Maratha quota agitation: curfew, Internet shut-down continue in Beed district of Maharashtra
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (PTI): Curfew continued and Internet services remained suspended in central Maharashtra's Beed district on Tuesday though there were no fresh incidents of violence on account of the Maratha quota agitation, a senior official said.
Earlier, as many as 49 persons were arrested and curfew was imposed in parts of the district on Monday evening following incidents of violence and arson targeting the houses and offices of political leaders as the quota agitation intensified.
The situation was peaceful during the day, district collector Deepa Mudhol Munde told PTI on Tuesday evening.
"There was no fresh protest today. Though the day was peaceful, there is no decision on relaxation of curfew and restoration of the Internet as of now," she said.
Curfew has been enforced in a periphery of 5 km from the collector's office, head offices of talukas and along all national highways passing through the district, another official said.
On Monday morning, the residence of Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar group) MLA Prakash Solanke at Majalgaon town was set on fire and stones were hurled at it by a group of quota agitators.
The group also set ablaze a car parked at the residence after an audio clip of the MLA, in which he purportedly spoke about the Maratha quota agitation and made a veiled comment on quota activist Manoj Jarange who is on an indefinite fast, went viral.
Later, the protesters set ablaze the first floor of the Majalgaon Municipal Council building.
Another group of protesters barged into the residential premises and office of NCP MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar in Beed city and set them on fire on Monday evening.
The residence of former Maharashtra minister Jaydutt Kshirsagar in the city was also torched.
Police fired tear gas shells to disperse a mob that had gathered outside the residence of NCP leader Amarsingh Pandit.
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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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