In a meeting organised by the All India Sunni Jamiat-ul-Islam and Ittihad-u-Sufiya Organisation, the members met with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Malegaon to express their concerns regarding the proposed amendment to the Waqf Board Act.
The organisations expressed strong displeasure with the current Waqf Board Act Amendment Bill, stating that the amendment threatens to take away Waqf properties from the Muslim community through 44 different points.
They argued that the current Wakf Board Amendment Act is unnecessary and accused the present government of attempting to weaken the powers of the Wakf Act. One of the key concerns highlighted was the increase in tax on Waqf properties from 2% to 7%, which they demanded should be reverted to the original 2%.
They also voiced opposition to a decision made by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to transfer temple lands in Sambhajinagar and Marathwada to new owners at a 5% tax rate, calling for a similar concession for Waqf properties. Furthermore, the organisations demanded that a representative of the Waqf Board be included in the Lok Sabha.
In response, Pawar, speaking as a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (AP), assured the delegation that if the bill introduced in the Lok Sabha regarding the Waqf Board is deemed unfair to the Muslim community, he would personally address the issue with the Central Government, along with other key leaders such as Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu, Chirag Paswan and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Dams show improved water levels
After heavy rains in Nashik city last week, the intensity of rainfall has significantly subsided, with only light showers reported over the past three to four days. The Godavari River, which saw its first flood of the season last week, is now experiencing reduced water discharge from the Gangapur Dam as the rainfall has decreased.
As of Aug 12, water levels in Nashik district's 24 large and medium projects stand at 66.08% capacity. Due to recent rains, the levels of various dams have risen. The Gangapur Dam, which supplies water to Nashik city, is currently at 85.86% capacity, with the group of dams collectively holding 83.05%.
Several dams in Nashik district, including Bhavli, Valdevi, Harnabari, Kelzar, and Bhojapur, have reached overflow levels. The Kadava Dam is at 81.58%, while the Darna Dam is nearly full at 87.37%. Although some dams have seen an increase in water storage due to the rains, the situation in other dams remains concerning.
Water release from both small and large dams in the district has been reduced following the decrease in rainfall. The district has received nearly 73 millimetres of rain, helping alleviate some of the water scarcity in the region. Currently, the overall water stock in district dams is at 66.08%.
With reduced rainfall in the Gangapur Dam's catchment area, the discharge of water into the Godavari River has also been gradually decreased. The Kelzar Dam, a crucial water source for the western part of Baglan in Nashik district, has reached its full capacity. Water is now being released from the dam's spillway into the Aram River basin. The Kelzar Dam's overflow is beneficial for agriculture in Baglan taluka, providing much-needed irrigation and drinking water. The farmers in the region are expressing satisfaction, as the filling of Kelzar Dam addresses critical water needs for both agricultural irrigation and drinking purposes.
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Rajendra Gaikwad appointed Collector of Stamp
Rajendra Madhavrao Gaikwad has recently assumed the position of Nashik’s Collector Stamp. Following the transfer of the previous Nashik Collector, Kailas Dange, Gaikwad, who was serving as the Sub-District Registrar and Collector of Stamp in Dhule, was appointed to the vacant post. Gaikwad officially took charge on Thursday, Aug 8, and expressed his commitment to increasing government revenue.
Dange served in Nashik for four years before being promoted, leading to Gaikwad's transfer from Mumbai to Dhule, and now to Nashik. On this occasion, Officer Sunil Joshi and the staff of the Registration and Stamp Department welcomed Gaikwad with a bouquet.
5 injured in Nashik-Mumbai-Agra highway accident
An accident involving a bus and a truck occurred today on the Nashik-Mumbai-Agra highway near the VTC junction, leaving five people seriously injured. The collision took place at around 8.30am when a truck travelling from Mumbai to Nashik collided head-on with a corporation bus heading from Nashik to Igatpuri.
The vehicles involved were a truck (MH-15 DK 3116) and a bus (MH 40 AQ 6010). Among the injured were Dayaram Nivritti Sahane (45), the bus driver from Pathardi Phata, Tejas Nivritti Pagar (42), a bus conductor from Nashik, Dr Sanjay Devram Sadavarte (51) from Ghoti Rural, Mohan Ramrao Vakchoure (44) from Shivajinagar Satpur, Kundan Vasantrao Patil (31) from Nashik, Pratima Dighe, and the truck driver, Shailesh.
Upon receiving information about the accident, a free ambulance service from the Jagadguru Narendracharya Maharaj Sansthan, stationed at Gonde Phata, promptly arrived at the scene and transported the injured to Nashik Civil Hospital for treatment.
New series launched for transport vehicles
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Nashik has announced the launch of the new 'MH-15-JA' series for transport cadre vehicles. Regional Transport Officer Pradeep Shinde said that those who are interested in obtaining registration numbers for this series must apply on Friday, Aug 16, 2024, between 10.30am and 2.30pm.
A fixed fee is required as per government rules for reserving attractive registration numbers in the new 'MH-15-JA' series. Applicants must submit their application in the prescribed format along with necessary documents, including proof of address, a photograph, and an attested copy of identification such as an Aadhaar card, electricity bill, passport, PAN card and other documents. The application must also include a demand draft drawn from any nationalised or scheduled bank, payable to the Regional Transport Officer, Nashik. An attested copy of the PAN card is also mandatory.
Once reserved, the preferred number is non-transferable and non-refundable. In the event of multiple applications for the same number, a list of attractive numbers will be displayed on the office notice board, and an auction process will follow. Successful bidders must submit a single demand draft of the bid amount in a sealed envelope, in addition to the prescribed fee, by 4pm the following day. The highest bidder will be issued the preferred number.
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