Sexual harassment at workplace is affront to rights of woman: SC: Sanjay Patil

Sanjay Patil : Nagpur : SEXUAL harassment at the workplace is an “affront” to the fundamental rights of a woman to equality, her right to live with dignity and to practice any profession or carry out any occupation, the Supreme Court has said. The apex court observed this while upholding the verdict of the Madhya Pradesh High Court which had quashed an order of transfer of a woman bank employee who had levelled allegations of sexual harassment against her senior officer. A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi said the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 was enacted to provide protection against sexual harassment of women at the workplace as well as for prevention and redressal of such complaints. “Sexual harassment at the workplace is an affront to the fundamental rights of a woman to equality under Articles 14 and 15 and her right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution as well as her right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade or business,” the bench said in its judgement delivered on February 25.

 

The bench said the material placed before it indicated that the woman officer, during her posting at Indore branch of the bank, had written repeated communications to authorities drawing their attention to serious irregularities in maintenance of accounts of liquor contractors and had levelled specific allegations of corruption. “There can be no manner of doubt that the respondent (woman officer) has been victimized. Her reports of irregularities in the branch met with a reprisal. She was transferred out and sent to a branch which was expected to be occupied by a scale-I officer,” the bench said.

 

“This is symptomatic of a carrot and stick policy adopted to suborn the dignity of a woman who is aggrieved by unfair treatment at her workplace. The law cannot countenance this. The order of transfer was an act of unfair treatment and is vitiated by malafides,” it said. The top court noted in its judgement that the woman officer had not participated in the proceedings before the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the bank, which dealt with her allegations of sexual harassment, and there was a fundamental defect in the constitution of the ICC. The counsel appearing for the bank had argued before the apex court that the ICC, upon enquiring into the complaint of sexual harassment, had found that there was no substance in those allegations. 

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irrigation projects in State mounts to Rs 1.09 lakh crore as balance costs : Sanjay Patil

Sanjay Patil : Nagpur : As per the latest Governor’s Directives, 123 projects now need Rs 43,560.57 crore for completion. The number of projects needing funds for completion has come down by 11 in one year, but the required amount has increased by Rs 10,439.10 crore. According to officials in the know of things, but wish to remain unnamed, the number of projects getting completed has been a fact in the past years. Though the number of projects requiring funds for completion has come down, the balance cost is rising for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons, they said, included time overrun resulting in cost overrun. But, the biggest reason behind time overrun has been that the actual availability of funds is much lesser than the requirement for completion of projects.

Besides, some issues regarding prioritisation had affected completion of projects. In fact, the Governor of Maharashtra also has been issuing directives to the State Government for ensuring completion of projects. The Governor had directed previously that projects nearing completion should be given priority as far as funds allocation was concerned. Land acquisition, rehabilitation, net present value charges, and funds required for other clearances should be given priority. Also, there should not be any diversion of funds from one region to the another. This year, too, the Governor has considered the huge balance cost of ongoing irrigation projects and has cautioned about the thin-spreading of resources.

“The work on any new project shall not be started till the State Government is able to make adequate additional resources available to complete these new projects within a defined time-frame, without affecting the availability of funds for the ongoing works. In view of the enormity of the liabilities, these directions shall continue to operate,” the Governor has mentioned in his latest directives issued a few days ago. It will be interesting to watch how the Maharashtra Government decides on prioritisation of irrigation projects, and manages to complete those in the given allocation of resources. Also, it will be interesting to watch whether rainfed region of Vidarbha gets better attention as far as completion of irrigation projects is concerned.

With each passing year, the ‘balance cost’ of irrigation projects in Maharashtra is increasing. As per the latest Governor’s Directives to the State Government for the year 2020-21, the balance cost of irrigation projects in the State as on April 1, 2019 was pegged at a whopping Rs 1,09,390.17 crore. Interestingly, the Governor’s Directives for the year 2019-20 had stated that the balance cost of irrigation projects in Maharashtra was Rs 83,663.77 crore as on April 1, 2018.

 

Thus, in one year, it is evident from the Governor’s Directives issued the last year and this year, the balance cost of irrigation projects in the State has increased by a huge Rs 25,726.40 crore. The Governor’s Directives for the year 2019-20 mentioned that there were total 334 irrigation projects in the State that required Rs 83,663.77 crore for completion. Now, the Governor’s Directives for 2020-21 reveal that the number of irrigation projects that need funds for completion has come down to 313, but the cost required for completion has gone up to Rs 1,09,390.17 crore. This reflects that between April 1, 2018 and April 1, 2019, as many as 21 projects got completed. As far as Vidarbha region is concerned, 134 irrigation projects as on April 1, 2018 needed Rs 33,121.47 crore for completion.

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पालकमंत्र्यांची मेयो, मेडीकल आणि विमानतळाला आकस्मिक भेट: कोरोना संशयित : संजय पाटील

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संजय पाटील : नागपूर : नागपूर जिल्ह्यात कोरोना रुग्णांची व्यवस्था योग्य पद्धतीने होते किंवा कसे याची माहिती जाणून घेण्यासाठी नागपूर जिल्ह्याचे पालकमंत्री डॉ. नितीन राऊत यांनी आज मेयो, मेडिकल आणि विमानतळावर प्रत्यक्ष भेट देऊन तेथील व्यवस्थेचा आढावा घेतला. पालकमंत्र्यांच्या आकस्मिक भेटीने आरोग्य प्रशासन सतर्क झाले आहे.

याप्रसंगी माजी पालकमंत्री सतीश चतुर्वेदी, नागपूर महानगर पालिका विरोधी पक्ष नेते तानाजी वनवे, काँग्रेस अनुसूचित जाती समन्वयक राजेंद्र करवाडे तसेच मेयो रुग्णालयाचे अधिष्ठाता डॉ. अजय केवलीया प्रामुख्याने उपस्थित होते.

सर्वप्रथम मेयो रुग्णालयाच्या आकस्मिक विभागातील कर्तव्यावर असलेल्या डॉक्टरांसोबत त्यांनी आयसोलेशन वॉर्ड, औषध उपलब्धता, मास्क साठा आणि वापरलेल्या वस्तू नष्ट करण्याच्या प्रक्रियेबाबत माहिती घेतली. तसेच रुग्णांना देण्यात येणाऱ्या उपचाराबाबत विचारपूस केली. त्यानंतर मेडीकल रुग्णालयाच्या आकस्मिक विभागाला भेट देऊन सद्यस्थिती जाणून घेतली.
आज पावेतो एकूण 33 रुग्णांची चाचणी नागपुरात करण्यात आली असून, त्यामध्ये मेयोचे तीन रुग्ण मेडीकलचे तीन, अमरावतीचा एक व छत्तीसगड राज्यातील वीस आणि मध्यप्रदेश येथील सहा संशयित रुग्णांचा समावेश आहे. 33 पैकी एकही रुग्ण पॉझीटिव्ह नाही. कोरोना रुग्णांची चाचणी मेयो रुग्णालयात करण्यात येत असून चाचणीकरीता किमान पाच ते सहा तास लागत असल्याचे अधिष्ठाता डॉ. अजय केवलिया यांनी सांगितले.

त्यानंतर नागपूर विमानतळावर भेट देवून कतार, शारजाह आणि दुबई येथील विदेशी प्रवाशी व पर्यटकांच्या स्क्रिनिंग चाचणीबाबत माहिती घेतली. विमानतळावर थर्मल कॅमेरा व स्कॅनरव्दारे तपासणी करण्यात येत असल्याचे विमानतळ व्यवस्थापक निखील यादव यांनी सांगितले.

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काँग्रेस प्रवक्ते सचिन सावंत -'येस बँक घोटाळ्यास मोदी, शहा जबाबदार'- संजय पाटील

 संजय पाटील: मुंबई: बँकांना कोट्यवधींचा चुना लावून नीरव मोदी, मेहुल चोक्सी, विजय मल्ल्या हे पळून गेले तो पैसाही या देशातील बहुसंख्य हिंदूंचाच होता. येस बँकेत १८ हजार २३८ कर्मचारी असून, यात सर्वच हिंदू असून, नोकरीही धोक्यात आली आहे. याला सर्वस्वी मोदी सरकारच जबाबदार असल्याचा काँग्रेसचा आरोप आहे. येस बँकेवर निर्बंध घातल्याने महाराष्ट्रातील १०९ बँका अडचणीत आल्या असून यात विदर्भातील मध्यवर्ती बँकांसह काही सहकारी बँका तसेच पतसंस्थांच्या ठेवीही याच बँकेत होत्या. परंतु बडोदा महापालिकेच्या बडोदा स्मार्ट डेव्हलमेंट कंपनीचे २६५ कोटी रुपये येस बँकेवर निर्बंध घालण्याच्या एक दिवसाआधीच काढून घेण्यात आले. यातून मोदी, शहांना फक्त गुजरातचीच काळजी असल्याचे दिसते, असे सावंत म्हणाले.

पिंपरी चिंचवड महापालिकेत भाजपची सत्ता असून, या महापालिकेचे ९०५ कोटी रु. येस बँकेत आहेत. मोदी शहांनी बडोदा महापालिकेसारखेच किमान पिंपरी चिंचवड महापालिकेच्या कानात जरी सांगितले असते तरी ते या संकटातून वाचले असते. पण गुजरात प्रेमापुढे त्यांना इतर कोणी दिसत नाही असेच म्हणावे लागते, असा टोलाही सावंत यांनी लगावला आहे.

धर्माच्या नावाखाली देशात मतांचे जातीय ध्रुवीकरण करण्यासाठी हिंदू खतरे में है असा नारा संघ परिवारातील भाजप व त्यांच्या संलग्न संघटनांकडून सतत दिली जात असला तरी मोदी यांच्या राज्यात हिंदूच धोक्यात आल्याची परिस्थिती निर्माण झाली आहे. देशाच्या बँकांमधील बहुसंख्य हिंदुचाच पैसा बँकांत सुरक्षित न राहिल्यामुळे अनेक कुटुंब उद्धवस्त होत असून, त्यास केंद्रातील मोदी सरकारच जबाबदार असल्याचा आरोप महाराष्ट्र प्रदेश काँग्रेसने शनिवारी मुंबईत केला आहे. येस बँकेवरील निर्बंधामुळे महाराष्ट्रातील १०९ बँका अडचणीत आल्याचा दावा काँग्रेसने केला आहे.

येस बँकेवर रिझर्व्ह बँकेच्या निर्बंधामुळे त्या बँकेत ठेवलेले पैसे काढण्यासाठी लोकांच्या रांगा लागलेल्या आहेत. याआधी पंजाब महाराष्ट्र बँकेतील घोटाळ्यामुळे काही गुंतवणूकदारांना प्राण गमवावे लागले. नोटबंदीच्या निर्णयामुळे करोडो लोक रस्त्यावर आले. यात जवळपास दीडशे लोकांचा जीव गेला. देशात आत्महत्या करणाऱ्या तरुण व शेतकरी आत्महत्यांमध्येही बहुसंख्य हिंदूच आहेत. आता तीच वेळ येस बँकेत पैसा असलेल्या लोकांवर आलेली आहे, अशी टीका प्रवक्ते सचिन सावंत यांनी केली आहे.

येस बँकेतील लोकांची गुंतवणूक धोक्यात आली परंतु या संकटाने हिंदूंच्या देवालाही सोडले नाही. पुरीच्या भगवान जगन्नाथ मंदिराचे विविध राष्ट्रीयकृत बँकांमध्ये असलेले ५४५ कोटी रुपये एक महिन्याआधी याच येस बँकेत जमा करण्यात आले होते. ते पैसेही आता बुडीत झाल्यातच जमा आहे. यात भगवान जगन्नाथही संकटात आल्याचा दावा सावंत यांनी केला.

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ACB strongly opposed multi-crore irrigation scam transfer to CBI ,ED,SFIO : Sanjay Patil

Sanjay Patil : Nagpur : THE Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has strongly defended its ongoing probe into multi-crore irrigation scam and opposed transfer of further investigation to any other agency like Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Directorate of Enforcement (ED), and Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). The investigation is being conducted expeditiously in “transparent, just and fair manner,” the ACB claimed in an affidavit filed before Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court while asserting that enquiries entrusted to ACB shall be done diligently and opposing transfer of probe to other agency as demanded.

The affidavit portraying ongoing investigation as stupendous success has been filed ahead of final hearing before High Court on March 13. The ACB claimed that the special investigation teams at Nagpur and Amravati have always “shown honest endeavour, considering the voluminous documents to be scrutinised, detailed statements to be recorded, information to be gathered so that the investigation/enquiries are taken to logical end in a speedy space.” The affidavit sworn in by Amravati SP (ACB) Shrikant Dhiware claimed that so far SITs have registered 39 criminal offences including 27 at Nagpur ad 12 at Amravati. Interestingly, the ACB claimed that it found no criminal element in many cases but only procedural and administrative irregularities and had recommended departmental action against concerned public servants.

The ACB had recommended departmental probe against 20 Executive Engineers (Nagpur-17, Amravati-03) and 19 divisional account officers attached to the office of the then executive engineers. About the latest cases filed by SIT, the affidavit claimed that in case of Jigaon the chargesheet has been filed against a private contractor on February 24, 2020, but chargesheet against public servants has not been filed due to order of High Court. In case of Raigad and Nimna Pedhi projects, the ACB filed chargesheet against private contractor on March 2. Investigation of irregularities of Waghadi project is over and ACB has sought prosecution sanction from competent authority and forwarded a proposal on February 24.

About the open enquiry conducted by ACB at Amravati region, out of 28 tenders probed, 12 offences have been registered chargesheet has been filed in three offences. In one offence investigation is completed and proposals for prosecution sanction have been sent to the competent authorities of the concerned public servants. Open enquiries of 15 irrigation projects are completed and closed as no criminal offence was disclosed, the ACB claimed. The enquiries are monitored by SPs of Nagpur and Amravati units on day-to-day basis while the Additional Director General (ACB) is supervising and scrutinising the investigations and open enquiries, the ACB claimed. During last hearing held on February 13, the demand of petitioner Atul Jagtap seeking to join CBI, ED, and SFIO was vehemently opposed by respondents including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar dubbing it as politically motivated.

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NMC bureaucracy should learn to respect law, human life : HIgh Court - Sanjay Patil

Sanjay Patil : Nagpur : A division bench consisting of Justice Sunil Shukre and Justice Madhav Jamadar, while hearing a suo-motu PIL on bad roads, emphatically made it clear that mere prosecution of a responsible officer, officials, or contractors would by itself not put an end to the malaise that has been the root cause of the loss of human life and property. Instead of penalising or prosecuting erring officer of contractor after loss of a precious human life, inculcating respect for law and human life among all stakeholders including officers and officials is necessary, the High Court stated. So, apart from proper monitoring of the whole process, the High Court also asked NMC authorities and their officers to ensure in the first place that no untoward incident or any accident leading to loss of human life and property occured. Just in case such untoward incident takes place, the officer concerned is held liable in criminal law as secondary purpose.

Giving a clarion call to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) officers to respect law and learn to discharge their duties and responsibilities diligently and in compliance with various provisions of law, Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court underlined that efforts must be made to prevent any loss of life in road mishaps occurring due to shoddy works and potholes. A survey conducted by the then Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Chinmay Pandit already found at least 121 roads with potholes or where roads were in bad condition. Most of these stretches have witnessed accidents and mishaps leading to public uproar against the civic body and its contractors responsible for such shoddy work.

The primary purpose of such a petition is preventive rather than like post-mortem examination, for taking penal action in case accidents take place due to potholes, the High Court stressed while asking authorities to ensure that roads are without pothole. While tracing the journey of this eventful suo-motu criminal writ petition, the High Court noted that it was started as an effort to see the officials of NMC and other connected departments act diligently in discharging their duties and responsibilities under the municipal laws. “Emphasis was placed upon the provisions contained in Section 63 (18) and (19) of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, 1949 which casts a duty upon the municipal corporation to make reasonable and adequate provisions for maintenance of the roads, bridges and sub-ways etc,” the High Court noted. It had observed that due to neglect of such responsibility and failure to fasten the accountability, accidents were taking place leading to loss of human life and property.

Therefore, it insisted upon examining the criminal liability of negligent stakeholders to fasten responsibility on those who failed to perform the duty or mandate under the law. Some criminal prosecutions were launched against those found to be prima facie liable for causing serious injuries, deaths due to their negligence of maintaining the roads. These prosecutions are going on, the High Court noted asking the authorities to step up efforts while converting the petition into a criminal public interest litigation so that more effective orders not only preventive but also deterrent could be passed.

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मानवतेची सेवा ही सर्व कामांमध्ये पुण्य आहेः मुख्य न्यायाधीश शरद बोबडे : संजय पाटील

Sanjay Patil : Nagpur : Being conscious about human suffering and offering a helping hand to fellow humans is the greatest work. The endeavour of Shree Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti to usher in new sunshine in the lives of handicapped is an apt occasion to celebrate humanity, said Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Bobde. The CJI was addressing gathering at MLA Hostel lawns on Sunday where he inaugurated eight-day camp organised by National Legal Services Authority and Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority. CJI opined that today the occasion is merely celebration of humanity.Indeed the efforts of D R Mehta, Padma Bhushan, and a driving force behind Samiti, in alleviating sufferings of fellow human beings is something phenomenal. Perhaps in the high state of consciousness when the human being evolves he is moved by suffering of others and decides to do something about that. Therefore the work of Shree Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti is phenomenal. The occasion was indeed poignant and one could see the sense of pride that handicapped persons felt after being fitted with Jaipur foot, the artificial knee or limb. And when the youngest of the beneficiaries, Iccha, just three and half years old, was given the artificial limb by CJI the entire gathering was overwhelmed. Even for the Lordships, CJI Bobde and his fellow judges, there was a sense of self-satisfaction for getting a chance to be at service of humanity.
The esteemed gathering at the venue was also amazed when one of the recipient Danny provided a display of self reliance that he got after being fitted with Jaipur foot, when he jumped off the stage. The demo arranged by Samiti was to showcase that the artificial limb functions similar to natural and can withstand any force. On the dais, Justice Bhushan Gavai, Judge, Supreme Court of India, Justice B P Dharmadhikari, Acting Chief Justice, Bombay High Court, Ajit Singh, Lokyukta, Odisha, Justice Ravi Deshpande, Senior Administrative Judge, Nagpur Appellate, Bombay High Court, Justice S B Shukre, Judge, Bombay High Court, Nagpur Bench, D R Mehta, Ajay Sancheti, Founder Member, Mahavir International Service Trust, Nagpur, Madhu Sarda, Chairperson, were also seated.
D R Mehta, Founder and Patron-in-Chief, Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, Jaipur, in his short address outlined the area of Samiti’s work. “One have attended so many programmes till date but today’s event is etched forever in memory, said Justice Bhushan Gavai, adding that one got a sense of self satisfaction at seeing the smile on the faces of Divyangs.” Indeed attending such programmes gives one a sense of fulfillment and happiness forever. At the outset, Justice Ravi Deshpande in his welcome address said that it is a moment of delight for District Legal Service Authority to organise such a mega event in city. He thanked Justice N V Ramana, Chairperson, NLSA, for sanctioning the event for city.
Madhu Sarda elaborated on the efforts put in by individuals in holding the camp at MLA Hostel. She also thanked the donors for their generosity that helped in putting together resources necessary to extend helping hands to Divyangs. On the occasion students of Deaf and Dumb School, Saoner, and another local schools presented a dance choreographed on famous Hindi songs. Archana Jhavery, Chief Project Co-ordinator, Shiv Agrawal, Project Director, Sunita Surana, Project Director, were felicitated for their efforts in holding the camp. Sharvari Joshi, Civil Judge, and Radhika Bajaj conducted the proceedings while Bharat Parekh proposed a vote of thanks.

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