Takes it to task for lands allotted to undertakings lying idle over years, also for lack of maintaining data base

The Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) has rapped the Maharashtra government for lack of a mechanism to carry out a periodic review of the lands allotted to Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and other state undertakings. Such a mechanism, according to the CAG, was necessary to ensure that land not required by these undertakings would be available to the government for other welfare measures.

New Delhi: It’s early days yet, but the first indications from within the country about this year’s monsoon are positive.

The need of the hour is to encourage and strengthen the public transport so that there are few private vehicles in the city.

For the first time, the State government filed cases of cheating and criminal breach of trust in 18 districts against Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco) for failing to deliver the promised quota of a single variety of Bt cotton seeds in th0e 2011 kharif season.

Official sources said before sowing last year, Mahyco had accepted bookings from dealers and retailers for 16.76 lakh packets of MRC 7351 variety Bt cotton seeds but delivered only 9-10 per cent of what was assured.

Scarcity of water for thermal power projects is likely to affect electricity generation in Maharashtra in summer.

After lagging behind Gujarat in overall investment, the Prithviraj Chavan-led government is gearing up to lure investors to the state.

With seven swine flu cases reported in the city, the civic body is making efforts to ensure that sufficient arrangements are in place for an aggravated situation.

The BMC has directed all laboratories and hospitals, both private and public, to submit daily reports of suspected swine flu samples they receive for conducting tests.

After securing sources for financing the fully-underground Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro corridor, the development authority implementing the project is now focusing its attention on the land acquisition and rehabilitation procedure of residents to be displaced by the Metro.

According to initial estimates, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has identified about 1,000 families that would be affected by the project. These would be mostly around the stations planned on the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro line, which is the third Metro planned for the city.

The Maharashtra government, caught between the rising mismatch between demand and supply of power and deteriorating finances of power utilities, has introduced an amnesty scheme for payment of dues by consumers. The scheme would be applicable for the recovery of pending electricity bills for various drinking water schemes.

The Maharashtra government is set to implement some harsh monetary steps from next month, as finance minister Ajit Pawar envisaged a raise in tax rates across sectors in the 2012-13 budget presented on Monday. The proposals are expected to mobilise an additional Rs 600 crore, and make the state revenue-surplus by Rs 152.5 crore by the end of the coming financial year.