www.freepressjournal.in | twitter.com/fpjindia Reg. No. Mcs/048/2018-20; RNI No. 1541/1957 I M.p.c.s office Mumbai-400001 hoMe sales drop 37%, deMand baCk to pre-Covid levels Pg 11 thuMbs up for Central vista, thuMbs down to pil industry Juhi Chawla takes a nostalgiC trip to her Miss india days Pg 20 300c. 220c. Sunrise: 07:14 am Sunset: 06:16 pm Vol. 64 No. 214 | THURSDAY | JANUARY 7, 2021 | 16 Pages | EDITIONS: Mumbai*, Pune, Indore, Bhopal, E-Paper EDIT Playfulness cannot happen if there is no beauty.Deva, the word for angel, also means, “One who loves to play, one who is effulgent, glorious.” STATE CUTS REAL ESTATE PREMIUMS BY HALF Pg 10 Sri Sri Ravi Shankar APPLICABLE TO ONGOING AND NEW PROJECTS UP TO DEC 31, 2021, WILL MAKE HOUSES CHEAPER SANJAY JOG / Mumbai It’s a new year gift for the ailing realty sector After its decision . to continue with the cut in stamp duty till the end of March, the Maharashtra Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a 50 per cent reduction in all premiums levied on ongoing and new construction projects till December 31, 2021. Project developers, who will avail these concessions, will have to pay full stamp duty on behalf of buyers. The realty sector has hailed the decision, saying BETWEEN THE LINES NO MORE CURFEW AT NIGHT Even though there has been a resurgence of coronavirus cases and eight passengers arriving from the UK were found to be infected by the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the Maharashtra government has decided not to extend night curfew in the jurisdiction of 27 municipal corporations, including that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. However, it has urged the citizens to observe selfdiscipline, as although the pandemic is under control, it is not yet fully over. The government had imposed night curfew from December 22 to January 5 between 11pm and 6am, in order to avoid gatherings, especially during Christmas and New Year celebrations. Assembly of more than five people at a time outside was prohibited during the specified hours. Home Minister Anil Deshmukh told The Free Press Journal, “Night curfew was imposed up to January 5. The government has not given further extension. It has yielded positive results as New Year celebrations in Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra passed off peacefully. Citizens have responded positively.’’ CONTD. ON P8 ROHIT RETURNS, SAINI TO DEBUT SYDNEY: Rohit Sharma made a return to the Indian team for the Pink Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground while pacer Navdeep Saini, who replaced Umesh Yadav, is set to make his debut in the longest format of the game on Thursday. Rohit was also named the vice-captain for the remaining two Test matches against Australia. The opener will take over the reins from Cheteshwar Pujara. India's playing XI: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin and Mohd Siraj. Match details Time: 05:00 AM (IST) that the reduced development costs to developers and lower purchase cost to homebuyers could result in increased demand. However, to avoid unduly benefiting one particular group or project, the cabinet has decided that premium rates will be based on the Ready Reckoner rates of 2019 and those in place from April 1, 2020, whichever is higher. In Mumbai, realty players have to pay 22 premiums under various heads, including floor space index (FSI), staircases, lift wells and lobbies, which are significantly higher. In Bengaluru, developers have to pay 10 different premiums and charges, and in Delhi five and in Hyderabad just three. The cabinet approval is a one-time relief provided to builders and developers who have been hit hard because of the coronavirus pandemic and the economic downturn. The decision taken on Wednesday will be applicable to various premiums levied by the government on con- Arrey, Aarey back in contention! Maha Govt sets up a nine-member panel to suggest alternative site for metro car shed SANJAY JOG / Mumbai Days after the Bombay High Court stayed the Mumbai Suburban District Collector’s decision to transfer 102 acres of land to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for building a Metro car shed, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government on Wednesday set up a nine-member committee headed by the Chief Secretary to recommend an alternate site for the project. The committee has been asked to submit a report within a month. The committee will examine whether the land allocated at Aarey Colony for Metro 3 car shed site as per the project plan was sufficient or will need additional land. Also, whether additional trees will have to be cut to accommodate construction of the car shed. The committee’s term of reference is important as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had strongly justified the cancellation of the Aarey Colony site and shifting it to Kanjurmarg, saying that the state government will not pursue infrastructure development at the cost 15 pond herons are found dead in Thane Cause of death yet to be confirmed, report awaited PRIYANKA DHOMSE / Thane Fifteen pond herons were found dead in Thane on Wednesday morning. The carcasses have been sent to the animal husbandry hospital in Mumbai, to determine the exact cause of their death, a civic official said. "Following a call alert from an animal activist, a total of 15 pond herons were found dead at the Vijay Vatika building near Waghbil, in the Ghodbunder area of Thane," said an official from Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) . "A civic veterinarian team retrieved the carcasses, which were sent to the animal husbandry hospital in Mumbai for further medical examination. The reports are expected in three days," the official said. The cause of the deaths can only be confirmed after the medical reports are received, informed the official. Pond herons are a bird species found near wetlands. "The incident has led to panic in the city as many , suspect it could be the bird flu, considering that birds have been found dead in various states in India recently But we are yet to re. ceive a report on the exact cause of their death. Hence, we appeal to citizens not to harm the birds species in the city said ," Rohit Joshi, founder of the Yeoor Environmental Society in Thane. On Wednesday, 410 bird deaths were reported in Rajasthan. Of these, 297 were crows, six peacocks, 50 poultry and 41 other birds. of environment. MMRDA had already acquired 25 hectare land and had carried out some construction at the Aarey Colony site. However, it had recently communicated to the state government that the 25-hectare tract in Aarey Colony will be “insufficient to handle future traffic and hence can prove to be an imperfect solution.” CONTD. ON P8 Mumbai Central Station renaming is on, claims MP SWAPNIL MISHRA / Mumbai There is an imminent name change on the cards. The city's bustling Mumbai Central railway station will soon be renamed after Nana Shankarsheth, a Maharashtrian philanthropist and educationist famous for his contribution to Mumbai's development, according to Mumbai South's Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant. Railway officials in Mumbai said they were yet to receive written or verbal communication to this effect. “We have not received any such letters over renaming the Mumbai Central Railway station,” said railway officials. Last March, the state cabinet had approved a proposal for the renaming of Mumbai Central railway station 'Nana Shankarsheth Terminus' and following this, a proposal was sent to the Union Home Ministry and the Ministry of Railways for further approval. CONTD. ON P8 Across India, 2,463 seats vacant for MBBS & BDS Another male wicket falls FIRST FEMALE TAILPIECE RONALD RODRIGUES / Mumbai Over 2,463 seats in the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Studies (BDS) undergraduate (UG) programmes in various medical and dental colleges and universities of India, are vacant, according to the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). New students wanting to apply for admissions to UG medical and dental programmes were given time to register, from January 4 to 6 for the stray vacancy round, which will be conducted offline. On completion of the mop-up round of UG Counselling on December 29, 2020, the MCC released a list of vacant seats. These 2,463 seats are vacant in various Central and state government medical colleges and deemed universities of India. The MCC stated, "Candidates must confirm the vacancy position from respective colleges, institutes or university and CONTD. ON P8 Sydney Australia's Claire Polosak is set to become the first female match official in a men's Test match: She will take up the fourth umpire's role in the third Test between India and Australia starting here from Thursday The duties . of a fourth umpire include bringing on the new ball, carrying drinks on to the field for the umpires, checking the batteries in the light meter, observing the pitch during the lunch and tea intervals to make sure there is no interference, and bring- FOURTH UMPIRE ing on new bails. The fourth umpire can also take over the third umpire's position if something happens to one of the on-field umpires, in which case the third umpire takes over on-field duties. CONTD. ON P8 Last-minute bid to save Parsi Gate LAST WORD / BMC wants to relocate the structure to facilitate coastal road project M PRATIP ACHARYA Mumbai embers of the Parsi community are aggrieved with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as the fate of the iconic 'Parsi Gate' continues to remain uncertain. In order to facilitate the ongoing construction work for the Coastal Road Project (CRP), the civic body had approached the Bombay Parsi Pun- chayet (BPP), seeking its approval to relocate the 100year-old structure. On Wednesday a group of , concerned citizens from the Parsi community went to the BMC to meet the civic chief, Iqbal Singh Chahal, to urge him not to relocate the structure. The civic body plans to begin work on the proposed tunnel between Priyadarshini Park and Girgaum from January 7, and the citizens were concerned the tun- nelling would affect the heritage infrastructure. Because of last-minute commitments, Chahal could not meet the delegation. However, Colaba legislator Rahul Narwekar and Corporator Harshita Narwekar met the group. Havovi Sukhadwala, a member of the delegation, has been writing to a number of civic officials ever since the BMC announced it wanted to relocate the structure. In her letters, Sukhadwala urged the civic officials to let the structure remain at its original location. Meanwhile the civic body has already acquired an NOC from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) for construction work at Marine Drive. Replying to one of Sukhadwala's letters, VS Nighot, chief engineer, CRP , had stated, Parsi Gate was not a heritage structure but was a part of the Marine Drive precinct, for which an CONTD. ON P8 struction projects and also by all planning authorities / local administrations. The cabinet gave its approval only after the Congress, which had opposed the reduction in premiums two weeks ago, came on board. The decision was taken based on the recommendations made by the Deepak Parekh Committee, which had made a strong case for reduction, in a bid to provide a much-needed relief to the realty sector and home buyers. CONTD. ON P8 No SC stay on love jihad laws but notices issued OUR BUREAU / New Delhi The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay the anti-love jihad laws enacted by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to regulate conversions, but issued notices to the two state governments, seeking response within four weeks. A Bench headed by Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde said it can't decide which provisions of the two laws are oppressive unless it hears out the two state governments. The court is hearing petitions challenging an Ordinance promulgated by the UP government regulating inter-faith marriages and religious conversions and a similar Act enacted in Uttarakhand in 2018. When the petitioner pointed out that the BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana are also bringing similar laws impacting the entire society the CJI , said the laws of only two states are under challenge and it won't expand the petition's scope. CONTD. ON P8 UP’s Hathras horror plays out yet again 50-year-old anganwadi worker gang-raped in Badaun; post mortem conducted 18 hours after body was found; same old story of unresponsive cops FPJ NEWS SERVICE Budaun Just when the nation is trying to come to terms with its outrage over the Hathras incident, comes another gang rape – this time of a 50-yearold anganwadi worker. Shocking details are filtering out three days after the incident. It is gathered that she was gang raped and murdered allegedly by a priest and his two accomplices in Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh. What has triggered an outcry is the obvious comparison with the Nirbhaya case as the post-mortem report, which was conducted 18 hours after the body was found, has confirmed in- juries to her private parts, apart from a broken rib and a fractured rib – tell-tale evidence of the grisly attack. In many ways, it was a replay of the apathy in the Hathras incident, yet again marked by the sluggish response of the authtorities. The victim had gone missing on Sunday evening, but when the family approached the police their pleas went unheard; then, again when the CONTD. ON P8