20 December,2023 05:50 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Pic/File
The Maharashtra legislative council on Wednesday passed a bill that proposed to waive the electricity duty on the power consumed by Metro rail operations in the state, reported the PTI.
According to the PTI, tabling the bill to amend the Maharashtra Electricity Duty Act, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the energy portfolio, said the move aligns with an earlier waiver granted to the monorail services in Mumbai.
The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation had sought a waiver on duty on energy consumed by Metro services.
Congress member of legislative council Satej Patil raised questions over the effectiveness of the waiver and sought to highlight what he called fare disparities between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai Metro services, as per the PTI.
Despite opposition from NCP member Eknath Khadse, the upper house cleared the bill, the news agency reported.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday announced a subsidy of Rs 5 per litre for milk producers which will be implemented for the next two months.
State animal husbandry and dairy development minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil made this announcement in the legislative assembly.
The government has decided to give a subsidy of Rs 5 per litre to milk producers who supply it to cooperative dairies. This decision will remain effective for the first two months of the next year, he said.
"Once (the amount calculated on) Rs 29 per litre milk price is deposited in the bank accounts of milk producers, the government will transfer the subsidy amount to the same accounts," the minister added.
Currently, dairies procure milk at Rs 29 per litre.
Job to kin of blast victims
Maharashtra Labour Minister Suresh Khade on Wednesday said one family member of each of the nine persons who died in a blast at the Solar Industries factory in Nagpur will be given a job by the company, according to the PTI.
The family members of eight victims will also be given pension, while the family of another deceased will be given compensation as per rules, Khade said in the state legislative council.
The kin of the victims will also be provided assistance from a central government fund, he said.
The company will bear the cost of education of the victims' children, the minister said.
An inquiry was on into the incident, he added.
Nine persons were killed in a massive blast at the explosives manufacturing factory in Chakdoh area on Sunday.
(with PTI inputs)
