Sunday, June 28, 2009

Ganesh Naik’s secular image, popularity among locals and his public work

With the state assembly polls just 3 months away, the political equations are taking shape in Navi Mumbai. While results of Lok Sabha polls held just 2 months ago reveal party and individual standings in each assembly constituency, the Airoli and Belapur constituency is clearly the NCP stronghold. Even as the Congress and NCP are debating and considering options whether their alliance should be or not be, in Navi Mumbai beyond doubt, the supremacy of Ganesh Naik appears solid as a rock.

Ganesh Naik's candidature alone in Airoli can, not only ensure sure victory but also increase the lead of the Lok Sabha mandate – irrespective of who is the rival Shiv Sena – BJP candidate. And all probability it will be Vijay Chougule. In Belapur too, NCP party loyalists insist that the NMMC Standing Committee Chairman Sandeep Naik is their best bet, while speculations are high of MLC Manda Mhatre getting the candidature for the constituency. MLC Manda Mhatre supporters say that Sharad Pawar’s advocating 50% reservation for women during his last visit to Navi Mumbai has is one reason for MLC Manda Mhatre surfacing as a potential candidate from Belapur constituency.

Reliable sources say that between Shiv Sena’s Dr. Rajesh Patil and BJP’s Suresh Haware, the latter’s candidature is confirm. And it is indeed doubtful if any Congress or NCP candidate could match the merit or money muscle of Suresh Haware, barring Sandeep Naik.

If Sandeep Naik does get the candidature from Belapur constituency, there definitely will be allegations mostly instigated by the opposition ranks about the growing Naik family clout in the city. Yet without doubt, the family enjoys strong support from the cosmopolitan electorate in the city and also from several sections in the opposition parties too. Political analysts believe that the contest is quite clear.

In Thane in the recently held Lok Sabha poll Out of the total 24 assembly seats in the 4 Lok Sabha constituencies of Thane :
• the NCP led in 7 assembly seats,
• the Congress led in 2 assembly seats,

Ganesh Naik’s secular image, popularity among locals and his public work being a cabinet Minister in Navi Mumbai is unmatched. And the high commands know for a fact that if the 2 seats in Navi Mumbai have to be retained by the Congress-NCP front, then the candidature of Ganesh Naik from Airoli and Sandeep Naik from Belapur appears to be foregone conclusion – the only viable option.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Justice to the poor at last ! NMMC standing committee chairman Sandeep Naik get 10% reservation policy for the poor approved

Better late than never – that’s what NMMC Standing Committee Chairman Sandeep Naik seems to have practiced in the case of getting the 10% reservation policy for the poor activated in the NMMC – Hiranandani Super Specialty tie up. Fulfilling the promise that NMMC of getting super specialty medical services for the poor available free of cost at the NMMC Hospital, Standing Committee Chairman brought the proposal for the reservation policy and got it approved at a special general body meet.

In the Standing Committee meet of May 27, corporators Namdeo Bhagat and Shivram Patil raised the issue of the 10% reservation policy for poor patients Fortis – Hiranandani hospital. Namdeo Bhagat attacked the administration for the delay in complete sarcasm questioning why the administration had shown haste in beginning the hospital without taking the benefits due to NMMC from the tie-up. Chairman Sandeep Naik announced that they would convene a special general body meet and formulate the policy by June 10.

The 10% reservation policy has been brought to make super specialty medical services accessible to the poor free of cost but there is still concern over the prices of the consumables that are as high as the operation cost. To ensure this doesn’t happen, the Chairman Sandeep Naik has called for the administration to fix the rates of consumables at par with charitable hospitals.

Further to ensure that implementation is transparent and successful, Standing Committee Chairman Sandeep Naik says that they have called for every three months auditing of the policy. This would help study the lacunae that will surface only after implementation. He says that the 10% reservation policy is the right of the poor and underprivileged, that’s why they intend to keep the policy open for discussion. Sandeep Thakur welcomed the suggestion of auditing the implementation of the policy.

The approval of the general body meeting has opened the doors of Fortis – Hiranandani Hospital for the poor and weak to avail affordable super specialty medical services. Citizens from across the city welcomed the decision. Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik had made the promise of making super specialty medical services available for the poor on January 26, 2006 during the official ceremony for the public private partnership – three years later, his younger son Sandeep Naik kept the promise made by his father to the citizens of Navi Mumbai.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Ganesh Naik felicitates school at Turbhe

The newly developed municipal school at Turbhe stores “Dr. Babsaheb Ambedkar School no. 20” was recently inaugurated at the hands of Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik.

With an expenditure of Rs. 91 lakhs, NMMC has built this advanced one floored school building at Turbhe stores. The school includes 19 classes out of which 17 are for classrooms, one for staff room and one for a computer lab. The municipal school Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar School No. 20 at Turbhe was inaugurated at the hands of Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik. Present along with the minister was NMMC Education Committee Chairman Ravi Iyer, former education committee chairman Ram Vichare, corporator Ravindra Ethape amongst others. Ganesh Naik inaugurated the school by lighting the high mast light installed in the compound. Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik expressed happiness and stated that they would try to introduce classes till X in this school.

As of now, every municipal school has standards only upto to seventh standard.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

World Environment day observed in Mumbai

With observance of Environment Day, Department of Environment – Government of Maharashtra and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board organized a meet where present as the chief guest was Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. Also present was Deputy Chief Minister Chaggan Bhujbal, Minister for Environment and Excise Ganesh Naik, State Minister for Environment Vijay Wadettiwar and Chairperson of MPCB Valsa Nair amongst others. The opening ceremony was performed by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan after which all those present took an oath of preserving and conserving our nature. This was followed by a book launch where two books named Gatha Gynachi and Jaagar Paryavaracha was presented. On the day, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan stated that not just the state, but the involvement of NGOs and social organizations was very important in conserving environment. He further stated that political parties will also add this as an important agenda in their manifesto.