Panel to decide on plastic ban

It is said that if a government wants to dilly dally on some issue, it can easily wriggle out by appointing a committee, and the Maharashtra government has done exactly that regarding the much-publicised ban on plastic products in the wake of late-July flooding.

Addressing a press conference after the weekly cabinet meeting, chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said, "It was decided to appoint a four-member committee under the chairmanship of former chief secretary V Rangnathan, which was asked to study nearly 2,000 suggestions and objections from the public on the issue. The committee was to submit its recommendations within one month." However, Deshmukh remained evasive on the issue of extension to the committee.

The cabinet has decided to create 11,000 new posts of policemen considering the rising population and crime graph in the state. Out of these 11,000 posts, the Mumbai police will get more than 1,800 posts. This decision will put a burden of Rs 129 crore on state's coffers.

In another important decision, it was decided to amend the Bombay Nursing Home Act and an amendment bill would be tabled in the winter session of the assembly.

Under the new amendment, only qualified doctors with post-graduate degree or diploma holders in nursing will be allowed to run nursing homes in the state. The amendment will further provide guidelines on location, area, number of beds and facilities to be provided at nursing home.