Maharashtra government to withdraw ex-Industries Minister Narayan Rane's order allowing school to run illegally

While the Industries Minister and senior Congress leader Narayan Rane resigned from Maharashtra cabinet today, the state government told the Bombay High Court that it would withdraw an order passed by him allowing a school in Nashik to operate though it had no permission.

Rane, in his earlier capacity as Revenue Minister, had reversed a 2006 order of Secretary of Revenue and Forest Department Avinash Hazare who had directed that the school building be pulled down and a criminal case be filed against the management for running it without obtaining permission.

"We have already made the move to withdraw the decision taken by Rane and the file is pending before the concerned minister for his signature," government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani told a bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka. The court then adjourned the hearing to July 23.

Nashik resident Kiran Jadhav has filed a petition alleging that Rane allowed the school to operate though it had no government permission. On July 7, the court had noted that prima facie it appeared that the minister cannot reverse the order of the Secretary and asked the government to declare its stand on schools operating without permission elsewhere in the state too.