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A Village Burnt Overnight: Tears, Loss and Survival in Dhamangaon Blaze

  Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...

Maharashtra govt earns Rs 146 crore through distribution of Anandacha Shidha


The Maharashtra government has earned Rs 146 crore through distribution of ‘Anandacha Shidha’ among the 1.55 crore ration card holders in the Diwali.

Minister for food and civil supply Ravindra Chavan informed the Legislative Council during the Calling Attention Motion on Friday.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) Ambadas Danve, Shiv Sena (UBT) legislators Dr Manisha Kayande and Adv Anil Parab moved the motion alleging irregularities in the distribution process of ‘Anandacha Shidha’, a kit of Gram, Pulses, Rava, Sugar and Palm Oil.  

Minister Chavan said that a total of 1.61 crore kits were available for distribution. Of which, 1.55 crore have been distributed. The State earned Rs 15 crore from Mumbai region and Rs 131 crore from the rest of Maharashtra. An offence was registered against ration shop holders in Shahapur tehsil in Thane district on October 22, 2022 for selling the kits at Rs 300/- after a video of the incident went viral.

LoP Danve alleged that the tender of Rs 513 crore was awarded to NeML NCDEX Emarkets Ltd before the meeting of the Cabinet. The tender process was not properly conducted for the meeting. Many complaints were not received against the irregularities in the distribution of the kits in the State, he said and demanded stern action against concerned officials.  Minister Chavan said that the tendering process was conducted as per the norms.

Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe suggested that remaining kits should also be distributed before their expiry dates.


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