Builders contesting Assembly polls: Is it a boon or bane?
MUMBAI: The real estate sector still continues to play a dominant role in the Maharashtra Assembly polls as a large number of builders are now in the electoral fray in both Thane and Mumbai.
While critics have slammed this trend calling it the growing clout of the builders’ lobby, which will be used to tweak policy decisions, the aspirants point out there is nothing wrong with builders participating in public life.
The builders seeking reelection are Mangal Prabhat Lodha (BJP) from the Lodha Group, Nitin Sardesai (MNS) of Matoshree Infrastructure along with Sachin Ahir (NCP), Pratap Sarnaik (Shiv Sena), Ram Kadam (BJP), Ramesh Singh Thakur (Congress) and Ravindra Waikar (Shiv Sena). Other builders now in the fray include Sunil Rane (BJP), Mohit Kambhoj (BJP), Pravin Chedda (Congress), Pravin Naik (Congress) and Imtiyaz Anees (MNS).
According to Sardesai, the MNS candidate from Mahim, who also is the director of Matoshree Infrastructures, the entry of people from different professions enhances the level of debate in the Assembly. “As long as the people elect their representative, it does not matter which profession they belong to,” he added. He dismissed any influence to the policy. “There are construction rules in place and there is no way we can manipulate them,” said Sardesai.
Pratap Sarnaik, chairman and director, Vihang Group, who is the Shiv Sena candidate from Ovla-majiwada in Thane, echoes Sardesai’s opinion. “We take up issues relating to the people, but the ultimate decision is taken by the government. The Congress-led government had paralysed the entire real estate sector,” said Sarnaik.
Critics said builders are ruling the roost. “These people enter public life to ensure their vested interests are protected and the common man suffers the most,” said Prakash Reddy, executive committee member, Communist Party of India. “They just want to misuse their position to grab plots and get developmental rights,” he added.
In the past 10 years, the builders lobby has been very strong in the city. It suffered some setback, however, in the past four years as former CM Prithviraj Chavan did not entertain them. Although Chavan was attacked for clearing several proposals in the last two months of his tenure, with Opposition benches accusing him of catering to the builders’ lobby. MUMBAI: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has extended the deadline to register online for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam. Students can now reg ister up to October 21 (without late fees) and October 31 with late fees
The deadline to register online for the HSC exams, to be held in February-march 2015, was October 13 earlier. But teachers had demanded an extension because schools were unable to meet the deadline on account of poll duties
The announcement about the extension was made in a circu lar issued by the state board on Monday. Schools will have to sub mit the exam fees’ challan in the bank between October 22 and 30 and submit the same to the divi sional board by October 31.
Registrations after October 21 to October 31 will have to pay late fees, and complete the bank formalities from November 1 to 5 and submit the final receipts to the board by November 7.
Laxmikant Pandey, chairman of the Mumbai divisional board said, “We have decided to extend the deadline considering the con venience of students and teachers both after continuous demands to extend the deadline.”
Anil Bornare, president of the Shikshak Parishad (Mumbai divi sion), which had demanded the rescheduling of dates, said, “We welcome the decision because most of the institutions will not be able to send the forms before October 13 on account of their election duty.”