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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.

‘Dreamliner’ – Boeing's best-seller

Mumbai: The Boeing 787 Dreamliner – one of which ended up in the nightmarish crash in Ahmedabad, minutes after it took off with 242 souls on board – ranked as a pride in the US-based The Boeing Company’s hangar of modern aircraft.

 

Soon after the debacle of the Ahmedabad-Gatwick London flight, Boeing said in a statement from Seattle: “We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.”

 

The Dreamliner is considered a veritable masterpiece in civil aviation, bringing with it cutting-edge technology, comforts and most important fuel efficiency.

 

Manufactured by Boeing’s division, Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), the Dreamliners are used and quickly became a favourite of many airlines plus other aviation companies globally in a short span.

 

“In less than 14 years, the 787 Dreamliner fleet has carried more than one billion passengers, faster than any other wide body jet in aviation history,” proclaims Boeing.com.

 

It said that the airplane’s industry-leading technology creates remarkable opportunities for airlines around the world and dramatically improves the air travel experience.

 

“A lighter and robust composite structure enables airlines to reduce fuel use by up to 25 percent compared to the airplanes it replaces. The 787 has unlocked more than 425 new nonstop routes around the world, many of which were never served previously,” said Boeing.com.

 

The company added that on nearly 5 million flights, fliers have an experience like none other in the air. These include: innovative interiors which provide spacious cabins, better views with the largest windows available on any widebody commercial jet today, and cabin enhancements that allow passengers to arrive at their destinations feeling more refreshed.

 

Way back in October 2012, Air India became the first airline to take delivery of a Dreamliner built at Boeing’s South Carolina plant, outside its original Everett, Washington facility.

 

The Boeing Dreamliner family of 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 can carry 248, 296 and 336 passengers respectively, in two configurations. 

 

Its range is around 13,530 kms, 14,010 kms and 11,730 kms, making it ideal for long-haul transcontinental services, and all fitted with the same GEnx-1B/Trent 1000 engines.

 

While all the three Dreamliner aircraft are sleek, 17 metres tall with a wing-span 60 metres each, their lengths are 57 metres, 63 metres and 68 metres, respectively.

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