Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 13 (ANI): Former Maharashtra chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, whose statement was recorded in the phone tapping case said that he had submitted the documents of the case to the Union Home Secretary and not media.

Mumbai Feb 22 PTI The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said the Maharashtra governments orders of 2021 permitting only people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel in local trains were illegal and brazenly affected the fundamental rights of citizens A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik said the three orders signed by the governments then chief secretary Sitaram Kunte were in clear diversion from the prescribed procedure under the Disaster Management Rules The orders passed by the former chief secretary were in clear diversion of the prescribed procedure Due to the illegal orders the fundamental rights of citizens were brazenly affected the HC said On Tuesday the governments counsel Anil Anturkar informed the court that the three orders in question issued on July 15 August 10 and August 11 2021 stand withdrawn In spirit of the observations made by the high court the three orders are withdrawn The state executive committee would be holding a meeting on February 25 following which fresh directives would be issued Anturkar said We may withdraw the prohibition on use of local trains by unvaccinated people or those who have taken one dose or may impose it based on the present COVID-19 situation At this stage I cannot say anything further Anturkar said The bench then pointed out that the number of people who tested positive for coronavirus in Mumbai on Monday was at the lowest in 20 months We hope and trust that the state executive committee takes an appropriate decision on February 25 keeping in mind the declining trend of COVID-19 cases the HC said and posted the matter for further hearing on February 28 On Monday Mumbai reported 96 new COVID-19 cases the lowest single-day rise after April 17 2020 as per the city civic body The HC bench noted that Kuntes orders breached the state disaster management rules and were issued in his individual capacity as chairperson of the state executive committee without there being any deliberation with the other members The chairperson has the powers to pass such orders only in emergency situations But we opine that none of the three orders rendered an emergent situation warranting the former chief secretary to pass such orders the high court said The bench had on Monday asked the government if it was willing to withdraw the three circulars as they were not passed following proper procedure The court was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations challenging the prohibition on use of local trains in the city by unvaccinated people saying that such a prohibition was illegal arbitrary and in breach of the citizens fundamental right to move freely across the country as guaranteed by Article 19 1 d of the Constitution Niles Ojha the counsel for one of the petitioners in the case argued previously that the state failed to apply its mind while coming up with the SOPs and that it discriminated between the vaccinated and unvaccinated people though neither the Centre nor the Maharashtra government had made vaccination mandatory PTI SP GK GK

Mumbai Feb 21 PTI The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the Maharashtra government if it was willing to withdraw its notification issued last year prohibiting people not vaccinated against COVID-19 from travelling in local trains in the city Let bygones be bygones Let there be a new beginning Chief Justice Dipankar Datta said adding that Chief Secretary Debashish Chakraborty must inform the court on Tuesday if the state government will withdraw its decision to permit only fully vaccinated people to travel in the suburban trains A bench of Chief Justice Datta and Justice M S Karnik was hearing two public interest litigations seeking that all people in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMR be allowed to travel in local trains irrespective of their vaccination status The PILs challenged three notifications issued by the Maharashtra government in July and August last year that prohibited unvaccinated people from travelling in local trains which are considered as the lifeline of Mumbai Niles Ojha the counsel for one of the petitioners had earlier argued in the HC that the prohibition on use of local trains by unvaccinated people was illegal arbitrary and in breach of the citizens fundamental right to move freely across the country as guaranteed by Article 19 1 d of the Constitution He had argued that the governments move discriminated between the vaccinated and unvaccinated people though neither the Centre nor the Maharashtra government had made vaccination mandatory On the previous hearings the HC asked for the state files on the three notifications under challenge and realised that the decision to prohibit unvaccinated people from travelling in local trains had been taken unilaterally by the then chief secretary Sitaram Kunte The high court on Monday said Chief Secretary has to withdraw order the notification on such prohibition Whatever has been done by his predecessor Kunte is not in accordance with law Withdraw this and allow people Now the COVID-19 situation has improved Maharashtra handled it beautifully Why are you inviting a bad name the court said The state must be sensible and not treat the issue as an adversarial litigation the court said and sought the chief secretarys response by Tuesday afternoon PTI AYA GK GK

Mumbai Jan 28 PTI The Bombay High Court on Friday said it will have to hear senior IPS officer and current acting Director General of Police DGP of Maharashtra Sanjay Pandey before passing an order on a petition seeking permanent appointment of an officer to the post A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik said that while earlier this week it had closed the matter for judgment noting that there was no need to hear Pandey it has later come to the courts notice that there are some direct allegations against the IPS officer in the petition While dictating our judgment in the case we came across a few paragraphs in the petition where there are certain direct allegations made against Sanjay Pandey In view of this we deem it appropriate and necessary to implead Sanjay Pandey as a party respondent in the petition We will hear him first and then pass our judgment the court said The court recalled its January 25 order reserving the matter for judgment The bench on Friday directed Pandey to file his affidavit in response to the petition by February 4 The Maharashtra government and the UPSC shall also file affidavits if they wish to the bench said posting the matter for further hearing The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by a city-based advocate Datta Mane seeking directions to the state government to make a permanent appointment to the post of the Director General of Police DGP Manes counsel Abhinav Chandrachud had argued that as per a judgment passed by the Supreme Court the post of the states top police officer could not be an acting one and that an officer with the minimum tenure requirements as per the 2006 ruling must be appointed The petition sought that the state government must appoint a DGP as per the recommendation made by the selection committee of the UPSC in November 2021 Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni appearing for the state government had told the court that Pandey currently the senior most IPS officer in the state had been appointed as the acting DGP last year after the then DGP Subodh Jaiswal vacated the post midterm following his transfer to the CBI In the November 1 meeting of the UPSC selection committee of which the states then Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte was a party the names of IPS officers Hemant Nagrale Rajnish Seth and K Venkatesham were recommended for the post of Maharashtra DGPKunte signed off on the three names at the time but on November 8 he wrote to the UPSC saying that it had erred in not recommending the current acting DGP Sanjay Pandeys name and that it would reconsider the same The court had earlier this week noted that Kuntes conduct was not proper and not based on any legal principles The bench had noted that it did not behove Kunte to have not raised a grievance or pointed out the error committed if any by the committee before signing off on the three names Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh appearing for the Union government had told the court that once the three names had been recommended there was no question for the UPSC to reconsider the same PTI SP ARU ARU

Mumbai Nov 30 PTI Senior IAS officer Debashish Chakraborty was given charge of the post of Maharashtra Chief Secretary after incumbent Sitaram Kunte retired on Tuesday Chakraborty a 1986 batch Indian Administrative Service officer is holding additional charge as CS an official from the chef ministers office said The Maharashtra government had sought an extension for Kunte but there was no reply from the Centre on the issue so far the official added PTI PR BNM BNM BNM

Mumbai Nov 27 PTI With the new coronavirus variant Omicron causing worldwide concern the Maharashtra government on Saturday announced penalties for not following COVID Appropriate Behaviour CABAs to rules for international travelers state chief secretary Sitaram Kunte told PTI that the government was working on it in collaboration with the Mumbai civic body and Union health ministryAll travelers from foreign countries shall be governed by directions of the Union government while domestic travelers arriving in the state shall either be fully vaccinated or carry a negative RT-PCR test report valid for 72 hours said an official notificationMumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar had said earlier in the day that passengers from South Africa where cases of the new variant have been found will be quarantined and their samples will be sent for genome sequencingAny person not following CAB will be fined Rs 500 new guidelines issued by the government saidIf such violation by a person takes place on the premises of an organization which is supposed to impose CAB it will be fined Rs 10000If any organization itself fails to follow CAB it will face a fine of Rs 50000 and frequent violations of rules will lead to its closure for the period of the pandemicViolation of rules in private taxis or in public transport vehicles will lead to fine of Rs 500 while owner of the transport agency shall be fined Rs 10000Full vaccination would be mandatory for using any means of public transport the notification saidThe universal pass of the state government will be valid proof of full vaccination having taken two dosesAt public programs shows or events whether ticketed or non-ticketed full vaccination would be mandatory for organizers as well as participantsviewersShops malls and other locations where any service is provided employees as well as customers will have to be fully vaccinatedFor those below 18 years of age and hence not vaccinated government or school-issued photo identity cards would be necessary Adult persons who could not take the vaccine for medical reasons should carry a medical certificateGatherings in enclosed space will be allowed with 50 per cent capacity while those in open places will be allowed with 25 per cent capacity PTI MR KRK KRK

Mumbai Nov 26 PTI The Uddhav Thackeray government on Friday appointed Kishore Raje Nimbalkar as chairman of Maharashtra Public Service Commission A notification announcing the appointment was issued by state Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte which said the tenure would be of six years from the date of assuming charge or till Nimbalkar attains 62 years of age whichever is earlier PTI MR BNM BNM BNM

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 25 (ANI): After former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Thursday appeared before the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, the Maharashtra government is mulling taking action against him, according to sources.

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 24 (ANI): In view of the ongoing Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) strike, state's Transport Minister Anil Parab on Wednesday announced the proposal of salary hike for employees and have also assured that it would be credited in their accounts before the 10th of every month.

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 13 (ANI): Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab met NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday morning and held talks regarding the ongoing strike by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees.