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Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been...

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been reduced to an annual ritual of tree-planting drives and clicking selfies for social media, though 90 pc of the saplings don’t survive even a day. “Only the government knows where those trees really are,” said Raj sternly. He recalled a "Blueprint of Maharashtra’s Development" he had proposed in 2015, in which he advocated how development without environmental sensitivity is hollow. Justifying, he said that the consequences are visible where roads, bridges and infrastructure projects are hailed as achievements, but even a short spell of rainfall can paralyze entire cities. Referring to recent reports on farmers returning from the fields after 10 am due to the scorching heat, Raj said that the worsening climate crisis has become an everyday reality. Citing official statistics, Raj claimed that extreme heat has caused productivity losses of nearly USD 159 billion and slashing of 160 billion work-hours annually in recent years. He mentioned the World Bank estimates that India’s GDP could plummet by 2.5-4.5 pc while 57 pc of the country’s districts sheltering 76 pc of the population stare at serious climate-related crises. Taking a swipe, he said while the governments boast about growth figures and economical rankings, they are silent on the staggering costs of environmental destruction. He questioned the development model “whether flooded cities, washed-away crops and unbearable summers” genuinely indicate progress. Claiming that Maharashtra was increasingly becoming unliveable for upto 8 months in a year, he said excessive monsoon rains disrupt rural life and urban floods cripple cities, while extreme heat make normal life a torture in summers in both urban-rural areas. Targeting the Centre, Raj alleged that nearly 173,984 hectares of forest lands were diverted in the past 11 years for mining and infrastructure projects to benefit the PM’s single favourite Adani Group. He said that these lands amount to 1,730 sqkm, or equivalent to the area of 16 Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) that is spread over barely 104 sqkm. Dissolve state wildlife board: Aaditya Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray has accused the Maharashtra government for issuing a permit to carry out mining activity in the sensitive tiger corridor between the Tadoba-Andhari and Indravati sanctuaries housing the big striped cats. In a strongly-worded letter to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Member-Secretary Sanjay Kumar, Thackeray sought his immediate personal intervention, sacking the Maharashtra State Board for Wild-Life (SBWL), revoking the permit, and probe against the Chief Wildlife Warden & Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) M. Srinivasa Reddy for the alleged lacunae. Aditya’s two-pager says the permit has been granted for “scientific exploration and excavation/systematic recovery of low-grade iron ore in existing mines in villages Hedri, Bande, Parsalgondi and Round Parsalgondi, in the Etapalli taluka of Gadchiroli district”. Last January, Aditya – MLA from Worli – had first raised the issue saying that the proposed mine would create only 120 jobs, including 32 permanent, and the estimated output is pegged at 1.1 million tons in a year. Referring to two letters of Reddy – on April 28 and May 21 – the SS (UBT) leader claimed that in communications to the state government, the PCCF had changed his stance on the issue. Aditya said that in the first letter, Reddy had effectively opposed the government plans for mining activity but in the second letter, he took a somersault, ostensibly due to government pressures or some commercial interests, “the U-turn is disgraceful and detrimental to India’s national interest” – and this abrupt shift in stance must be investigated thoroughly. In view of the contrary stance of the PCCF Reddy, entrusted with protecting the wildlife but failing to defend the NTCA and NBWL, point to serious malfunctioning of the SBWL, and hence it must be dissolved, besides reviewing all its decisions in the past three years, particularly those pertaining to hazardous activities in sensitive areas, demanded Aditya. 444 tigers roam in 11,000 sq.km As per the Status of Tiger Report (2002), and the Maharashtra Economic Survey 2025-2026, the state boasts of 444 tigers prowling in the wild along with other menacing creatures. The state’s total protected wildlife network of 88 Notified Areas of National Parks, Sanctuaries, and Conservation Reserves - including 6 dedicated to the striped big cats – is spread over 11,092 sq. kms as per current data.

To avoid OBC backlash government forms new cabinet subcommittee

Mumbai: In order to avoid an OBC backlash in wake of the state government’s decisions regarding Maratha quota, a new cabinet subcommittee for the Other Backward Class (OBC) was formed on Wednesday.


There has been a widespread resentment among the OBC communities over the state government’s proactive decisions in in order to end the Maratha quota stir under Manoj Jarange-Patil in Mumbai. OBC leader Lakshman Hake, who had been opposing the demands of Maratha leaders to grant them blanket OBC status, tore off the copy of the GR that was read out at the Maratha agitation cite in Mumbai on Tuesday and then promulgate. A few other OBC leaders also expressed displeasure over the state government’s decision, while senior OBC leader in the state cabinet Chhagan Bhujbal today skipped the cabinet meeting. When asked about it, Bhujbal said he is studying the state government’s decisions regarding the demands raised by the Pro-Maratha Reservation groups. On this backdrop, the state cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, decided to form an empowered sub-committee of the state cabinet to decide on issues related to the OBC Community.


The proposal to form such a committee is old and was even presented before the state cabinet at least thrice before today. However, the cabinet approved the proposal to form such a committee today, said a senior CMO official.


According to the GR issued regarding formation of the committee, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule is the Chairman of the committee which has three members from the BJP viz. Ganesh Naik, Pankaja Munde and Atul Save, two from Shiv Sena, Gulabrao Patil and Sanjay Rathod and two from NCP viz. Chhagan Bhujbal and Dattatreya Bharne. When asked about Bhujbal skipping the cabinet meeting, water supply minister Gulabrao Patil said, if at all there is any resentment Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will speak to the minister and clear the air.


The eight-members sub-committee has been formed in order to dedicatedly work on issues related to the OBC communities in the state, the minister said.


Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde too made it clear that there is no need for any of the communities to misinterpret the state government’s decisions and that any doubts in this regard will be done away with.


Chief Minister Fadnavis, meanwhile, stated that he would soon meet the OBC leaders at Nagpur and do away with any of their reservations and doubts pertaining to the state government decisions.


OBC leader Manoj Sasane said that the state government’s decision regarding implementation of Hyderabad Gazetteer in Marathwada will be challenged in the court.

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