Assembly clears bill to lease out plot in absence of Sena ministers
The Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the bill to lease out a plot at nominal rates for a memorial for the late Sena founder Bal Thackeray at the mayor’s bungalow at Shivaji Park in Dadar. No Sena minister was present in the House when the bill came up for discussion and was cleared.
Diwakar Raote, senior Sena minister, said although no Sena minister was present at the time of discussion, Rajabhau Waze, party legislator from Sinnar constituency, participated in the debate. According to the existing provision, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) cannot sell, lease or transfer any plot for less than its market value. With this amendment, the BMC will be able to lease out the up-market plot for the memorial at nominal rates. To bring this in force, the bill also needs an approval from the legislative council.
Ranjit Patil, minister of state for urban development department, introduced the Bill before the House. NCP legislator Jayant Patil requested to postpone the debate saying no Sena minister was present in the House. Minister of state replied the BJP and Sena are together in the government and the bill has been introduced with their consent.
Raote said the order of the day has no clear mention about the subject of the Bill. “As soon as I came to know about tabling the bill, I rushed towards the House. By the time I reached Vidhan Bhavan, the bill was passed unanimously. I met group leaders of all parties, including speaker Haribhau Bagade, and expressed my gratitude,” he told HT.
Stating that college students are soft targets for drug peddlers in major cities like Mumbai, Pune among others, the state government announced it would launch a combing operation to crack the drug network. The government also said the ingredients of various drugs are manufactured in the state.
While informing the legislative assembly on Tuesday that the Centre’s Narcotics Control Bureau took action against drug peddler Gulam Hussain Azad in January, the government admitted that the menace seems to have spread in the city. Minister of state for home Ranjit Patil, while replying to the question raised during question hour, said the chemical stimulus known by the name of meow meow, mephedrone or MD are sold outside schools and colleges in Mumbai Pune and other cities of the state The drug is cheaper than cocaine which costs about Rs 12,000 a gram, he said. "More dangerous is that the precursors, which were imported till recently, are now manufactured in the state The Mumbai police has success fully cracked a network across various states after finding a manufacturing unit in Karna taka. The action restricted the flow of the drug, resulting in the rise of the drug’s rate a gram from Rs1,200 to Rs3,000," said Patil. The minister said Goa has been the epicentre of supply. He also said Kurla, Danabandar Grant Road have become the cen tres in the city.
Legislators from the Opposi tion also raised the issue of drug suppliers from countries like Nigeria, Bangladesh overstaying in the city even after expiry of the passport.