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Man ends life by consuming poison outside Devendra Fadnavis’ home in Nagpur…

A 52-year-old man from Amravati named Kamlakar Borkar ended his life by consuming poison outside Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis’ residence in Nagpur’s Dharampeth area (Trikoni Park) on Tuesday evening. 

A resident of Kalyan Nagar in Amravati, Borkar worked as a labourer in Nagpur. People present in the vicinity noticed Kamlakar’s body as well as a bottle of poison with him in the evening. However, he didn’t leave any suicide note behind. Cops said Borkar had got separated from his wife due to the former’s alcohol addiction. 

Cops at Sitabuldi Police Station have registered a case of accidental death.

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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat recently said the society should become self-reliant.

देशापुढे आज अनेक आव्‍हाने आहेत. देशात मोठ्या प्रमाणात विविधता असून या सगळ्यांना जोडण्‍यासाठी, संघटीत करण्‍याची मोठी जबाबदारी समाजावर आहे. समाजाने ही आव्‍हानांचा सामना करण्‍यासाठी सरकार, संस्‍था, संघावर अवलंबून न राहता स्‍वावलंबी झाले पाहिजे, असे मत राष्‍ट्रीय स्‍वयंसेवक संघाचे सरसंघचालक मोहन भागवत यांनी व्‍यक्‍त केले. 

विदर्भ साहित्य संघाच्या शताब्दी वर्षाच्या निमित्ताने विदर्भ साहित्य संघ – ग्रंथालयाच्यावतीने वर्षभर राबविण्‍यात आलेल्‍या ‘संस्थांची शतकोत्तर आव्हाने’ या व्याख्यानमालेचा समारोप झाला. त्‍यावेळी मोहन भागवत यांनी राष्‍ट्रीय स्‍वयंसेवक संघाच्‍या शतकोत्‍तर आव्‍हानांवर प्रकाश टाकला. विदर्भ साहित्य संघाच्या अमेय दालनात मंगळवारी झालेल्‍या व्‍याख्‍यानमालेच्‍या समारोपीय समारंभाला ते उपस्‍थ‍ित होते. यावेळी मंचावर विदर्भ साहित्य संघाचे अध्यक्ष मनोहर म्हैसाळकर यांची प्रमुख उपस्थिती होती. नरकेसरी प्रकाशनने प्रकाशित केलेल्या सुनील किटकरू लिखित ‘वार्ता ईशान्य भारताची’ या पुस्तकाचे प्रकाशन यावेळी डॉ. भागवत यांच्या हस्ते करण्यात आले. त्‍यांचा मनोहर म्‍हैसाळकर यांच्‍या हस्‍ते सत्‍कार करण्‍यात आला. तसेच, सुनील किटकरू व नरकेसरी प्रकाशनचे धनंजय बापट यांचा मोहन भागवत यांच्‍या हस्‍ते सत्‍कार करण्‍यात आला. 

राष्‍ट्रीय स्‍वयंसेवक संघ हा शतकाकडे वाटचाल करीत असून विपरित परिस्थितीत सर्वांना जोडण्‍याचे काम सातत्‍याने करत आला आहे. प्रामाणिकता, देशभक्‍ती, अनुशासन, ‘स्‍व’चे स्‍पष्‍ट भान, राष्‍ट्राबद्दलच्‍या कल्‍पना व देशाकरीता जगण्‍या-मरण्‍याचा तयारी असलेले लोक संघात आहेत. संघ हा शाश्‍वत असून त्‍याची मूल्‍ये कधीच बदलत नाही. धेयनिष्‍ठा, आत्‍मीयता, अनुशासन आणि आपपरभाव नसणे, हा संघाचा स्‍वभाव असून ज्‍या उद्देशाने डॉ. हेडगेवारांनी संघाची स्‍थापना केली तो उद्देश कार्यपूर्तीपर्यंत तसाच राहील, असा विश्‍वास मोहन भागवत यांनी यावेळी व्‍यक्‍त केला.    

किटकरू यांच्‍या पुस्‍तकावर भाष्‍य करताना मोहन भागवत म्‍हणाले, हे पुस्‍तक जीवंत अनुभवातून आलेले सहज, सोप्‍या भाषेतील हे पुस्‍तक वाचनीय आहे. गुगलमुळे आपण जरी अख्‍ख्‍या जगाची माहिती ठेवत असलो तरी आपला देश, प्रदेशाची आपल्‍याला माहिती नसते. त्‍यामुळे बुद्धीने माहिती मिळते पण मनाची आर्तता कोरडी व्‍हायला लागते. ही आर्तता, ही तळमळ जशी इतर माहिती घेण्‍यासाठी असते तशी ती आपल्‍या देशाबद्दल असली पाहिजे, असे मोहन भागवत म्‍हणाले. 

मोहन भागवत यांच्‍याबरोबर एकत्र बसण्‍याचा हा सन्‍माननीय योग नरकेसरी प्रकाशनमुळे मिळाल्‍याचे सांगत मनोहर म्‍हैसाळकर धनंजय बापट यांचे आभार मानले. राष्‍ट्रीय स्‍वयंसेवक संघाचे अरुणाचल प्रदेशात कार्य करत असताना राष्‍ट्रीय एकात्‍मतेसाठी कार्य करणा-या व्‍यक्‍तीचा समावेश ‘वार्ता ईशान्‍य भारताची’ पुस्‍तकात समावेश करण्‍यात आला असून दुस-या भागात राष्‍ट्रीयत्‍वासाठी कार्य करणा-या संघटनांचा समावेश आहे, असे सुनील किटकरू यांनी सांगितले. 

विदर्भ साहित्‍य संघाचे उपाध्‍यक्ष राजेंद्र डोळके यांनी प्रास्‍ताविक केले. त्‍यांनी विदर्भ साहित्‍य संघाच्‍या स्‍थापनेचा इतिहास सांगितला. कार्यक्रमाचे सूत्रसंचालन विवेक अलोणी यांनी केले तर आभार प्रदर्शन डॉ. राजेंद्र नाईकवाडे यांनी केले.  

ग्रंथालयाचे केले कौतूक

विदर्भ साहित्‍य संघाच्‍या ग्रंथसहवासला मोहन भागवत यांनी भेट दिली. आज मंगळवारी रंगनाथन दिन असल्‍यामुळे मोहन भागवत यांनी त्‍यांच्‍या प्रतिमेला पुष्‍पहार अर्पण केला व प्रा. डॉ. सुधीर बोधनकर यांच्‍यासह भगवद्गीता, ज्ञानेश्‍वरी, रामायण, भारताचे संविधान या ग्रंथांचे पूजन करण्‍यात आले. त्‍यांनी ग्रंथालयाची पाहणी केली व येथील ग्रंथसंपदेचे कौतूक केले.

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L to R: Dr Dipen Agrawal with Devendra Fadnavis

At the outset Dr Dipen Agrawal, President of Chamber of Associations of Maharashtra Industry and Trade (CAMIT) welcomed Deputy Chief Minister (DCM), Devendra Fadnavis with a tricoloured scarf and flowers and submitted memorandums highlighting harassment of traders by Local Body Tax department across the state under the garb of LBT Assessment . He also appraised about the issue of Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) and further brought to the notice of DCM about the exorbitant hike in rent by corporations and their coercive action on traders.

Dr Agrawal on behalf of traders of Maharashtra expressed his gratitude towards Fadnavis for abolishing Local Body Tax (LBT) with effect from August 2015. Though LBT was abolished in 2015 but the ghost of LBT is haunting traders now and then, department in routine are passing ex-party (best judgement) orders raising inflated and fictitious tax demands and using them to justify continuance of LBT Department. 

Records from LBT Appellate Authority would prove the correctness of this statement. He also informed that LBT Department in various corporation indulged in issuing back dated assessment orders for previous financial years. He appealed to DCM that the issue requires his urgent attention, intervention and directions for closure of LBT Department in all Municipal Corporations with immediate effect to ensure ease of doing business in the state and save traders from unnecessary harassment.

Fadnavis acknowledged that he was well aware of the issue and assured to discuss the issue in cabinet and ensure that the issue is addressed on priority basis.

Dr Dipen Agrawal informed Fadnavis since last few years municipal corporations across the state stopped renewing lease/license of property leased/licensed by them. Agrawal added, “In 2019 the state government came up with Maharashtra Municipal Corporations (Renewal of Lease or Transfer of Immovable Property) Rules, 2019. These Rules were strongly opposed by trade associations. However, after its implementation the litigation between the lessee/tenants and corporations went to court.

After great persuasion by your good office with then Hon’ble Minister for Urban Development, Eknath Shinde conceded to the demand to put the notification dated 13/09/2019 in abeyance and review the exorbitant annual rent at 8% property value and fix the annual rent acceptable to all stakeholders. 

After you raised the issue on the floor of the house as LOP, the State government stayed the operation of notification dated 13/09/2019 and constituted a committee of government officers to review and fix fresh rent. When we approached few members of the committee to submit our suggestions’ we learnt that the committee is of opinion that the notification in question does not apply to the Licensee holder.” 

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Hence, in the background of above facts and circumstances, Agrawal requested Dy. CM, to intervene and have the pending notification issued and fix the rent at 0.5% of Ready Reckoner value for residential & 1% for commercial lease holder Galedharaks . He further requested to notify similar rules and frame a single policy for the Licensee Galedharaks across the state and in cases where shop/otta is licensed by Corporation the annual rent be fixed at the rate of 2% of value as per ready reckoner and as the lease/license fee will be calculated on ready reckoner the clause of periodic increase dose not survive also the lease / license should be transferable and transfer fee to be charged equal to one month rent/fee for transfer within blood relation and equal to three months’ rent/fee for transfer outside blood relation and the agreed new lease rent/license fee to be made applicable prospectively and not retrospectively.

Devendra Fadnavis said that the issue is under active consideration and assured to look into the matter and discuss with Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde to resolve the issue to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

Dipen Agrawal further informed Devendra Fadnavis that the first notification declared five km area touching outer limits of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) as Nagpur Metro Region issued in 1995 which was thereafter increased time to time to present limit of 25 Km from boundary of NMC. In 2010 Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) was entrusted with responsibility of Special Planning Authority for Nagpur Metro Region the limits. In 2012 NIT passed resolution for preparing development plan for Metro Region and published Draft Development Plan (2012-2032) calling objection and suggestions, in the year 2015. In 2017 Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) was established. In 2018 Final Development Plan (2012-2032) for Nagpur Metro Region was sanctioned and notified. 

NMRDA action is based on following three main reasons:- 

1) Side margins are not as per 2012-2032 DCR; Dr. Agrawal highlighted that majority of units i.e., 59% were established before the 2012-NIT resolution and 85% were established before the first publication of 2015-Draft Development Plan (2012-2032), and pointed out that it is unjust on part of NMRDA to expect these units to maintain the margins prescribed in DCR (2012-32).

2) Building plan/ Non-agriculture use is not sanctioned by competent authority; Dr. Agrawal pointed out that under MRTP Act the power to change use of land is can be delegated to Thasildar and powers to authorise development to Gram Panchayat concerned. Invoking these powers Thasildar was approving and sanctioning NA Permissions and Gram Panchayat was sanctioning Building Plans. The units in good faith have taken these permissions from them and further submitted to other Government agencies.

3) Land earmarked for purpose other than industrial/commercial; MRTP Act provides for survey and preparing ‘existing-land-use’ map by Planning Authority after its declaration of intention of preparing a Development Plan. It is surprising to note that the area of many units established prior to declaration of intention of preparing Development Plan is not classified under industrial/commercial zone.

Dr. Dipen Agrawal humbly requested Dy. CM to grant an Amnesty Scheme for regularization wherein interest & penalty would be waived and also direct the authorities to notify that the MSME units established prior to 06/01/2018 (the date on which the DCR 2012-2032 for Nagpur Metropolitan Region was notified) should be saved from the provisions of the said DCR.

Devendra Fadnavis said that the government is sized with issue and assured to resolve the matter in the best interest of all stakeholders.

Dr. Dipen Agrawal, President-CAMIT on behalf of business community of the state expressed his gratitude towards Devendra Fadnavis Deputy Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister for being sensitive towards the issues of trade and industry of the state.