CAIT: GOVT NOT TAKING ANY ACTION ON WALMART DEAL
CAIT EXPRESSED DISPLEASURE FOR GOVT NOT TAKING ANY ACTION ON WALMART DEAL
In a strong worded communication sent today to Shri Suresh Prabhu, Union Commerce Minister , the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) sought to know as to what steps the Government has taken to scrutinise the deal of Walmart-Flipkart or as usual the Govt has kept its eyes & ears closed irrespective of the fact that whether deal is violating any law or FDI policy of the Govt. The CAIT as a first step is moving to Competition Commission of India for filing its objections to Walmart deal.
CAIT Secretary General Mr Praveen Khandelwal said that Important issues of FDI policy, cyber security, apprehension of using e Commerce for entering into retail trade by circumventing the law etc are involved in the deal and looking at the stiff opposition from trade bodies, online vendors & others, the Govt must rise to the occasion and scrutinise the deal in depth of it. It is highly regretted that so far Government has not taken any step to consult the traders despite lodging their objections with the Commerce Ministry. Such an attitude indicate the turning balance towards MNCs at the cost of ignoring the domestic retail trade. It is much against the BJP manifesto of 2014 which has committed no encouragement to FDI in retail. It appears that Government has taken a u turn to its declared commitment.
Mr Khandelwal further said that sadly in last 4 years no steps have been taken by the Government to ensure speedy & stimulated growth of domestic trade whereas several steps have been taken to encourage MNCs to enter into retail trade of the Country. The Walmart Flipkart deal will prove to be a nightmare for retail trade & economy of the Country. There will be enormous job losses and an uneven level playing field will be created with such deals. It’s an open fact that in US, Europe etc, the financial lending entails an interest rate from 1.5 to 2.5 percent only whereas in India the Finance is lend by the Banks from 12 percent to 20 percent per annum. This difference in interest rates in itself is enough to kill the domestic trade. The Govt should take steps to bridge the gap for maintaining equal level playing field and to encourage healthy Businesd practices in the Country
AAP reaction on oil price surge
AAP/PR/PetrolPriceHike
पेट्रोल-डीज़ल की आड़ में आम जनता की जेब पर डाका डाल रही है भाजपा सरकार: AAP
सोमवार को एक बयान जारी करते हुए आम आदमी पार्टी के मुख्य प्रवक्ता सौरभ भारद्वाज और प्रवक्ता राघव चड्ढा ने कहा कि देश में इस वक्त पेट्रोल के दाम आसमान छू रहे हैं। अंतर्राष्ट्रीय बाज़ार में कच्चा तेल सस्ता है लेकिन बावजूद इसके पेट्रोल-डीज़ल के दाम शिखर पर हैं।
सौरभ भरद्वाज ने कहा कि अंतरराष्ट्रीय बाज़ार में कच्चे तेल के दाम इतने ज़्यादा नहीं हैं लेकिन फिर भी पूरे देश में पेट्रोल-डीज़ल के दाम आसमान छू रहे हैं। ताज़ा आंकड़ों का हवाला देते हुए उन्होंने कहा कि आज दिल्ली में पेट्रोल के दाम ₹76.24 हैं, कोलकाता में ₹78.91 है, चेन्नई में ₹79.13 है, जबकि मुम्बई में ₹84.07 हैं। हालांकि अंतर्राष्ट्रीय बाज़ार में कच्चे तेल के दाम साल 2013 के मुकाबले काफ़ी कम हुए हैं। समझ नहीं आता कि जब क्रूड ऑयल के दाम में गिरावट आई है तो भारतीय बाज़ार में पेट्रोल-डीज़ल के दाम कम करने की बजाए बढ़ाए क्यों जा रहे हैं? निश्चित ही यह एक बड़े घोटाले को संकेत देता है।
राष्ट्रीय प्रवक्ता राघव चड्ढा ने पेट्रोल-डीज़ल की बढ़ती कीमतों को लेकर भाजपा सरकार को घेरते हुए कहा कि “बहुत हुई महंगाई की मार अबकी बार मोदी सरकार” का नारा देकर, जनता से वोट मांगकर सत्ता में आई मोदी सरकार ने देश की जनता के साथ विश्वासघात किया है। जब से मोदी सरकार सत्ता में आई है, हर क्षेत्र में चाहे वो पेट्रोल-डीज़ल हो, घरेलु गैस हो या फिर खाने पीने के ज़रूरत की चीज़ें हो, सभी क्षेत्रों में महंगाई ने सारे रिकॉर्ड तोड़ दिए हैं।
साल 2013 में जब डॉलर के मुकाबले रुपया ₹63.88 पर था तब अंतर्राष्ट्रीय बाज़ार में कच्चे तेल की क़ीमत लगभग 109 डॉलर प्रति बैरल पर थी तब दिल्ली में पेट्रोल के दम 69 रूपए और डीज़ल के दाम 64 रूपए के आसपास थे। जब मोदी जी की सरकार सत्ता में आई तो कच्चे तेल की कीमत घटकर एक समय 30 डॉलर प्रति बैरल हो भी गई, लेकिन मोदी जी ने पेट्रोल के दाम में आम आदमी को किसी भी प्रकार की कोई राहत नहीं दी।
दिन-ब-दिन महंगाई बढ़ती जा रही है और आज तो स्तिथि ऐसी हो गई है कि अब अगर 2-4 दिन महंगाई ना बढ़ें तो एक आम आदमी को घबराहट होने लगती है। एक लीटर पेट्रोल खरीदने में एक आम आदमी जो कीमत दे रहा है उसका लगभग 50% टैक्स के रूप में सरकारी खज़ाने में चला जाता है। और फिर जनता की गाढ़ी कमाई का ये पैसा नीरव मोदी और विजय माल्या जैसे बड़े-बड़े उद्योगपतियों पर लुटाया जा रहा है।
उन्होंने कहा कि जब से मोदी सरकर सत्ता में आई है लगभग 200% एक्साइज ड्यूटी पेट्रोल पर और लगभग 450% एक्साइज़ ड्यूटी डीज़ल पर मोदी सरकार द्वारा बढाई जा चुकी है।
केंद्र में बैठी भाजपा ने चुनाव से पहले वादा किया था कि सरकार में आने के बाद पेट्रोल के दाम कम किए जाएंगे और मंहगाई पर लगाम लगाई जाएगी लेकिन हो इसका उल्टा रहा है। आम आदमी पार्टी का मानना है कि पेट्रोल-डीज़ल के ज़रिए एक बड़े घोटाले को अंजाम दिया जा रहा है। मोदी सरकार ने झूठ बोलकर एक आम आदमी की पीठ में छुरा घोपा है। मोदी सरकार को अपने इस कृत्य पर शर्म आनी चाहिए, और अपने इस झूठ के लिए देश की जनता से मोदी जी को माफ़ी मांगनी चाहिए।
Takeda to divest China JV $280m
Japenses firm, Takeda Pharmaceutical will divest its majority stake in a Chinese joint venture, seeking to secure its financial footing as it prepares to acquire Irish drugmaker Shire. The deal, announced Monday, is estimated at $280 million.
Takeda will sell its entire 51.34% stake in Guangdong Techpool Bio-Pharma to venture partner Shanghai Pharmaceutical Holding and an investment fund. The all-cash transaction is expected to close once it receives approval from Chinese authorities within a few months.
Takeda intends to unload noncore assets to focus on a few key treatment areas, including cancer, gastrointestinal ailments and neurological diseases.
Techpool launched in 1993 as a developer of biopharmaceutical products derived from urinary proteins. Switzerland’s Nycomed acquired a majority stake in 2010, and Takeda inherited the ownership when it took over Nycomed for about $14 billion in 2011.
Takeda’s interest-bearing debts tallied around 985.7 billion yen ($8.87 billion) at the end of March, marking a roughly 70% increase over five years. Its $62 billion deal to buy out Shire is expected to cause the debt to balloon to 3 trillion yen. Takeda is also borrowing about 3 trillion yen to finance the purchase. Those factors are expected to heavily weigh on Takeda’s financial standing.
Although expiring drug patents have dented Takeda’s earning capabilities, the company still shells out generous dividend payments. Even after reaching the agreement on the Shire purchase, President Christophe Weber vowed to maintain the 180 yen-per-share annual dividend.
asia.nikkei.com
US approves first drug that prevents migraines
The first drug aimed at preventing the headaches has gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. It was found that the injected drug called Aimovig or erenumab can prevent migraines if other treatments have failed to do so.
“Aimovig provides patients with a novel option for reducing the number of days with migraine,” Dr. Eric Bastings, deputy director of the division of neurology products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in an agency news release. “We need new treatments for this painful and often debilitating condition,” he added.
The drug, Aimovig, is taken by patients once a month through self-injection. The drug blocks a key brain “neurotransmitter” chemical that sends out pain signals, explained a team of researchers who presented their study findings last month at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Los Angeles.
Working with a group of people with tough-to-treat migraine, the “study found that [Aimovig] reduced the average number of monthly migraine headaches by more than 50 percent for nearly a third of study participants,” lead researcher Dr. Uwe Reuter, of The Charite University Medicine Berlin in Germany, said in an AAN news release.
In the study by Reuter and colleagues, which was funded by drug maker Novartis, the investigators tested Aimovig on 246 people with treatment-resistant migraine.
Of these participants, 39 percent had already failed to respond to two available migraine medications, 38 percent were treated with three other medications and 23 percent had tried four different medications to help control their migraines.
On average, these migraine sufferers experienced nine migraine headaches each month and took an acute migraine drug to stop an attack five times each month.
During the study, each person received injections of either 140 milligrams of Aimovig or a “dummy” placebo once per month for three months.
After three months, those treated with Aimovig were almost three times as likely to have fewer days with migraine pain, compared to people who’d only gotten the placebo. Days with migraine headaches were reduced by at least 50 percent compared to those who were given the placebo. In addition to fewer days with headaches, these patients also took acute migraine drugs less often.
Of all the participants, 30 percent treated with Aimovig said their migraine frequency dropped by half. The same was true for only 14 percent in the placebo group. The drug was also not associated with significant side effects.
All of this “can greatly improve a person’s quality of life,” Reuter said. “Our results show that people who thought their migraines were difficult to prevent may actually have hope of finding pain relief. ”
The FDA said after studying the effectiveness of Aimovig in three clinical trials, they learned most patients who used the drug experienced at least one less migraine per month.
One study involved 955 people with episodic migraine who were given either Aimovig or a placebo for six months. In that trial, use of the drug was tied to one to two fewer migraine days per month.
In the second study, 577 patients with episodic migraine were given Aimovig or a placebo for three months. Again, those on the drug had at least one less day of headache in a month. Similar results were found in a third, three-month study involving 667 patients—this time, Aimovig users had 2.5 fewer migraine days per month, the FDA said.
The most common side effects were some injection-site reactions and constipation.
The estimated cost of the drug is $7,000 annually and may be covered by insurance, according to published reports.
According to Reuter, “more research is now needed to understand who is most likely to benefit from this new treatment.”
The researchers added that larger studies are also needed to evaluate the long-term safety and effectiveness of the medication.
/biospectrumindia.com
India’s Free Trade Agreements: Dynamics and Diagnostics
Programme on India’s Free Trade Agreements: Dynamics and Diagnostics of Trade Prospects, 30th May, 2018 at 10:00 am at PHD Chamber, New Delhi
Over the years, bilateral and regional trading arrangements, alias Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), have become permanent features of the global trading architecture. Trade is of great importance to most nations in the modern world. Trade without barriers – free trade – is promoted by institutions like World Trade Organization (WTO). FTAs are intended to grow the economies of the countries who participate in them, first and foremost by eliminating most tariffs among its participants. In addition, they work to reduce the red tape of non‐tariff barriers, such as quotas or export/import license requirements, which can inhibit trade as much as tariffs can.
In this background, as an emerging super power, India’s Free Trade Agreements deserve special attention. India has been actively engaging in regional and bilateral trade negotiations with a view to diversify and expand the markets for exports as well as ensuring access to the needed raw materials, intermediates and capital goods for stimulating value added domestic manufacturing.
With this backdrop, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry is organizing a Programme on India’s Free Trade Agreements: Dynamics and Diagnostics of Trade Prospects on 30th May, 2018 at 10:00 am at PHD Chamber, New Delhi to assess the implementation status of the various FTAs signed by India, and prospective impact of the FTAs under negotiation. Evaluating current agreements may uncover new international trade opportunities for India in the coming years. The programme will comprise of eminent people from business community, government, academicians, and many others.
We will be releasing a research report prepared on “India’s Free Trade Agreements: Dynamics and Diagnostics of Trade Prospects” during the deliberations of the captioned programme.
Ms. Priyanka Mittal, Chairperson, Foreign Trade & Investment Committee, PHD Chamber, Shri G S Singhvi and Shri Sanjay Beswal, Co-Chairmen, Foreign Trade & Investment Committee, PHD Chamber solicit your kind presence and active participation at the programme.
We would be grateful to you for your kind presence during the programme and request you to kindly make it convenient for being with us.
A line in confirmation through email to Mr. Rohit Singh, Research Associate, PHD Chamber at rohit.singh@phdcci.in or research@phdcci.in or Fax at 011—26855450 shall be highly appreciated.
World Health Statistics Report, 2018 released by the WHO
World Health Organization (WHO) released the World Health Statistics report 2018 according to which India’s per capita expenditure on health spends at a dismal $ 63 is less than that in neighbouring Bhutan and Sri Lanka. The report also says that the life expectancy in India is just 59.3 years which is very low as compared to several other developing countries.
World health statistics 2018 focuses on the health and health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and associated targets by bringing together data on a wide range of health-related SDG indicators. It also links to the three SDG-aligned strategic priorities of the WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work, 2019¬2023.
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Source: World Health Statistics 2018
One of the key roles of the World Health Organization (WHO) is to monitor global health trends. The World Health Statistics series, published annually since 2005, is WHO’s annual snapshot of the state of the world’s health. Since 2016, the World Health Statistics series has focused on monitoring progress towards the SDGs and this 2018 edition contains the latest available data for 36 health-related SDG indicators.
According to the report, remarkable progress has been made on several fronts but huge challenges still remain to reach the targets for health.
CAIT WROTE TO LG ON ENCROACHMENT DRIVE
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has expressed deep anguish & resentment over the manner in which the MCD is conducting encroachment removal drive in the capital. Under the guise of this drive, the MCD has even uprooted legal structure and in its bid to remove encroachment is involved in great high handedness and most cruel attitude and the drive is being conducted without giving any notice or warning period which has caused immense loss to traders. The recent incident of this drive in Khari Baoli market in walled city is a living example of irresponsible behaviour of MCD officials.
In a communication sent to Delhi LG Mr Anil Baijal, the CAIT said that we are totally against any kind of encroachment on Govt land and footpath and such encroachment needs to be removed. In fact, traders will remove themselves any such encroachment . But it would be worth if MCD publicaly declare what kind of encroachment needs to be removed. Even the sign boards are being removed in the name of encroachment though sign Board is primarily meant for indication of the shops. The MCD should declare as to what kind and size of sign Board is allowed. The MCD after such announcement should give a grace period of 15 days during which traders will themselves remove any such encroachment which comes under the ambit of drive- said CAIT to LG. It has also suggested that LG should convene a meeting of Trade representatives & MCD Authorities to work jointly in a cohesive manner to avoid any unjustified act.
The CAIT has also brought attention of LG towards occupying large space by Rickshaw, Auto Rickshaw and others on Road for parking which practically leave a small way for movement even on wide roads. Both MCD & Police should launch a drive to remove such parking at various places in Delhi and in fact some places should be designated for their parking in an orderly manner. Large number of Rickshaws are plying without any license and those should be identified and their plying should be stopped.
The CAIT is committed for a better Delhi and will extend all cooperation to the Authorities to carry out the directions of STF but with due dignity and little patience. The LG must work out the modalities of the drive in consultation with traders.The CAIT has urged the LG to suspend the drive for 15 days and proper announcement should be made about Dos & Donts of the encroachment drive.
Maduro wins Venezuelan election
Nicolas Maduro has been declared the winner of Sunday’s presidential election, which saw a 46.1 percent turnout, according to Venezuela’s electoral council, after the opposition branded the vote a fraud and called for a boycott.
With 92.6 percent of the vote counted, Maduro has won presidential election with 5,823,728 of the votes, National Electoral Council chief Tibisay Lucena announced. His main adversary, Henri Falcon of the Progressive Advance party, obtained 1,820,552 votes; while the independent candidate Javier Bertucci won 925,042 votes.
“How much have they underestimated our revolutionary people, and how much have they underestimated me,” Maduro told a late-night crowd in front of the presidential palace. “And here we are, victorious.”
Over eight million Venezuelans participated in the election, which witnessed a low 46.1 percent participation rate after opposition parties called for a boycott of the election, declaring them a “fraud.”
“The process undoubtedly lacks legitimacy and as such we do not recognize it,” Falcon proclaimed, even before the election results were announced. The candidate claimed that the vote was full of irregularities and totally rigged in favor of Maduro because the mainstream opposition promoted abstention, leaving Falcon without potential voters.
On Friday, the US Treasury seemingly tried to sway public opinion and the result of Sunday’s vote by officially linking Maduro to drug trade, accusing the country’s “second most powerful man,” Diosdado Cabello, of running a narcotics ring and sharing profits with the president.
Maduro, who himself is subject to US sanctions, repeatedly slammed Washington’s punitive measures as part of a broader campaign aimed at overthrowing his government.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan says U.S. will not recognize the result of the Venezuela election; oil
Vaccine specific regulatory policy
Drugs Controller General of India, S. Eswara Reddy has announced that he plans to come out with vaccine specific regulatory policy and a manual for regulatory requirements for commercialization of new drug and how to conduct clinical trials in India.
Speaking at a symposium on ‘research and development of vaccines: issues, challenges and opportunities organized by PC2 Scientific Services, a strategic and technical consulting company in association with Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) and CR RAO AIMSCS at University of Hyderabad, he said that since pneumococcal is one of the majority vaccines, they would first come out with a policy to facilitate introducing indigenously-produced vaccines. He further listed out the steps being taken by his organization to promote innovation through transparent system and regulatory changes.
He also proposed to conduct symposiums across India and invite research institutions to know their regulatory challenges. The regulator will reach out to research and innovation centres by disseminating information about the regulatory requirements for commercialization of their products.
Reddy underlined the need to communicate to media the facts about the deaths due to clinical trials. He told the gathering that media gives a wrong projection about the number of deaths.
He said that although media reports that during last 7-8 years, 25,000 patients died during clinical trials in India, the fact is that only 5 percent of these deaths are actually due to clinical trials. “For example, during clinical trials related to cancer, patients who are already in terminal stage die. The death of such patients is not due to clinical trials,” he said.
With the drug developers and researchers raising concern about the restrictions on import of animal models, the Drug Controller General hoped that the Union Environment and Forests Ministry would look into the issue.
He said the import of animals was restricted by the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) guidelines and suggested that the innovators, industry and regulator make a joint representation on the issue.
Some participants spoke how the researchers were forced to go abroad because of non-availability of such animals in the country for studies and the restrictions on the import. Reddy said the issues was relating in the country losing its credibility and the forex reserves.
Manuel Elkin Patarroyo, the malaria vaccine scientist from Columbia, was the keynote speaker. The symposium was attended by delegates from scientific research & academic and industry both from India and abroad.
Dr. Dasari V Ravi Kumar, Director of PC2 Scientific Services, pointed out that Hyderabad is producing about 33 per cent of global vaccines dosages and 35 per cent to the pharmaceutical production in the country.
biospectrumindia.com/news
Invitation to The First Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Memorial International Oration
RMP Delhi <rmpdelhi@rmponweb.org> to you & 3 other(s)
Thu, 17 May 2018 17:57:17
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Dear Sir/ Madam
Request you to kindly find an invitation from Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) for The First Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Memorial International Oration.
Speaker: Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, Government of India
Date: Monday, 21st May 2018
Time: 06:00 PM
Venue: Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra Auditorium, Rizal Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
RSVP: 011-23379386, 23378616
TN Misled on Kavery was getting 411 TMC to get 177 TMC
May20, 2018 (C) Ravinder Singh progressindia2015@gmail.com
TN was misled by Dubious Lawyers in to going to Supreme Court in 2002 when average releases at Billigundlu were 289 TMC in previous 10 years.
[I read an article in Frontline Magazine – found Karnataka to be unjustly hauled to the Supreme Court wanted to help Karnataka – met CM and Cabinet Ministers]
Some minor rivers of Karnataka between Billigundlu and Metur Dam gates also contributed 122 TMC of Water.
So average releases at Metur Dam was 411 TMC of Water before 2002 dispute. CWDT had prescribed just 205 TMC of Water releases, SC 177.25 TMC in 2018.
Post Tribunal Award and latest Supreme Court order – Karnataka is Directed to release only 177.25 TMC of water in to TN region of Cauvery Basin. Actually Tribunal & Supreme Court had fixed normal Consumption Limits by each party state.
In 2001-02 in Low Rainfall year yield was slightly less than prescribed – 189.90 or Short by just 15 TMC – TN went to Apex Court when Excess Releases were 845 TMC in past 10 years.
Water Releases at Billigundlu in TMC
Years
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Releases in TMC
|
Years
|
Releases in TMC
|
1991-92
|
340.58
|
1996-97
|
245.40
|
1992-93
|
358.61
|
1997-98
|
282.90
|
1993-94
|
230.28
|
1998-99
|
257.70
|
1994-95
|
393.90
|
1999-00
|
273.10
|
1995-96
|
195.50
|
2000-01
|
316.80
|
5 Yrs Yield
|
1518.87
|
5 Yrs Yield
|
1375.90
|
Avg Yield/Yr
|
303.77
|
Avg Yield/Yr
|
275.18
|
Add Avg Yield
|
122.00
|
Add Avg Yield
|
122.00
|
Yield @Mettur
|
425.77
|
Yield @Mettur
|
397.18
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Tech Arbitration & Cooperation for Optimum Water Use
TN & Karnataka should Co-operate to OPTIMIZE Water Use – 1. Introduce Short Duration HY Paddy, 2. Build Canals and Pipelines for Irrigation & Urban Water Supply, 3. Build additional Storage Dams to Capture Floods, 4. Dismantle Check Dams & Inefficient Storages, 5. Recycle Waste Water. 6. Regulate Water Releases linked to Weather Forecast. 7. 24 hour Water Information System, >>
30% Water Saving or 50% More Water Usage Possible Through Cooperation & Engineering – TN & Karnataka has resources to do it.
Ravinder Singh, Inventor & Consultant, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND PROJECTS
Y-77, Hauz Khas, ND -110016, India. Ph: 091- 8826415770, 9871056471, 9650421857
Bheemchaaya: Small window of justice for helpless and terrified poor residents
Bheemchaaya: Small window of justice for helpless and terrified poor residents
Due to impending monsoon, there is threat to the life of residents
Mumbai | 20th May, 2018: Following the Bombay High Court’s order dated 6thOctober, 2005 in the matter of Bombay Environment Action Group in WRIT PETITION (LODGING) NO. 3246 OF 2004 regarding protection of Mangrove, a large number of Mangrove areas in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai were notified as ‘Protected Forest’ by Maharashtra Forest Department. Since certain activities can be allowed in ‘Protected Forest’ like collection of forest produce etc, Maharashtra govt decided to notify all those areas as ‘Reserved Forest’ which were earlier declared as ‘Protected Forest’ as per the High Court’s order.
Bheemchhaya is slum having 800 households where majority of the residence are Dalits. This slum is situated in Kannamwar Nagar 2 in (Vikroli East) in Mumbai. Bheemchhaya is in close proximity to Mangroves area which is notified as reserved forest.
The Court in the order said that no construction will be allowed to take place in the mangrove areas after the passing of this order. However, Bheemchhaya is in existence prior to order of the High Court was passed and it is also a protected slum as per the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement Clearance & Redevelopment) 1971. A slum is treated as protected if it is in existence prior to the year 2000 and the slum dwellers possess certain documents specified by the government to prove their residence since the year 2000. Slum dwellers in Bheemchhaya have all the valid documents proving their residence prior to the year 2000.
The Mangrove Cell of the Forest Department served notices to the residence of the Bheemchhaya in the year 2015 to prove their claims on the land where their homes are located. All the residence submitted their residential proofs specified under the Maharashtra Government Resolution dated 16th May, 2015. This Government Resolution (GR) has specified procedure for the rehabilitation and protection of slum dwellers on government land if they possess specified documents prior to the year 2000. However, the Assistant Conservator of Mangrove Cell, rejected these claims and passed an order of demolition of their homes in Bheemchhaya. The Assistant Conservator passed these orders under section 53 and 54 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code 1966 (MLRC). Section 246 of MLRC provides for appeal if someone is aggrieved by the order passed under section 53 and 54. Whereas in case of Bheemchhaya, the Assistant Conservator has not specified the appellate authority and it is only after an RTI was filed, the Assistant Conservator gave a vague response saying that the appellate authority ‘may be High Court or Divisional Commissioner, Konkan Division’.
Residents of Bheemchhaya have contacted the Divisional Commissioner for appeal. The office of the Divisional Commissioner has refused to accept the appeal since this office only deals with matter pertaining to land belonging got revenue department and not forest department. While on the other hand, the residents of Bheemchhaya have also approached the High Court, but since the Court is on vacation and the vacation bench is sitting on selected days, it is very rare that the matter will be heard on time. The demolition is scheduled for 22nd May, 2018. Our lawyers will mention the matter on 21stMay to get the stay but it is not sure that the stay will be granted on the same day.
The Forest Minister is out of country and his secretaries are also on leave so there are no chance so there is no one available in the Ministry to hear the grievances of the slum dwellers. When everyone is on leave, why cannot slum be spared from demolition?
It is a case where there are so many procedural flaws are there due to which a huge community like Bheemchhaya will be demolished and a large population of dalit and poor people will become homeless. To get these flaws fixed and get protection to slum dwellers there is a very small window of justice available. In this situation, the slum dwellers are left helpless and terrified.
Poorest of the poor citizen must get state’s priority but today opposite of this is happening. These poor citizens have equal contribution in the functioning of the city but their hard work and labour are not duly recognized. They are always treated as secondary citizen due to their poverty and stigmas attached to slum dwellers
Do write/call to appeal to stop the demolition:
| Name | Designation | Phone | |
| Shri. Vasudevan N. | Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest | ccfmmumbai@gmail.com |
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