Maharashtra government receives legal notice over ₹1.58 crore unpaid bill for Davos trip
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has received a legal notice from SKAAH GmbH, a Switzerland-based service provider, regarding an unpaid bill of ₹1.58 crore. The payment is allegedly due for hospitality services rendered to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other officials during the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos earlier this year.
The notice, dated August 28, was addressed to several entities, including the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), the Chief Minister’s Office, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and the WEF. According to SKAAH GmbH, while the MIDC has cleared ₹3.75 crore of the total amount, the remaining ₹1.58 crore is still pending despite multiple payment reminders.
Responding to the matter, MIDC CEO P. Velrasu stated, “I am not aware of any such notice. However, MIDC will check the vouchers and take necessary action. The matter based on merits will be decided at the earliest.”
The Davos trip has come under fire from opposition leaders, including Aaditya Thackeray from Sena UBT and NCP MLA Rohit Pawar, who have accused the government of overspending on the event. Pawar argued that the government’s actions could harm the state’s image at an international forum like Davos, which is vital for attracting global investments.
State Industries Minister Uday Samant confirmed the receipt of the legal notice but denied any excessive expenditure. “We have not overspent. It is MVA MLAs who are making these allegations. Our legal team will reply to this notice and see what the issue is,” Samant stated.
SKAAH GmbH has warned of potential legal action and claimed that the delay in payments has caused substantial financial damage, affecting their credit and overall financial situation. The firm also raised concerns about the potential impact on international relations between India and Switzerland if the issue is not resolved immediately.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
