Maharashtra
‘360 KM Of Bullet Train Project Complete,’ Says Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw; Blames Uddhav Thackeray For Delay

Ahmedabad: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said that 360 km of the Bullet Train project has been completed, with significant progress on the Maharashtra section that got a setback due to a delay in permissions by the Uddhav Thackeray government.
“The Bullet Train project is progressing well, with 360 km completed and track laying underway… The project aims to create economic hubs along the route, boosting growth in cities like Mumbai, Thane, Vapi, Surat, Vadodra, Anand and Ahmedabad, making them interconnected as a single economic zone,” Vaishnaw told mediapersons.
He said all these cities will see huge economic activities. “A Bullet Train should not be seen just as a transportation project but it a project for the growth of the entire area,” he said.
He said that the Maharashtra section of the Bullet Train project is advancing well, with “almost 2 km of the undersea tunnel completed.”
He criticised Uddhav Thackeray alleging that his government delayed the project by two-and-a-half-years. However, he stated, work is now moving at full speed and will greatly benefit future generations.
The Railway Minister also highlighted the growth patterns related to the first Bullet Train in Japan between Tokyo and Osaka.
The six big stations between Osaka and Tokyo – Nagoya, Kyoto, Atami, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama and Odawara – have become big industrial hubs, he said.
Vaishnaw said similar gains, in terms of growth, will be made on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor.
“In the morning, a person would be able to have a breakfast of fafda-dhokla in Ahmedabad and attend to work in Mumbai during the day before returning home and spending time with kids in Ahmedabad,” he said.
Similarly, a person in Mumbai would begin the day with a breakfast of poha and complete his work in Surat during the day and return to Mumbai to spend time with the family in the evening, he said.
During his visit to Ahmedabad’s Kalupur Railway Station, the Minister attended an event organised by the Rail Line Development Authority.
Speaking about the Ahmedabad Kalupur Railway Station redevelopment project, Vaishnaw emphasised that it is a four-year initiative designed to be a major gift for the city.
The Minister highlighted that the station’s new design has been planned while keeping Ahmedabad’s cultural heritage in mind. The project has also received significant inputs from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said the station has been designed with special stress on strength of material used in girders to manage pressure zone developed around a train moving at a speed of 350 kmph.
“The roof of the platform is also left open to manage the pressure generated,” Vaishnaw said, during the inspection of the station.
The station’s design is unique, he said, highlighting its three-levels. “The ground level, concourse level and platform level. Passengers will wait on the concourse level and the platform level,” he said.
Trains on Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor will operate at a speed of 320 kmph covering a distance 508 Km and 12 Stations. There will be 35 trains per day/one direction, with a frequency of 20 minutes in peak hours and 30 minutes in non-peak hours.
With a limited stop (in Surat and Vadodara) service, it will cover this distance in 1 hour and 58 minutes and all stops service will take 2 hour 57 minutes. Operational Control centre for MAHSR corridor will be located at Sabarmati.
Maharashtra
The post of Joint Police Commissioner for Intelligence is under consideration… Decision to assign a senior officer the responsibility of gathering information in connection with the Pahalgam attack

Mumbai: State Government first introduced the post of Special Commissioner in Mumbai city and now there is a national possibility of creating the post of Joint Police Commissioner Intelligence. This decision has been taken by the government after the Pahalgam terror attack, so that intelligence can be collected proactively. After the Pahalgam terror attack, a new post of Joint Police Commissioner will be created in Mumbai to monitor the miscreants and terrorist modules and sleeper cells, so that he can monitor the intelligence and keep an eye on the sleeper cells. Weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack and to keep an eye on the ‘sleeper cells’ of terrorist groups, the Maharashtra government has decided to create the post of a sixth Joint Commissioner for Mumbai, who will be in charge of intelligence in addition to the five posts that already exist.
The decision was taken amid the need to be at the forefront of intelligence gathering, especially in the wake of the recent Indo-Pak tensions. A senior source confirmed that the government has decided to create a new post of Joint Commissioner Intelligence in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and the history of such attacks in Mumbai. The sixth Joint Commissioner will primarily collect intelligence, and is likely to be by upgrading the post of Additional Commissioner (Special Branch) that currently exists. After the post of Special Commissioner in Mumbai, the government has now upgraded the post of Special Branch officer to the level of Joint Police Commissioner. Earlier, the head of SB-1 used to be the in-charge of intelligence, but now this post is likely to be upgraded to Joint Police Commissioner, which will now have six Joint Commissioners in Mumbai instead of five.
Maharashtra
Strongly condemning Minister of State Vijay Shah’s derogatory statement against Colonel Sofia Qureshi, demanding apology and action, Muslim women protest in Mumbai

Mumbai: Muslim women have also staged a protest against BJP Minister of State Vijay Shah in Mumbai after Indian Army Lieutenant Colonel Sofia Qureshi made an insulting and derogatory remark. Prominent women social workers from Madanpura area of Mumbai’s Byculla, who run a popular NGO like Rais Area Level Federation, along with the women’s wing of Samajwadi Party South Mumbai district, staged a strong protest against BJP Minister Vijay Shah.
The protesters, while addressing the protest, said,
We, as conscious citizens, express our deep sorrow and anger over the condemnable and false statement made by Madhya Pradesh Minister Vijay Shah in which he called Colonel Sofia Qureshi the ‘sister of a terrorist’.
The women protesters paid tribute to the services of Colonel Sofia Qureshi, saying:
Colonel Sofia Qureshi is a patriotic and respected Indian Army officer who made history in 2016 by becoming the first Indian woman to lead an international military exercise. Her services, patriotism and sacrifice are a source of pride for our country.
They further said that
This statement by Minister Vijay Shah is not only an insult to a dutiful woman officer but also a blatant insult to the Indian Army, the Constitution and our secular values.
The women made the following demands:
An immediate and unconditional apology should be sought from Vijay Shah.
Strict disciplinary action should be taken by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and the BJP leadership.
A resolution should be passed in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly to acknowledge the dignity of military officers and condemn communal statements.
The protesters also demanded that the Governor of Madhya Pradesh and, if elections are near, the Election Commission take serious note of this objectionable statement.
They said
Colonel Sofia Qureshi is a symbol of India’s inclusive and democratic strength. Her being a Muslim and being a patriot is not only possible together but is a practical proof of our constitutional ideology. We express complete solidarity with her and stand with every individual who serves the country by donning the military uniform. — No matter what their religion, caste or gender.
During the protest, women have also enthusiastically raised slogans in which we are with Sofia Qureshi… Shame on Vijay Shah, shame on you. Respect and honor our army.
Maharashtra
Relocation of Mumbai Deonar Dumping Ground is a relief for residents, BMC’s decision is welcomed, Govindi residents should have access to basic facilities including a hospital: Rais Shaikh

Mumbai: The Mumbai BMC has decided to shift the Deonar dumping ground, which will bring relief to the residents of Deonar and Shivaji Nagar, and is also a welcome move for the people of Govind. After the BMC invited bids for a major legacy waste bio-remediation project at the Deonar dumping ground, Samajwadi Party legislator and former BMC group leader Rais Shaikh welcomed the move, saying it is the first step towards fulfilling the long-standing demand of Govind residents.
A former Govind corporator, Shaikh said that the residents had faced hardship for decades due to the presence of the dumping ground and now they should get essential social infrastructure like hospitals and schools on the part of the land that will be reclaimed after the removal of legacy waste.
MLA Rais Shaikh said that this was a fundamental, long-standing demand of the residents of Govandi for decades and it is a welcome step for them. Scientific closure of the dumping ground should be ensured, and the civic body should maintain transparency in the entire process. He added that the civic body should take all stakeholders into confidence during the process of removing the legacy waste. Shaikh said, “It should be ensured that the residents of Gowandi face minimum inconvenience during the transportation of waste, as thousands of trucks will pass through the area daily.” Highlighting that Gowandi is a hotspot for tuberculosis (TB), cancer and other respiratory diseases, MLA Rais Shaikh said, “Gowandi, often called the TB and malnutrition capital of the city, is consistently ranking well below average on all socio-economic development indicators. Therefore, social infrastructure in hospitals and schools should not be damaged. After removing the legacy waste, the land reclaimed for them should be prepared,” demanded MLA Rais Shaikh.
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