Kartik Lokhande's blog

* State Government seeks compensation for next 10 years to fill up this revenue gap By Kartik Lokhande Responding to the Central Government’s call for pre-introduction comments on Goods and Services Tax (GST), Maharashtra Government has assessed the financial implications on State exchequer and revenue earnings of local bodies in this regard. As per the assessment, if GST is introduced with the clause of subsuming entry taxes, local bodies will lose revenue of Rs 12,000 crore per annum. Losing such a huge revenue will put local bodies in trouble. Raising GST by 1-2 per cent also will not fill up the huge revenue gap for local bodies in State. Hence, the State Government has urged the Central Government to fill up this gap by compensating the State for next 10 years. At present, the Centre has proposed to compensate the States for transition to GST for three years. The assessment regarding financial implications of GST on Maharashtra has been prepared by Finance Department. “We have a...

* British-era system of calculating per acre crop yield to change * Aid to dryland, irrigated land, and horticulture farmers increased * Rs 2.50 lakh aid to kin of the farmers who commit suicide over crop loss due to hailstorm * Interest on crop loan waived for three years’ period in which loan will be restructured * 100 royalty waiver to brick kilns this time * Thought to be given to raising separate fund for natural disasters By Kartik Lokhande  Responding quickly to the recent untimely rains and hailstorm that damaged crops on almost 1,00,000 hectares in the State, Maharashtra Government announced a fresh relief package for affected farmers. Eknath Khadse, Revenue Minister, announced the package in both the Houses of State Legislature on Tuesday after discussion on the issue. The untimely rainfall in November and hailstorm a few days ago affected crops on 1,00,000 hectares in 893 villages spread over 32 tehsils of the State. The affected districts include Amravati, Nas...

By Kartik Lokhande  Witnessing a role reversal of major political alliances in Maharashtra after a long span of 15 years, the State Legislature’s winter session was expected to be stormy. However, as seen in the first week that passed by, BJP-Sena alliance appeared to be more confident to be back in the Government compared to Congress and NCP that are still faltering playing the role of the Opposition. Throughout the week, the leading ruling partner BJP became more and more confident with each passing day. Just before facing its first full-fledged session of State Legislature, it was successful in getting the estranged partner back in the fold. As a result, the new Government with various partners projected itself as united. In contrast, Congress and NCP that ruled Maharashtra for 15 years in alliance, did not appear to have come to terms that they were in the Opposition. More than the Government, the game of one-upmanship was being played aggressively in the Oppos...

By Kartik Lokhande The new State Government is keeping its word on scanning the tenders and contracts issued in the last days of erstwhile Democratic Front (DF) Government and during the period before the current Government took over. It has decided to ‘put on hold’ works worth Rs 1,000 crore relating to different irrigation projects in the State.  Confirming the development, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan told ‘The Hitavada’ on Saturday that works relating to different projects were ‘stayed’. The tender process had been started in the tenure of erstwhile DF Government, and the officials had gone further during the period when there was President’s Rule in Maharashtra. The collective worth of these works is over Rs 1,000 crore.  Asked about the break-up of works, he said that these were relating to various projects under the jurisdictions of all the irrigation development corporations. “These are all pre-qualification tenders. We have put on hold t...

* Takes up survey to assess number of non-commercial four-wheelers and commercial four-wheelers plying on different roads Staff Reporter The new Government is taking steps to keep its pre-poll promise of reducing the burden of toll-tax on small non-commercial four-wheelers. It is thinking over granting exemption to non-commercial four-wheelers including cars, from paying toll tax. For the purpose, it has taken up a survey to assess the number of commercial and non-commercial four-wheelers plying on different roads in the State. Further, just ahead of the ongoing winter session of State Legislature, Public Works Department (PWD) constituted a committee of 11 officers and engineers to explore the possibility of closing down 121 toll tax collection booths in the State. However, according to PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil, if the Government decided to shut down all 121 toll tax collection booths in the State, it would mean a burden of Rs 30,000 crore on State exchequer. As t...

* Announces road-map for reforms in Police Department, asks cops to register every complaint they receive * Says, Govt committed to improve investigation, detection, conviction, and bring down crime rate in five years * Women’s Cell to be set up in all police stations, strengthening of forensic laboratories, appoint panel of prosecutors at district-level * Cops doing commendable job to be honoured with medals By Kartik Lokhande  Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Friday, announced that his Government adopted ‘Zero Tolerance’ against corruption, crime, and indiscipline in Maharashtra. Replying to a debate on law and order situation, Fadnavis, who also holds Home Department portfolio, rolled out a road-map for reforms in Police Department. Fadnavis informed the Assembly about the Government’s plans to discipline the police force, curb cyber crime, take measures to reduce crimes against Dalits and women, and strengthen the police infrastructure and Intelligence apparatus....

Dear friends,  I feel proud to share with you that on December 12, 2014, I got prestigious Dalit Mitra C K Marpakwar Memorial Journalism Award-2012 at the hands of Maharashtra Governor Shri Ch Vidyasagar Rao. Acting Vice-Chancellor of RTMNU Dr V S Deshpande, Tilak Patrakar Bhavan Trust chief Pradip Maitra, Nagpur Union of Working Journalists chief Brahmashankar Tripathi, and senior journalist Prafulla Marpakwar also shared the dais on this occasion. Apart from myself, two other journalist friends of mine namely Gajanan Janbhor (Lokmat) and Nitin Totewar (Maharashtra Times) were presented the award for the year 2011 and 2013 respectively.  Instead of uploading the news of the ceremony, I feel it appropriate to upload the text of Honourable Governor's address at the function. Here is the text:  Address by Shri Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra at the presentation of the late Shri C.K. Marpakwar awards for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 to three jo...