April 21.   Strong Observations In its order uploaded today, Justice Kadethankar and Justice Kankanwadi noted the petitioner’s contentions that the Administrator, Dr. Rumi F. Beramji was appointed for only one year, and that period is over.   “It should be the endeavour of the State to implement the various provisions of the Act, that is, the Maharashtra Acupuncture System of Therapy Act, 2015. Holding of elections and formation of the council as per Section 3 of the said Act should be adhered to by the State Government and it cannot be then postponed in infinity,” said the court.   Accordingly, Justice Kadethankar and Justice Kankanwadi directed the state government, through the Medical Education & Drugs Department (MEDD) to conduct the MCA elections within a period of three months.   Prolonged Tenure Among other things, the petitioner had termed the appointment and prolonged tenure of former MCA Chairman Dr. Rumi F. Beramji as “illegal and arbitrary,” and detrimental to the cause of Acupuncture.   Elected as the inaugural head (May 2018-May 2023) of the five-member statutory body, Dr. Beramji, was subsequently appointed its Administrator after the MCA’s term expired.   Adv. Natu pointed out that the Administrator’s appointment was intended to be a stop-gap arrangement for one year to facilitate the polls, but it was subsequently ‘extended’. However, nearly three years later, Dr. Beramji continued without fresh elections being conducted, raising questions over adherence to statutory norms and principles of governance.   Directionless Members Dr. Sawant further contended that while Dr. Beramji was installed as Administrator, the remaining members of the council were effectively superseded, leaving the regulatory body without its mandated collective structure, and over 6500-members directionless.   He argued that the excuse cited for delay in conducting elections was ostensibly an incomplete voter list, but this reason was flimsy considering the extended time lapse.   The petition, which was heard and disposed of on April 22, also levelled serious allegations against the style of functioning of the MCA Administrator, decisions were taken unilaterally, whimsically and without transparency or institutional accountability.   Selective Targeting It also made accusations of ‘selective targeting’ of certain prominent members who attempted to raise valid issues, including the globally-renowned noted acupuncture expert Dr. P. B. Lohiya of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.   Other members raised doubts over approvals granted to more than a dozen acupuncture colleges and some two dozen Continuous Acupuncture Education (CAE) centres in undue haste, purportedly in violation of prescribed norms and alleged shady deals. Many of these institutions, it was claimed, either exist only on paper or lack essential infrastructure, faculty and facilities.   The petitioner called for a comprehensive review of the Administrator’s tenure, a financial audit of the MCA's affairs, and an independent probe by the MEDD into the approvals granted to the institutions in recent years.   Dr. Sawant had sought quashing Dr. Beramji’s appointment as MCA Administrator and setting aside all policy decisions taken during his tenure in the last three years, and ordering the government to hold elections to the body.

Bollywood hopes for reforms, daily wagers, reduction in taxes

Updated: Nov 18, 2024

Bollywood

Mumbai: As Maharashtra gears up for the state assembly elections on November 20, the Hindi film industry in Mumbai hopes the new government will bring critical reforms for daily wage workers and policies to reduce financial burdens on the sector.


In five days, the state will witness an electoral battle between the ruling Mahayuti, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi led by the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP). Actor Suresh Oberoi emphasised the importance of voting, referring to it as a “national festival”.


“Voting is a national festival, and it is your duty to exercise your voting rights and strengthen the foundation of democracy,” the veteran actor told PTI.

Talking to PTI, actor Gulshan Devaiah said, “Elections are a hallmark of a good democracy, and it is the people’s right. No matter what problems we may have with each other, electorally and ideologically, we can hold free and fair elections, so that’s quite amazing.” Film producer Boney Kapoor echoed similar sentiments.


“It is the right of every citizen of this country to vote and elect a leader and make the government machinery as democratic as possible,” he said. Governance focused on development and welfare is paramount, filmmaker Subhash Ghai said.


“I don’t belong to any political party; Maharashtra is my karma bhoomi. Whoever thinks about the state’s development should be our leader, irrespective of the party. It is important to vote first, and we all should do that,” he said.


For stakeholders, the lack of government support for daily wagers in the industry is one of the main concerns. The issue came to the fore during the COVID-19 pandemic when everything came to a grinding halt in the Bollywood dream factory.


B N Tiwari, president of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), pointed out that despite numerous appeals to political leaders for assistance, little has been done to secure job stability for daily wagers.


“They need all sorts of help from the film industry, but they (political leaders) never think about us. We have written to them numerous times to implement the PPF scheme for workers, provide them with job security, etc. We fail to understand why those who talk about helping the poor people don’t do anything for them,” Tiwari told PTI.


He said the plight of daily wagers in the film industry has gone unnoticed as many continue to face economic hardships after the COVID-19 pandemic.


Devaiah, best known for his work in “Badhaai Do”, “Dahaad”, and “Guns & Gulaabs”, highlighted the inadequacies of support systems in place for workers since the pandemic.


“When I came in 2008 (to Mumbai), a lot of systems were in place. Post-COVID-19, several workers are not doing well financially, so some schemes for them will be good. I got a circular from the union asking for donations (for workers), and it is possible that these unions don’t have enough funds,” he said.


Mumbai, hailed as the heart of Bollywood, is facing a crisis in its film infrastructure, Tiwari claimed, referring to the iconic Film City in suburban Mumbai. In a stark assessment of Film City Tiwari, he said the area has become a place that reflects “horror” more than “glamour”, especially compared to the well-maintained Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad.


“The state government is not thinking about Film City here. Considering the condition of the place, one can shoot a horror film there. There are so many sets in Ramoji Film City, all well-maintained. In the Film City here, nothing is worth a visit,” he said.


He pointed out that the Uttar Pradesh government is developing the largest Film City and providing subsidies so everyone will go there to shoot. “The Hindi film industry is synonymous with Mumbai, and people come to the city because of the glamour world. I hope the new state government will do something for it,” Tiwari said. The film exhibition sector is also feeling the strain, especially this year.

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