Statue of Unity sculptor Ram Sutar conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan award

Statue of Unity sculptor Ram Sutar. Pic/X@SanjayDRathods

Renowned sculptor Ram Sutar has been conferred with the prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan award. The announcement was made by CM Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday in the state Legislative Assembly. A committee, headed by Fadnavis, to select the name for the award on March 12, unanimously decided on Sutar's name for the award.

Sutar, who has designed the Statue of Unity - the world's tallest statue - in Gujarat, has been assigned by the Maharashtra government to make a statue of Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar to be installed at Chaityabhoomi. Sutar, who turned 100 last month, hails from the Dhule district of Maharashtra.

MCOCA for cow slaughter

In a crackdown on those indulging in cow slaughter and trafficking, the state government has decided to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against repeat offenders.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Fadnavis, speaking in the state Legislative Assembly, said, "Stringent acts like MCOCA will be invoked against repeated offenders involved in cases of cow slaughter and trafficking." In 1999, the state government introduced a special law - MCOCA - to curb organised crime and criminal activities.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Sangram Jagtap during the calling attention notice in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday had raised the issue of cow slaughter and trafficking and offenders usually found repeatedly involved in such acts.