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Dnyanesh Jathar
Dnyanesh Jathar

MAHARASHTRA

In brief: Uddhav, Rane share dais; Sena's relief for farmers and more

PTI6_23_2017_000205B Uddhav Thackeray, Devendra Fadanvis, Nitin Gadkari, Suresh Prabhu and Narayan Rane during the 'bhoomipoojan' of the Mumbai-Goa four-lane highway | PTI

Assuaging farmers' anguish

Shiv Sena is leaving no stone unturned to corner BJP. On the issue of farm loan waiver, it played the role of opposition very effectively. Shiv Sena activists were busy appealing to farmers to participate in the strike to put pressure on the government during the recent agitation by farmers.
Now Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray has instructed party councillors, party legislators, ministers and members of parliament to donate one month salary for the benefit of farmers affected by the agrarian crisis. Senior Shiv Sena leader and Transport Minister Divakar Raote informed Uddhav Thackeray that he would personally contribute Rs 10 lakh to this fund.
Sena knows very well that if BJP leadership does not ask its elected representatives to do the same, it is bound to find itself in an embarrassing position as the ruling party has already earned much negative publicity during farmers agitation.

Vikhe Patil's grand gesture

Speaking of agrarian crisis, leader of opposition in the legislative assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil recently stunned politicians, including his own party men, in the state. Vikhe Patil announced the decision to adopt families of 208 farmers who had committed suicide since the BJP-Sena came to power in Maharashtra in 2014. Vikhe Patil is a preeminent sugar baron and controls Pravara cooperative empire in Ahmednagar district. Pravar group runs sugar mills, cooperative dairy and a number of educational institutions, and it is managed by Vikhe Patil's son Suyash, who is a highly qualified doctor.

Vikhe Patil has decided that each child in the family of the 208 farmers will be educated at their education institutions free of cost. They will also clear pending loans of these families if the government has failed to do so, in addition, one family member each will be given a job best suitable to his or her ability in Pravara Cooperative. Vikhe Patil baiters, however, say all this is being done so that Dr Suyash is able get a firm foothold in Maharashtra politics when he contests elections in 2019.

Jog memorial award revived

Late Deepak Jog was one of the best IPS officers that the state has seen. He died young and in uniform. Jog, son of former Maharashtra DGP Suryakant Jog, belonged to the 1985 batch, and was deputy commissioner of police (crime) when he suffered a massive heart attack in 1996. After Jog's death, he was succeeded by Datta Padsalgikar as DCP (crime). Padsalgikar is now Mumbai's commissioner of police. Jog's father, late Suryakant Jog, had instituted an award for best crime detection in Mumbai in memory of his son. The last time this award was given was when Mumbai crime branch solved the J. Dey murder case. After that, this practice was stopped as it was seen as the award had been instituted by a retired DGP in memory of his IPS officer son and funds were coming from the Jog family.
Padsalgikar, who has fond memories of being Jog's colleague, has now revived the annual practice. This year's Deepak Jog memorial award for best crime detection went to J.J. Marg police station for solving the case of murder of a five-year-old girl who had been kidnapped by two persons known to her family.


Rane, Uddhav share dais

Shiv Sainik-turned-Congressman and former chief minister Narayan Rane shared the dais with Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray after 12 long years. When he quit the Sena, a bitter Rane had launched a venomous attack on Uddhav Thackeray's leadership. Since then, the two had not spoken to each other.
Both of them came together on stage for the bhoomipoojan (ground breaking ceremony) of the four-laning of Mumbai-Goa national highway undertaken by Nitin Gadkari's ministry. The event took place in Sindhudurg district. Narayan Rane and his son Nitesh, both local legislators, were invited for the event as per protocol. It is learnt that Rane's men had put up posters across the district to welcome Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Interestingly, none of these posters had any mention of Congress. While he praised the CM and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the interaction between Uddhav and Rane was merely formal.

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