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Gadkari votes, predicts 'record-breaking' win for BJP-Sena Mumbai, Oct 21 () Union Minister <keyword id="26680" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nitin-gadkari">Nitin Gadkari</keyword> on Monday expressed confidence that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will form the next government in Maharashtra with a "record- breaking victory". Gadkari, who was among the early voters in Nagpur, said people will vote on the basis of the five-year performance of the <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> government at the Centre and the Devendra Fadnavis-led dispensation in Maharashtra. "The BJP-Sena will have a record-breaking victory and Fadnavis will be the chief minister again," he told reporters after casting his vote. He also urged people to come out to vote and strengthen the democracy, and said NOTA (none of the above) was not a good option in democracy. Besides Gadkari, NCP MP Supriya Sule and her mother Pratibha Pawar were also among the early voters, who exercised their democratic right at Baramati in <keyword id="2094" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pune">Pune</keyword>. "The Congress-NCP alliance will form the next government," claimed Sule, who is the daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Former state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who is the nephew of the NCP chief, also voted in Baramati. He is the NCP's nominee from Baramati Assembly seat. The early voters also included Union minister Raosaheb Danve, who exercised his franchise at Bhokardan in Jalna. Udayanraje Bhosale, who quit the NCP and is the BJP's nominee for the bypoll to Satara Lok Sabha in the state, voted in Satara. Former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde cast his vote in Solapur, where his daughter Praniti Shinde is seeking a third term as MLA. Former chief minister Ashok Chavan and his family members cast their votes at a school in Nanded. Chavan is the Congress' nominee from Bhokar in Nanded. In Mumbai, where it has been drizzling since last two days, state school education minister Ashish Shelar exercised his franchise at a school in suburban Bandra. Shelar is the BJP's candidate from Bandra-West seat. Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagde cast his vote in Aurangabad district. State Housing Minister <keyword id="6361973" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="radhakrishna-vikhe-patil">Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil</keyword> and his family members cast their votes at Shirdi in Ahmednagar. Former cricketer <keyword id="66710" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sandeep-Patil">Sandeep Patil</keyword>, who was also among the early voters at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, said more than the party, the merit of an individual candidate was important. "We should vote for candidates who work for their constituencies," he said. Polling began on Monday morning in all 288 Assembly constituencies of the state. The voting commenced at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

Nitin Gadkari casts his vote and expects 'record-breaking' win for BJP-Sena in Mumbai

Looks like Maharashtra's Women and <keyword id="493211" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Child-Development-Minister">Child Development Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6367940" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pankaja-Munde">Pankaja Munde</keyword> will be in neck deep trouble following allegations that she cleared purchases worth Rs 206 crore through 24 Government Resolutions on a single day instead of inviting tenders. 

	The alleged purchases relate to a host of items including snacks and books for children in institutions across the state.
 Congress and other opposition parties did not miss the opportunity to attack on the winning party. Dubbing it as a "big scam", Congress and other opposition parties attacked the 8-month-old BJP-led government headed by <keyword id="6355042" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Devendra-Fadnavis">Devendra Fadnavis</keyword>. Former chief minister and Congress leader <keyword id="6356262" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prithviraj-Chavan">Prithviraj Chavan</keyword> demanded a CBI inquiry and said the scam exposed the "true colours" of the government. Asked if he would demand Munde's resignation, Chavan said, "Be it Pankaja Munde or Vinod Tawade (education minister caught in a row over educational qualification), this government would not remove anyone. After all, this is the policy of the Modi government to brazen out all allegations." "The scam has exposed the real character of this government. The Minister (Munde) must give an explanation on the issue", Chavan said. 

	The scam first came to light on June 15, when the office of Pankaja Munde received a letter from Ahmednagar Zila Parishad president Manjushree Gund complaining about the quality of chikki (a popular snack) distributed to tribal students under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Gund said the chikki was contaminated with clay. 
	 
	 

	This is the first time that an alleged scam of this magnitude has come to light after the BJP-Shiv Sena government took office.
 

	All purchases were cleared by Munde, daughter of BJP stalwart late Gopinath Munde on a single day on February 13 through 24 Government Resolutions (GR). 
	 
	 

	As per norms, all government purchases above Rs 3 lakh have to be done through e-tendering. Fadnavis has banned purchases through the rate contract system, in which material is purchased after rates have been negotiated.
 

	Pankaja Munde was unavailable for comments. An official in her department said the minister was out of India and was expected to return on June 28. 

	 
	 
	(image credits: shahernama.com)

Maharashtra Minister allegedly involved Rs. 206 crore scam

In the run up to the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, there was a huge controversy when <keyword id="1275069" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sanjay-Baru">Sanjay Baru</keyword>, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s media advisor, released a book <keyword id="2193106" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Accidental-Prime-Minister">The Accidental Prime Minister</keyword>: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh. In this book, he alleged that the PM did not exercise full control over the government and was remote-controlled by the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. 
 However, this was not a one-off case in Indian politics. There have many instances of ‘<keyword id="2443943" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Accidental-Chief-Ministers">accidental chief ministers</keyword>’ taking office in various states. The latest example is Bihar’s new <keyword id="5269" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chief-Minister">Chief Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6385519" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jitan-Ram-Manjhi">Jitan Ram Manjhi</keyword>. Following the dismal performance of his party, the Janata Dal (United), in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, <keyword id="6358190" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nitish-Kumar">Nitish Kumar</keyword> played the tried and tested caste card and anointed Manjhi – who belongs to the Musahar caste (the most backward caste among the Dalits) – as the state’s chief minister. Manjhi is not known for his administrative skills and is widely regarded as Nitish’s ‘puppet.’ BJP’s <keyword id="6364740" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sushil-Kumar-Modi">Sushil Kumar Modi</keyword>, Bihar’s former deputy chief minister, even dubbed Manjhi as "<keyword id="2443948" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="dummy-chief-minister">dummy chief minister</keyword>." 
 
 
 
In Bihar itself, on July 25, 1997, the then Chief Minister Lalu Yadav was forced to quit after an arrest warrant was issued against him in connection with the <keyword id="6362256" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fodder-scam">fodder scam</keyword> case. In order to retain hold on power, he brazenly installed his wife <keyword id="6362315" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rabri-Devi">Rabri Devi</keyword>, who was not only a political novice but was also illiterate, as chief minister of Bihar. 
 

	Rabri Devi earned the dubious distinction of being the <keyword id="2443949" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="first-illiterate-chief-minister">first illiterate chief minister</keyword> of a state. Interestingly, in the press conference following her swearing-in ceremony, Lalu asked reporters not to pose tricky questions to her as she was new to politics and a “seedhi-saadi aurat.” 
	 
	 
	 In the neighbouring state of Jharkhand, Madhu Koda, an independent MLA, was propped up as chief minister by Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, <keyword id="6362712" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jharkhand-Mukti-Morcha">Jharkhand Mukti Morcha</keyword> and the Congress. It was Lalu’s masterstroke to keep the BJP away from power. It was also for the first time that an independent MLA was made the chief minister of a state.<o:p></o:p>
He is known only for the large-scale corruption that marked his rule. Koda allegedly took huge bribes for illegally allotting iron ore and coal mining contracts as the chief minister of the state. According to estimates, Koda and his associates accumulated Rs 4,000 crore in the mining scam. He was also arrested and he is currently out on bail. 
 In Maharashtra, <keyword id="6356262" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Prithviraj-Chavan">Prithviraj Chavan</keyword> was appointed the chief minister after Ashok Chavan had to step down from the chief minister's post after the allegations of his involvement in the Adarsh Housing Society scam. Prithviraj Chavan, who is not a significant political figure, has still not been able to have a firm grip either on the party or the government. He had no experience of the state politics of Maharashtra and was directly paratrooped as the state’s chief minister. Although he has been in politics for almost three decades, he was never a member of the state legislature. 
 <keyword id="172066" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sadanand-Gowda">Sadanand Gowda</keyword>, who is the current railway minister, was the self-proclaimed ‘accidental chief minister' as he had himself once admitted that he was an accidental CM. He said he had never thought he would become chief minister one day. Gowda said his “politics of love” was the reason behind his accomplishment.

The Making And Unmaking Of Accidental Chief Ministers

Forget the metro or the latest speed giants roaring across Indian roads. Come Saturday (February 1) and India’s financial capital will be rolling out the country’s first-ever <keyword id="64918" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Monorail">monorail</keyword>, connecting the central suburb of <keyword id="157686" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wadala">Wadala</keyword> to <keyword id="6366202" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chembur">Chembur</keyword> on the eastern outskirts of Mumbai and covering a distance of 8.93 km across seven stations in about 21 minutes. Currently, it takes around 40 minutes to cover this stretch. 
 <keyword id="81878" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mumbai-monorail">Mumbai monorail</keyword> will be formally inaugurated by <keyword id="26806" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Maharashtra-Chief-Minister">Maharashtra Chief Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6356262" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prithviraj-Chavan">Prithviraj Chavan</keyword> on Saturday afternoon and the commute will be open for the masses from Sunday onwards. The two-phase project costs around Rs 3,000 crore and the second phase linking Wadala to <keyword id="2039948" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sant-Gadge-Maharaj-Chowk">Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk</keyword> (popularly known as <keyword id="2039952" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Saath-Rasta">Saath Rasta</keyword> and originally called <keyword id="2039957" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jacobs-Circle">Jacob’s Circle</keyword>) in south Mumbai will be operational within a year. 
 As of now, tickets are priced between Rs 5 and Rs 11 and a <keyword id="359126" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="smart-card-system">smart card system</keyword> is already in place, but there will be no <keyword id="2039963" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Season-pass">season pass</keyword>. The seven stations on the Phase-I route include Chembur, <keyword id="2039964" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="VN-Purav/RC-Marg-Junction">VN Purav/RC Marg Junction</keyword>, <keyword id="2039965" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fertilizer-Township">Fertilizer Township</keyword>, <keyword id="75662" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bharat-Petroleum">Bharat Petroleum</keyword>, <keyword id="1351055" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mysore-Colony">Mysore Colony</keyword>, <keyword id="683956" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhakti-Park">Bhakti Park</keyword> and <keyword id="6537145" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wadala-Depot">Wadala Depot</keyword>. When the entire corridor starts working, tickets will cost Rs 5-19, across a total of 19 stations. 
 The monorail project has been executed by engineering major <keyword id="45475" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Larsen-Toubro">Larsen &amp; Toubro</keyword> and Malaysian firm <keyword id="1563400" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Scomi-Engineering">Scomi Engineering</keyword>. It is owned and operated by <keyword id="64095" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mumbai-Metropolitan-Region-Development-Authority">Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority</keyword> (<keyword id="48470" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="MMRDA">MMRDA</keyword>), which has already spent Rs 1,900 crore on both the phases. The civil work on the second phase has been completed as well. 
 Construction for the Chembur-Wadala-Jacob Circle (Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk) route – a total distance of 19.17 km – started back in 2009 and was scheduled to be completed in April 2011. But the project got delayed for more than 2.5 years and only the <keyword id="2039976" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wadala-Chembur">Wadala-Chembur</keyword> section could be completed in the first phase. With the entire stretch becoming operational, it will be the <keyword id="2039979" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Worlds-second-longest-monorail">world’s second longest monorail</keyword> corridor, after <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword>’s Osaka Monorail (23.8 km). Apart from Japan, other countries running monorails include <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>, <keyword id="8695" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Malaysia">Malaysia</keyword>, the <keyword id="6354458" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="US">US</keyword>, <keyword id="87" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Germany">Germany</keyword> and <keyword id="6355478" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Australia">Australia</keyword>. 
 
Mumbai monorail is going to be a colourful affair, flaunting green, pink and blue. It will be able to peak to 80 km/hour while the average speed has been set at 65 km/hour. Initially, six trains will run from 7 in the morning till 3 in the afternoon. But from March onwards, it will function 19 hours a day and the train frequency will improve as well – from 15 minutes to nine and finally to three-four minutes. As of now, each train has 4 air-conditioned coaches and can carry as many as 560 passengers. After the second phase is commissioned, there will be 10 more trains with six coaches each and a total of 19 stations. 
 But will the monorail be an essential part of our daily commute once the novelty wears off? It is bound to bring some much-needed relief to Mumbaikars, struggling to cope with traffic snarls on a daily basis. But to make the good work really effective, the second phase should be completed at the earliest. One also wonders if the authorities will consider starting a <keyword id="2039974" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Second-monorail-project">second monorail project</keyword> in and around Mumbai as was originally planned. Experts feel that the need for an expanded monorail corridor may arise after all the proposed metro rail routes are commissioned and there is further requirement for a seamless <keyword id="457467" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="feeder-service">feeder service</keyword>. And when that happens, the people of Mumbai are bound to have a completely hassle-free commute.

Mumbai Monorail Is
Now On Track; To Run From Feb 1

Actor <keyword id="19915080" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shilpa-Shetty" source="keywords">Shilpa Shetty</keyword> and her businessman husband <keyword id="19895826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Raj-Kundra" source="keywords">Raj Kundra</keyword> have moved the <keyword id="19905533" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bombay-High-Court" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bombay High Court" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Bombay High Court">Bombay High Court</keyword> challenging ED's notices directing them to vacate their house in Mumbai's <keyword id="19933318" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Juhu" source="keywords">Juhu</keyword> area and a farmhouse in Pune in connection with a money-laundering case. The pleas came up for hearing on Wednesday before a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan. The court issued notice to the <keyword id="19895344" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Enforcement-Directorate" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Enforcement Directorate" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Enforcement Directorate">Enforcement Directorate</keyword> (ED) and posted the matter for hearing on Thursday. Their petitions challenge ED notices dated September 27 issued to Shetty and Kundra directing them to evict their residential premises here and a farmhouse in Pune within ten days in connection with a money-laundering case linked to an alleged <keyword id="23486542" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bitcoin-fraud" source="keywords">Bitcoin fraud</keyword>. The couple's advocate Prashant Patil said that Shetty and Kundra received the <keyword id="20675198" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="eviction-notices" source="keywords">eviction notices</keyword> only on October 3. He termed the notices arbitrary and illegal and sought them to be quashed. According to the pleas, there is no grave urgency for the petitioners to vacate their premises and that the issuance of such eviction notices was uncalled for. "The petitioners are also seeking relief on humanitarian grounds as the premise in question is their residential premise in which they have been staying with their family of six members for almost two decades," the petitions said. The pleas also sought HC to stay the effect of the eviction notices. As per the pleas, the ED had in 2018 lodged a complaint against one <keyword id="21346793" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amit-bhardwaj" source="keywords">Amit Bhardwaj</keyword> and others for an alleged Bitcoin fraud and on charges of <keyword id="19899231" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="money-laundering" source="keywords">money laundering</keyword>. Both Shetty and her husband have not been named as accused in the case. The ED, during its probe, had summoned Kundra for questioning on several occasions. Kundra had appeared before the agency after each summons, the pleas said. In April 2024, Shetty and Kundra received a notice based on an order passed by the ED provisionally attaching their assets including their residential premise in Juhu that had been purchased by Kundra's father in 2009. Both Shetty and Kundra submitted their response to the notice. "However, in contravention to the provisions of law, the adjudicating authority confirmed the provisional attachment order on September 18, 2024. This order clearly states that the attachment is confirmed only till the conclusion of trial and is subject to its outcome," the pleas said. "The petitioners (Shetty and Kundra) on October 3 received two notices dated September 27, 2024, directing them to vacate their residential premises and the farmhouse," the petitions said. The petitions said no eviction order/notice can be issued prior to conviction. The pleas added that their residential premise has no connection with the scheduled offence or any proceeds of crime. The petitions further claimed that Kundra had absolutely no connection with the alleged fraud.

Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra's money laundering case takes new turn as they challenge the ED's eviction notices

Mumbai: The <keyword id="19905533" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bombay-High-Court" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bombay High Court" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bombay High Court">Bombay High Court</keyword> has taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls at a school in <keyword id="19972824" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Badlapur" source="keywords">Badlapur</keyword> town of Maharashtra's Thane district. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan will take up the matter for hearing today. The alleged sexual assault of the two kindergarten students by a male attendant had sparked a massive protest in Badlapur on Tuesday. The authorities on Wednesday suspended internet services in the town. Police said they have arrested 72 persons in connection with the violence during the stir. The male attendant, who was arrested on August 17, allegedly assaulted the kids in the school's toilet. A local court on Wednesday extended his police custody till August 26. The government has ordered the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh to probe into the alleged sexual assault of the KG girl students. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has also assured action against the school, adding that the case will be fast-tracked and the guilty won't be spared. While the school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher, and a female attendant, over the incident, the state government on Tuesday ordered the suspension of three police officials, including a senior police inspector, for alleged dereliction of duty in probing the <keyword id="20027232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sexual-abuse" source="keywords">sexual abuse</keyword> of the two girls. The opposition parties have alleged that the parents of the girls were made to wait for 11 hours at Badlapur police station before the officials took note of their complaints.

Bombay HC takes suo motu cognisance of Badlapur sexual abuse, hearing today

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Alex Wong/Getty ImagesDonald Trump Jr.</div></div></div><ul><li>A former Indian official accused Donald Trump Jr. of pushing an illegal project in Mumbai.</li><li>The accusation comes as Trump Jr. has received scrutiny for a recent India trip.</li></ul> A former Indian official accused Donald Trump Jr. of pushing a "blatantly illegal" project in Mumbai.The official, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, whose position is the equivalent of a US governor, said on the <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-inc-podcast-donald-trump-jr-india-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest edition of ProPublica's "Trump Inc." podcast</a> that Trump Jr. had asked him to overturn a decision to revoke permits for the Trump Organization's initial India project.That project was halted after investigators found "irregularities," ProPublica wrote, adding that those probing the project were tipped off by a state lawmaker who suspect a $100 million fraud and "gross violations."Trump Jr. then traveled to India in April 2012 along with partners and met with Chavan in hopes of getting the project up and running again.Chavan was told that Trump Jr. and the partners wanted to discuss investing in his state. Instead, they asked him to overturn that earlier decision."I would get into trouble to sanction something that was blatantly illegal," he said, adding the plans were "not within the existing rules."The Trump Organization did break into the Indian market in 2014 under a new government with the construction of Trump Tower Mumbai. That project is set to be finished in 2019 and is one of five Trump-affiliated projects being developed in the country.Just last month, Trump Jr. visited India to promote the properties. His visit <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/20/news/economy/donald-trump-jr-india-visit-delhi-kolkata-modi/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">came under fire</a> by critics, particularly after national newspaper ads promised a dinner with President Donald Trump's eldest son in exchange for an early sign-up to one of the Trump apartments under construction.ProPublica reported that a Trump partner said they booked $15 million in sales within one day during Trump Jr.'s India visit.Each of the Trump Organization's India projects are licensing deals in which the company provides the Trump name and manages the property.The Trump Organization didn't respond to requests for comment. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/journalist-vegas-tenold-investigated-neo-nazis-for-six-years-2018-3">Neo-Nazi groups let a journalist in their meetings and rallies - here's what he saw</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Former official accuses Donald Trump Jr. of pushing 'blatantly illegal' project in India

<ul><li>India’s financial capital has richest civic body in the country that is ridden with corruption and inefficiencies. </li><li>The budget for Mumbai’s municipal corporation has increased 5 times in the last 12 years. </li><li>Yet, the creaky infrastructure brings the mega city to a grinding halt every monsoon.</li></ul>The <keyword id="33109" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Joker">Joker</keyword> was Gotham’s ‘agent of chaos’ and for Mumbai, it’s the civic body-- the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which is responsible for its infrastructure. That includes roads, sewage, storm water drainage, bridges, water supply, licenses for commercial activity, schools and hospitals. “Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It's fair!” the Joker said in 2009 blockbuster, The Dark Knight. In Mumbai, corruption and inefficiencies of the city’s civic body unleash misery and puts millions of lives at risk, at random. Watch: A Jaguar gets stranded in a Mumbai floods while a Mahindra Bolero wades through 
 
 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="UaNcpuDIEzM" title="Mahindra Bolero pick-up overtakes stuck Jaguar in flooded road" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UaNcpuDIEzM/mqdefault.jpg"></div>







 Just like the hopeless people of Gotham, every monsoon, Mumbaikars prepare for the eventuality that they may not return home as they leave for work. On Wednesday (September 5), the civic body magnanimously advised schools to stay shut due to incessant rains-- at 10 am. Watch: Stranded students being rescued by civilians 
	
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="mybmc" handlename="माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/3281764595/0a984bb8488fcd5307a6ccfe5f918287_normal.jpeg" favoritecount="1527" retweetcount="438" status="In wake of IMD’s warning of heavy rainfall for the rest of the day too, the schools shall remain closed today. The… https://t.co/sd7U5QQOhl" createdat="1567570920000" id="1169103292632186881"></div>







 By then children had already left for school and, unsurprisingly, found themselves stranded. In some cases, they were able to get back home as late as 7 pm. 
	
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="TamannaInamdar" handlename="Tamanna Inamdar" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1140458161800806400/jHsXf1eW_normal.jpg" favoritecount="38" retweetcount="6" status="Finally got her home at 7 pm. Nearly six hours after my child boarded her school bus and after a harrowing 'rescue'… https://t.co/K4Zea2fewx" createdat="1567605078000" id="1169246560745484288"></div>







 Money that would put a smile on any face The mega city’s generous 24 million population has accepted the civic body’s indifference as its fate. This, even after contributing ₹30,000 crore ($4.2 billion) this year to the municipal budget. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s budget has swelled nearly five times in the last 12 years but the plight of its people has only gotten worse. Even by the standards of commercial capitals in developing countries, Mumbai is a mess. Behind the veneer of its entrepreneurial spirit and a professional workforce, lies a city that has been plundered by the ruling elite at an unprecedented scale. Mumbai’s civic body is flushing billions down the drain Meanwhile, the cats at the BMC (which has 1.2 lakh personnel) are getting fatter every year. For instance, documents show that its Chief Engineer AS Yamgar of the Sewerage Operation Department made a monthly salary of ₹1,24,725 as of June 2018. This is nearly as much as <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/business/budget-2018-increases-salary-of-president-by-200-to-rs-5-lakh-per-month-1647855.html">the salary of the President of India before the hike last year</a>, or that of a mid-level corporate employee. However, for the BMC leadership and staff, the money seems to come without accountability. 
	
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="surajojhaa" handlename="Suraj Ojha" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1164059122280456192/Jwi4E8aL_normal.jpg" favoritecount="31" retweetcount="26" status="#MumbaiRainsLive Mithi river over flowing @mid_day @RidlrMUM @patel_bhupen #RainyDay #SafetyFirst #MumbaiTraffic https://t.co/670zkW9Zi1" createdat="1567581422000" id="1169147340135026688"></div>







 And the rot runs deep. <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/mumbai-bmc-driver-makes-more-money-than-commissioner-216408-2013-11-04">An India Today story in 2013</a> exposed how a driver earns more than the municipal Commissioner he serves. He simply slept in the vehicle after being relieved of his duties and got paid for working overtime. Shiv Sena, the party ruled by the Thackeray family, controlled the corporation for most part of the last three decades. Therefore, the blame for the shortcomings of the civic body squarely falls on them. The poor quality of the pothole-ridden roads of Mumbai reveal the enormity of misused funds. People tend to believe without question when it is informally said that less than 20% of the money is actually used in the infrastructure projects, and the rest is siphoned off. The passivity of the voters can be disheartening. Almost 81% of the total of 1,491 kilometres of roads in the city are managed by the BMC. But, the four best-managed roads in the city – Bandra Worli SeaLink, New Airport Road, Eastern Freeway and Bandra Kurla Complex-- are under the supervision of Mumbai Metropolitan Road Development Authority (MMRDA), which is also in charge of the metro rail construction that is currently underway. The MMRDA is not without flaws as exposed by <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/mumbai-monorail-a-trip-to-nowhere/article29273282.ece">the colossal failure of the recent monorail project</a>. Yet, it has been slightly more efficient than the BMC in some cases. The devastating floods of 2005 that killed over a 1,000 people should have been a wake up call. At that stage, an honest leadership would have been embarrassed enough to pull themselves into action and resurrect the city to avoid a similar carnage in the future. Since then, there have been five Chief Ministers -- Vilasrao Deshmukh, Ashok Chavan, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Prithviraj Chavan, and now, Devendra Fadnavis-- but the people’s plight has got worse with every passing monsoon. One may expect the authorities to prepare and respond better given that an election is scheduled this year. However, the choice for the voters is between the devil and the deep sea as both Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) outfits have failed the people of the city over the years. In Mumbai, “<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/393220611192996582/?nic=1">there are no heroes here, only survivors.</a>” 
	
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="Ketul1Indian" handlename="ketulkumar" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/864159255225610240/_A7uwK2n_normal.jpg" favoritecount="6" retweetcount="2" status="👏👏🙏🙏 to all the good Samaritans who helped these kids yesterday. #MumbaiRains https://t.co/SjyFS8ugQK" createdat="1567658862000" id="1169472148504596480"></div>







 Disclaimer: Vishal Bhargava is a contributor to Business Insider. He has donned several hats in India's financial sector-- from investment banking to financial research to business development-- before becoming an entrepreneur. The opinions are solely reflect the views of the author and not of the publication.

If Mumbai is Gotham, the civic body would be the Joker

Candidate list for Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections 2019

Indian National Congress candidate list for Maharashtra State election 2019

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Alex Wong/Getty ImagesDonald Trump.</div></div></div><ul><li>President Donald Trump does not like the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.</li><li>As Trump's dealings in India get more attention, some have noted that he could be running afoul of that statute by way of some business partners.</li></ul>President Donald Trump could be running afoul of a law - one he deemed "horrible" - because of his overseas business interests.Now, multiple news outlets have looked at how the Trump Organization's business <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-does-trump-organization-have-in-india-2018-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dealings in India</a> could create some headaches for Trump.Meanwhile, ethics experts say investigators should probe whether Trump's business has run afoul of that law, known as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). <a href="https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">That 1977 law prohibits</a> US business and their partners from bribing or influencing foreign officials to help advance a business deal. In 2012, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-inc-podcast-trumps-partners-in-india-many-red-flags" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump told CNBC</a> that it was "things like this that cause us to not be able to lead the world.""For this country to prosecute because something took place in India is outrageous," he said.The Trump Organization has more deals in India than Trump's namesake business has in any other foreign country, and some of the business partners in those licensing deals - where the Trump Organization provides its name and manages the property under another owner - have been accused of shady practices.<a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/147351/political-corruption-art-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Partners in four of the five projects</a> had come under the microscope from Indian investigators for an array of allegations ranging from bribery and fraud to money laundering, and violations of foreign exchange regulations, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-inc-podcast-trumps-partners-in-india-many-red-flags" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ProPublica reported</a>."Corruption in India is quite common, particularly in the real estate industry," ProPublica wrote.At the same time, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-jr-india-illegal-project-org-2018-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a former Indian official accused</a> Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., of pushing a "<a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/147351/political-corruption-art-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blatantly illegal</a>" project in Mumbai.The official, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, whose position is the equivalent of a US governor, said Trump Jr. had asked him to overturn a decision to revoke permits for the Trump Organization's initial India project.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Lucas JacksonDonald Trump Jr.</div></div></div>That project was halted after investigators found "irregularities," <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/147351/political-corruption-art-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Republic wrote</a>, adding that those probing the project were tipped off by a state lawmaker who suspected a $100 million fraud and "gross violations."Trump Jr. then traveled to India in April 2012 along with partners and met with Chavan in hopes of getting the project up and running again. It did not happen. But, under a new government in 2014, Trump's company broke into the market.<h2>'He has contempt for the law'</h2>"We don't know whether he is complying with it, but I think that ought to be investigated," Richard Painter, who served as top ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush, told Business Insider of President Trump and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. "Because he's got a lot of deals all over the world, many of them are in some of the most corrupt countries."He added that India "is actually probably better than a lot of them.""He has contempt for the law," Painter, now a University of Minnesota law professor, said. "I think it's a big issue. And it just needs to be investigated by the Department of Justice."Some of these possible issues would be averted if Trump severed ties with his business, ethicists said. Prior to taking office, Trump passed along control of his business to his two adult sons and a senior Trump Organization executive. He did not do what some lawmakers and ethics experts insisted and divest from his business entirely."People are rightfully looking into the president's business partners to see who might have a financial influence on him," Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told Business Insider. "In the case of India, the Trump Organization's largest real estate market outside of the United States, there have been reports about some less than upstanding business partners. Obviously, laws need to be followed and bribery is a bad thing, but President Trump could and still can remove himself from these discussions by following the lead of past presidents and divesting from his businesses."<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-organization-facing-mueller-stormy-daniels-lawsuits-2018-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As special counsel Robert Mueller has subpoenaed</a> the Trump Organization for documents, some speculated that prosecutors could take a look at any violations of the 1977 law."Given some of the stories about Trump's business partners in foreign deal, my guess is that Mueller will be looking at potential FCPA violations," said Larry Noble, the senior director and general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center.Painter said the FCPA "may come up" in Mueller's investigation, but he added that the scope of that investigation is "generally" limited to Russia. Trump's overseas dealings are almost entirely outside of that scope.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-mueller-red-line-finances-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump has said that</a> if Mueller were to take a dive into his finances, he would be crossing a "red line" that was outside of what he is supposed to be looking at. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/transgender-activist-former-white-house-intern-sarah-mcbride-isnt-discouraged-by-trump-2018-3">This transgender activist and former Obama White House intern isn't backing down against Trump</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

You Searched For "Prithviraj Chavan" and got 12 results

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