Faisal Malik
Faisal is with the political team and covers state administration and state politics. He also covers NCP.
Articles by Faisal Malik

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil to hold statewide tour to expand party
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
UPDATED ON JAN 24, 2021 01:16 AM IST
In the first phase, Patil will be covering 82 assembly constituencies situated in 14 districts covering Vidarbha region and parts of north Maharashtra and by travelling around 3,000-km in 17 days

732 more bird deaths in Maharashtra, toll touches 14K
By Faisal Malik
PUBLISHED ON JAN 23, 2021 01:32 AM IST
Till Friday, the state has culled a total of 39,483 poultry birds and eight ducks and destroyed 35,515 eggs and 53,046 kg of poultry feed

Law and order state subject: Sharad Pawar on Centre providing Y security to Maharashtra MP Narayan Rane
By Faisal Malik
PUBLISHED ON JAN 23, 2021 01:21 AM IST
The state government had recently scaled down or completely scrapped the security cover of many leaders. Rane’s security cover was completely removed. He was earlier being provided the Y-plus category

Mumbai: Woman withdraws plaint against Munde; Pawar says NCP stand vindicated
By Faisal Malik
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 05:03 PM IST
In a letter posted on Twitter, the woman said she felt she was being used as a tool for a bigger political conspiracy and hence decided to withdraw her complaint

Would like to be Maharashtra CM someday: State NCP chief and minister Jayant Patil
By Faisal Malik
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 01:44 AM IST
Patil’s statement assumes significance as deputy CM and Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar is believed to be holding the second position in NCP after party chief

Bird flu confirmed in 5 more districts of Maharashtra
By Faisal Malik
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 01:36 AM IST
On Thursday, Bhopal’s ICAR-National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD), which is the nodal body for testing bird flu cases, confirmed the flu as the cause behind the poultry bird deaths in Thane, Yavatmal, Gondia, Ahmednagar and Hingoli

Maharashtra goes past 2 million Covid-19 cases
By Faisal Malik
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 01:19 AM IST
The state recorded 2,886 fresh cases, pushing the count to 2,000,878, as it took 132 days to go from 1 million to 2 million infections, quicker than the 187 days for the first million, breached on September 11

Maharashtra orders probe into SII fire that killed 5; Covid vaccine plant safe
By Faisal Malik
UPDATED ON JAN 21, 2021 07:02 PM IST
- The Maharashtra government will also conduct a fire audit of the Serum Institute building in Pune after a blaze killed five people.

Maharashtra government orders probe into Serum Institute fire; clarifies Covid-19 vaccine plant is safe
By Faisal Malik
PUBLISHED ON JAN 21, 2021 05:31 PM IST
Directives have been issued to Pune Police commissioner for a detailed investigation into the incident, said state deputy CM Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra government upset with MPSC chief Satish Gavai in Maratha reservation case, CM Uddhav Thackeray seeks explanation
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
UPDATED ON JAN 21, 2021 12:28 AM IST
The Maharashtra government is upset with the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) chairman Satish Gavai over an interlocutory application filed in the Supreme Court (SC) in the Maratha reservation case

Maharashtra vaccine drive to resume today at 258 centres
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
UPDATED ON JAN 19, 2021 05:31 AM IST
The announcement was made after the CM reviewed the preparations for the drive at a meeting held with state chief secretary Sanjay Kumar, CM’s principal adviser Ajoy Mehta, principal secretary to public health minister Dr Pradeep Vyas and other officials on Monday.

Bird flu deaths in Maharashtra soar to 6,816; state to upgrade its lab
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
PUBLISHED ON JAN 19, 2021 12:53 AM IST
The number of bird flu deaths in the state is rising continuously. The toll has reached 6,816 in the past 11 days. Of these, 829 birds were found dead across the state on Monday.

Bird flu outbreak: 836 more birds dead; over 25,000 poultry birds culled across Maharashtra
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 11:31 PM IST
The count of bird flu deaths in the state has soared to 5,987 in the last 10 days

Bird flu in poultry spreads in 11 more villages in seven districts of Maharashtra, confirms ICAR-NIHSAD
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
PUBLISHED ON JAN 16, 2021 12:48 AM IST
The ICAR-National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, a nodal body for testing bird flu cases, has confirmed avian influenza or bird flu in poultry chickens at 11 places, covering seven districts of Maharashtra on Friday

Maharashtra: Won’t ask Dhananjay Munde to resign for now, says NCP chief
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
UPDATED ON JAN 16, 2021 12:15 AM IST
Maharashtra social justice minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dhananjay Munde will not have to resign from his post over allegations of rape for now, party chief Sharad Pawar said on Friday, adding he would be allowed to continue until the police investigation is completed

'No room for doubt on Covid vaccine, ready to take the shot': Sharad Pawar
By Faisal Malik
UPDATED ON JAN 15, 2021 10:14 PM IST
The nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive is beginning from January 16.

Rape charges: NCP decides to wait for probe; Dhananjay Munde not to step down yet
By Faisal Malik
UPDATED ON JAN 15, 2021 03:19 PM IST
The decision was taken considering revelations by leaders from other parties that the woman, who has accused Munde of rape, was in relationship with others and also blackmailed people

Sharad Pawar questions composition of SC appointed committee on farm laws
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
PUBLISHED ON JAN 15, 2021 12:49 AM IST
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has questioned the composition of the committee appointed by the Supreme Court to discuss contentious farm laws and give their recommendations

Bird flu confirmed in Maharashtra districts of Beed and Nanded; state death toll soars to 3,378
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
PUBLISHED ON JAN 15, 2021 12:25 AM IST
Avian influenza, or bird flu, is spreading to more parts of Maharashtra

Maharashtra: Amid other leaders’ complaints, NCP won’t ask Munde to resign
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
UPDATED ON JAN 15, 2021 01:52 AM IST
The NCP took the decision in a late-night meeting of core committee members as leaders from other parties alleged the same woman had tried to “honeytrap” them too, said insiders.

NCP to decide Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde's fate over rape allegations
By Faisal Malik
PUBLISHED ON JAN 14, 2021 10:38 PM IST
- NCP chief Sharad Pawar said a decision on Dhananjay Munde should not be delayed.

SC-appointed panel on farm laws should have been truly independent: Sharad Pawar
By Faisal Malik
PUBLISHED ON JAN 14, 2021 07:36 PM IST
- Sharad Pawar said it is not surprising that the farmers do not have faith in the Supreme Court appointed committee because all four members had supported the farm laws at some point of time.

Maharashtra: NCP minister facing rape charges may step down
By Faisal Malik
UPDATED ON JAN 14, 2021 05:07 PM IST
NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the rape allegations against Dhananjay Munde are serious in nature and the party will have to take a decision on the latter’s continuation in the MVA government

481 more birds dead in Maharashtra, count soars to 2,395
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
PUBLISHED ON JAN 14, 2021 01:04 AM IST
The incidents of bird deaths are rising in Maharashtra and their count has soared to 2,395 after 481 birds were found dead on Wednesday

Maharashtra: BJP demands removal of Dhananjay Munde; NCP says let probe be completed
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
PUBLISHED ON JAN 14, 2021 12:57 AM IST
Following allegations of rape, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded sacking of the social justice minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Dhananjay Munde

Trains for all: Maharashtra government yet to take a call, wary of spike in Covid cases
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
PUBLISHED ON JAN 14, 2021 12:54 AM IST
Worried about a spike in Covid-19 cases, the state government has decided to wait for a few more days before taking any decision on reopening local trains for the general public

Actor Sonu Sood meets NCP chief Sharad Pawar amid row with Mumbai civic body
By Faisal Malik
PUBLISHED ON JAN 13, 2021 02:57 PM IST
The BMC had issued a notice to the actor over alleged iilegal construction.

Bird flu: 200 more birds found dead in Maharashtra; tally touches 1,839 in 5 days
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
UPDATED ON JAN 13, 2021 01:23 AM IST
With a growing number of bird deaths being reported in Maharashtra, the risk of avian influenza, or bird flu, spreading across the state is also rising

Covid vaccine in Maharashtra: 1st batch of vials in hand, state to inoculate 800K people in two months
By Faisal Malik, Mumbai
PUBLISHED ON JAN 13, 2021 12:16 AM IST
Starting from January 16, the state is expecting to complete vaccination of 800,000 health workers in the next two months

Maharashtra: Daily Covid cases decline; MMR continues to be the most affected area
By Faisal Malik
PUBLISHED ON JAN 12, 2021 10:42 AM IST
Of the total 2,438 cases reported on January 11, as many as 826 cases were reported from the MMR (33.88% of the day’s tally)