Kartik Lokhande's blog

  * This day in the year 1952, the city’s first Mayor Barr S K Wankhede had appealed to all to set only one goal before them -- public service   By Kartik Lokhande July 20 is an important date for Nagpur city. For, on this date in the year 1952, the city got its first Mayor after the municipal council got elevated to the status of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). As NMC celebrates 63rd year of that historic event on Monday, it is time to remind the city fathers about their responsibility, as outlined in simple words by the first Mayor Barrister S K Wankhede. After the city municipal council got elevated to the status of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, the first meeting of the ‘elected, appointed, and selected councillors’ of the corporation was held on July 20 (Sunday), 1952 at 12 noon in Raje Raghujirao Bhonsle Nagar Bhavan. In the same meeting, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Standing Committee and five consultative committees were elected. Then, there were a t...

  * Nagpur district has as many as 5,010 co-operative societies, of which 3,981 are functioning Staff Reporter Department of Co-operatives has decided to act tough against co-operative societies that are running only ‘on paper’. To identify such societies, the department has started conducting a survey up to village level in Nagpur district from July 1. “The survey will be conducted till September 30. The basic intention is to close down the societies that are functioning only on paper,” said Satish Bhosle, Deputy District Registrar. According to him, several co-operative societies were formed with specific objectives. Once they got registered, in many cases, the founders and directors ignored those. Over the period of years, it has become difficult for the Department of Co-operatives to find out these societies. Many of these societies were formed in the name of housing, entrepreneurship, or for welfare of unemployed persons, water users, consumers etc. According ...

  * Notices issued as these Gram Panchayats won Nirmal Gram Award but do not have 100 per cent coverage of toilets Staff Reporter Acting tough, Zilla Parishad (ZP) administration has issued notices to 307 Gram Panchayats (GPs) that were honoured with Nirmal Gram Award between 2006 and 2011, asking them to get constructed toilets within three months. Else, the administration has warned, the GPs would be stripped of honour and award money. Confirming the development, Shivajirao Jondhale, Chief Executive Officer of ZP, told ‘The Hitavada’ that at the time of sending entries for the award these Gram Panchayats had stated that they had 100 per cent coverage of toilets. Several claims about total cleanliness and sanitation were made to qualify for the award. However, during an inspection conducted in 2012, it was found that most of these award-winning Gram Panchayats lacked toilets. “Hence, we have asked them to get constructed the toilets to achieve 100 per cent coverag...

By Kartik Lokhande  After two years since unveiling of the corner stone, the Gondwana Tribal Cultural Museum and Nagpur sub-centre of Maharashtra Tribal Research and Training Institute (TRTI) has taken a step towards becoming a reality. Tribal Development Department has cleared a proposal to use 5.55 acres of land that currently houses bungalow of Additional Tribal Commissioner and employees’ quarters, for the construction of the sub-centre. On December 28, 2013, corner stone of the proposed Gondwana Tribal Cultural Museum was unveiled at Nagpur. In the same programme, announcement of setting up sub-centre of TRTI at Nagpur was made. However, since then, nothing much happened. On March 4, 2014, administrative approval was granted to setting up Gondwana Tribal Cultural Museum and TRTI sub-centre at Nagpur. But, it was caught in certain technical issues. The Government constituted a committee to look into the issues and make recommendations in this regard. Then, the ...

By Kartik Lokhande Come monsoon, and within first few spells one gets to see a lot of photographs of waterlogged streets in almost every major city in India including the national capital New Delhi. Year after year, this problem is engulfing more number of areas in these ‘urban islands’. The reason? Poor urban planning. What has happened to the cities that have grown leaps and bounds? The cities are becoming the powerhouses of development, capital inflows, investments, job opportunities, high-rises, and pockets attracting migrants from vast rural meadows. With more and more economic activities, many cities are expanding horizontally. However, for want of proper planning, there are not many cities that have come up with ‘walk to work’ units. As a result, most of the cities are witnessing a vertical growth, with more number of high-rise buildings adorning the urban skylines, or, one shall say, choking the view of blue sky. The plots with single-storeyed houses with court...

By Kartik Lokhande  For years, relief packages stunted innovations in agriculture sector, especially those concerning water conservation despite several areas across Maharashtra facing drought-like situation frequently. Things had come to such a pass that refusal to declare packages created a gap between the Government and the farmers. In the process, though several departments were working for water conservation and aiding agriculture, works were done with long-term planning only in isolation. But, things are changing, thanks to ‘Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan’ taken up by the State Government. Apart from water storage being built up in deepened and widened nullahs and rivulets, and recharge of wells in nearby areas, Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan has triggered innovations. It has also resulted in harmonious working among different Government agencies -- Revenue Department, Agriculture Department, Forest Department, Groundwater Survey and Development Agency (GSDA), etc. And, abo...

  * In its first meeting since reconstitution, even new members participate enthusiastically and give good suggestions Staff Reporter IN the very first meeting since re-constitution and the second meeting in this year, Vidarbha Development Board discussed a variety of issues covering a wide range -- from Kelkar Committee recommendations to pending reports. The major decision taken in the meeting was to rope in city-based Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University (MAFSU) to conduct a comprehensive study on potential of inland fishery development in Vidarbha region. Anoop Kumar, Divisional Commissioner, chaired the meeting that was attended prominently by Adv Madhukar Kimmatkar, the seniormost Expert Member; Kapil Chandrayan, Dr Ravindra Kolhe, Dr Anand Bang, Dr Kishor Moghe; Ravindra Thakre, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) representing Amravati Division; S J Dharmale, Deputy Commissioner (Planning) Nagpur in the capacity of officiating Member Secretary. After...

  * State Govt forms six special teams to ‘collect information’ about procurements in last 10 years, says Finance Minister Staff Reporter While the Opposition parties are raising questions over procurement made without inviting tenders, the Maharashtra Government has decided to ‘collect information’ about all Government procurements made during last 10 years. Meanwhile, it has come to fore that the erstwhile Congress-NCP led Government in the State had paid Rs 69,000 crore to contractors without utilisation certificates, that is, without ascertaining completion of works in 10 years. Sudhir Mungantiwar, Finance Minister, said that there were irregularities in several works done during the tenure of previous Congress-NCP Government in the State. “Bills to the tune of Rs 69,000 crore were paid to contractors, though there were no certificates regarding completion of works,” he said, indicating that the matter needed to be probed further. Citing an example of such paym...

By Kartik Lokhande “If alternative education must continue, it should be made competitive and practically useful to a student. One can learn to be a good Muslim without going to a madrassa, but one cannot learn Algebra without going to school.” This is the statement from an editorial published in the multi-edition Pakistan-based daily ‘The Nation’ on July 4, 2015, offering comment on the latest decision of Maharashtra Government asking madrassas to teach Science, Mathematics, English, and Social Sciences. Sadly, while this is the comment that Maharashtra Government’s decision has evoked in Muslim-dominated nation like Pakistan, there is much of silly and unfounded debate going on Maharashtra as well as various other parts of India. Let us take a look at the issue. It all started a few days ago with the Maharashtra Government’s decision to treat children taking education in madrassas as ‘out of school’ if the madrassas are not teaching subjects like Scien...

By Kartik Lokhande “The day rainwater got arrested at the weir... It was a day of joy for entire village. The location of the reservoir has become a spot to sit and relax for villagers. It is also a location, the sight of which boosts confidence of farmers,” says an enthusiastic Abhay Dhokne, a farmer from village Madni (Amgaon) in Seloo tehsil of Wardha district. Neither is Dhokne the only farmer with such a positive reaction, nor is Madni (Amgaon) the only village where positive result of a well-planned ambitious initiative ‘Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan’ of Maharashtra Government is visible. The wonderful initiative ‘Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan’ has arrested rainwater, percolated joy among villagers, and has also sowed seeds of confidence among farmers across Maharashtra. Dhokne, who tills 8 acres of land, takes various crops including sugarcane and soyabean. The nullah, where the weir has been built now, has been a source of water for farmers in the area. A couple of years ag...

Staff Reporter Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) has received 6,000 responses on the draft of Nagpur Metropolitan Area Development Plan, and all the responses will get opportunity of hearing before a panel to be constituted by the Government. Shyam Wardhane, NIT Chairman, said that the committee will comprise of experts and officials. Nagpur Metropolitan Area Development Plan’s draft has been released in public domain, and suggestions or objections were invited on the same. “After hearing, and after incorporation of valuable suggestions from the members of Nagpur Metropolitan Area Planning Committee, the plan will be finalised,” said Wardhane. He was addressing the members elected newly to Nagpur Metropolitan Area Planning Committee (NMAPC). NIT had organised an orientation workshop for newly elected NMAPC members, on Friday at NIT’s Naivedhyam Hall. Avnish Pendharkar of Halcrow, which leads a consultancy consortium that has prepared the draft plan for development of Nagp...

Staff Reporter After almost nine years since its team visited the city to explore business opportunity, the Le Méridien is all set to make foray into hospitality industry in the Orange City. From September 1, Le Méridien will be taking over the operations of Sun-n-Sand Hotel along Wardha Road. Sources confirmed the development and said that details had been worked out some time ago. From September 1, the name of the hotel will change from Sun-n-Sand to Le Méridien. Taking over of the operations is not the buying over of the hotel building, sources stressed. Taking over of the operations by the famed Le Méridien entails changes in interiors, collaterals, food and other specifications in conformation to its standards. The official is likely to be made some time later. This development will mark the presence of Le Méridien in Nagpur, an indication of the city’s rising prominence on the map of hospitality industry. Already, the city has got another big brand in the industry...

Staff Reporter Industrial development is closely associated with law and order. Keeping this in mind, Maharashtra Government has decided to constitute a committee to ensure that law and order is maintained in industrial areas in the State. The decision has been taken against the backdrop of various problems faced by the investors in industrial areas across the State. One of the problems cited was that disputes led to creation of hurdles in the way of giving possession of land acquired under Maharashtra Industries Development Corporation (MIDC) Act. These tensions often escalated into law and order situation, especially when cops were brought in, as human rights allegations were made. This hit industrial development. Besides, in many cases, hurdles were created if the demand of certain elements for award of contracts regarding creation of infrastructure was not heeded by investors. Even after clearing these and other hurdles, if an industry started production, ‘office-be...

  * Minister asks Chief Secretary to take stock of the situation regularly and hold respective Drawing and Disbursing Officers responsible for delay in payment of salaries to employees Staff Reporter Several employees in various departments and even with Zilla Parishad (ZP) and Agricultural Universities have been complaining that they are not getting their salaries on time. Taking cognisance of this, Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has slammed Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) for delay and has asked the Chief Secretary Swadhin Kshatriya to take stock of the situation. In a letter to Chief Secretary, Mungantiwar has dubbed the problem as ‘serious’ and has stressed upon the need to fix responsibility of respective DDOs. As many as 5,81,774 employees in the State get their salaries through Treasury Department after their salary bills are prepared under Sevaarth System. For the purpose, every administrative department distributes grants to respective regiona...

Dear friends,  Good memories are to be cherished forever. Sharing with you a photograph of mine with my wonderful colleagues Mr Vikas Vaidya, Principal Correspondent, The Hitavada (left), and Mr Satish Raut, Chief Photographer, The Hitavada (right). This photograph was taken in Vidhan Bhavan premises at Nagpur, when we were covering winter session of Maharashtra Legislature in December 2014.  Regards,  Kartik 

Dear friends, As a journalist, I have been studying the issue of Naxalism/Maoism and writing on it. One of my friends shared these six pages of an internal report of CPI-Maoist in which exploitation of women cadres by the Maoist-terrorists is revealed. I am sharing those pages with you. Regards, Kartik (27-06-15)

  * Another instance of fraud in the name of Government schemes comes to fore  By Kartik Lokhande  First, they misused the name of Kisan Call Centres. Then, it came to light, they misused the name of Swarna Jayanti Swarozgar Yojana. Now, it has come to fore that the fraudsters operating at national level are misusing the name of Rajiv Awas Yojna, an initiative of Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MHUPA), Government of India.  ‘The Hitavada’ has in possession an ‘appointment letter’ issued to a city-based girl in the name of Rajiv Awas Yojna. The girl has been offered job as ‘Clerk, Customer Care Executive’ with a monthly salary of Rs 23,700/-. The said letter mentions that the salary of Rs 23,700/- is payable to candidates selected from Maharashtra; Rs 23,500/- to those selected from Gujarat; Rs 22,500/- to candidates from Punjab; Rs 21,200/- to those from Madhya Pradesh; and Rs 20,600/- to candidates selected from Rajasthan and Ut...

  * MGNREGS Commissioner appeals to people not to fall prey to such unverified offers, advise duped youths to lodge police complaints By Kartik Lokhande A few months ago, it was Kisan Call Centres. Now, it is Customer Service Centres under Swarna Jayanti Swarozgar Yojana. The fraudsters operating from Delhi and nearby areas like Ghaziabad, Noida, Gurgaon are targeting unemployed youths by offering them ‘Government jobs’. In the latest case, some unemployed youths from Nagpur have been offered jobs of Customer Service Representatives under Swarna Jayanti Swarozgar Yojana. The appointment letters received by some of the youths from the city bear the Government emblem as well as logo of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), and image of ‘Father of the Nation’ Mahatma Gandhi in the seal. Besides, it is signed by one Sanjay Bhardwaj, whose designation has been mentioned as ‘Director’ at ‘Rozgar Bharti Karyalaya’ (Recruitment Office), Swarn...