Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urged people not to interpret the recent meeting between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray through a political lens.

Speaking to the media, Fadnavis said, “Raj Thackeray went to wish Uddhav Thackeray on his birthday. It’s a matter of happiness. Why should we view it politically? We also extend our best wishes to Uddhav ji.”

The chief minister’s clarification came in response to the buzz surrounding Raj Thackeray’s visit to Matoshree, Uddhav Thackeray’s residence, which took place on the latter’s 65th birthday.

What’s in the Heart of Maharashtra Will Be Seen Again: Fadnavis

Commenting on the upcoming local body elections, Fadnavis added, “You saw what’s in the heart of Maharashtra during the Assembly elections. You will see it again in the upcoming local polls. Just because something is in the mind of a leader of a particular party doesn’t mean it reflects the sentiments of all of Maharashtra.”

His statement was seen as a subtle response to growing speculations around the potential political implications of the Thackeray brothers’ renewed rapport.

Birthday Bonding: Raj Thackeray Visits Matoshree

On Sunday, visuals of Raj Thackeray visiting Matoshree surfaced on social media, with Shiv Sena (UBT) sharing the moment on X. “Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Rajsaheb Thackeray extended birthday greetings to party chief Uddhavsaheb Thackeray,” the party posted.

This meeting came just weeks after the Thackeray brothers shared a stage at a joint rally on July 5, where they voiced strong opposition against the alleged Hindi imposition in Maharashtra.

INDIA Bloc Leaders Shower Birthday Wishes on Uddhav

Several leaders from the INDIA alliance also extended birthday greetings to Uddhav Thackeray. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, “Heartfelt birthday wishes and congratulations to Shiv Sena President and INDIA alliance partner Uddhav Thackeray ji. May you stay healthy, live long, and together we will fight for the interests and rights of the people of Maharashtra.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also praised Uddhav’s linguistic stance, saying, “Your bold resistance to #HindiImposition and your firm stand to uphold Maharashtra’s identity have united the Marathi people… Wishing you strength as you continue to defend federalism and linguistic dignity.”

‘Lighthouse in Every Storm’: Sanjay Raut’s Tribute

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut added a poetic touch to the occasion, posting, “Shiv Sena chief, my friend Uddhav Thackeray, who stands firm like a lighthouse in every storm, heartfelt birthday wishes to you! Jai Maharashtra!”

Mumbai: After nearly a decade since the Maharashtra government entrusted the redevelopment of the historic Bombay Development Department (BDD) chawls to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), the first set of redeveloped homes is finally ready for handover in Worli, likely on Independence Day.

Built between 1920 and 1925, the BDD chawls were among the city’s earliest affordable housing units, constructed to accommodate mill, dock, and railway workers. The redevelopment project began in earnest in 2016 and in 2021, MHADA initiated work on 14 buildings in Worli.

2 Towers Ready For Possession

Now, two of those towers, each 40 storeys tall, are ready for possession, pending a final date from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. By this Independence Day, 556 flats in Worli are expected to be allocated to residents,

Originally scheduled for handover on Gudi Padwa (March 30), the ceremony was delayed due to construction-related issues. This year, MHADA expects to complete a total of 3,989 flats: 2,246 in Worli, 1,401 in Naigaon and 342 at N M Joshi Road.

What Will BDD Residents Get After Redevelopment?

The shift marks a massive improvement in living standards for residents, who will move from 160 sq. ft. units to spacious 500 sq. ft. homes. Each new flat includes a living room, master bedroom with attached bath, a second bedroom, a separate bathroom, dining space and a utility area.

MHADA is also providing community facilities including a clubhouse, school, hospital, playground, library, welfare centre, dispensary, society office, and community hall. According to the report, Kiran Mane, General Secretary of the Akhil BDD Chawl Bhadekaru Hakk Sarankshan Samiti, confirmed that residents will receive individual parking spaces and that maintenance will be covered for 12 years through a dedicated fund.

Systematic Plan For Mass Redevelopment

The Rs 16,000 crore project covers 121 chawls in Worli, 42 in Naigaon, 32 in NM Joshi Marg and 12 in Sewri. Through redevelopment, MHADA plans to use 68 per cent of the land to rehouse original tenants, while the remainder will be sold to private developers to recover costs.

In future phases, MHADA will rehouse 5,198 families in Worli alone and develop a 1.8 lakh sq. metre commercial complex. Additionally, housing through lotteries will be offered to 1,860 middle-income and 1,036 high-income families.

Work continues at other sites, with Naigaon units expected by March 2026 and N M Joshi Road housing 1,260 families by April 2026. Redevelopment in Sewri will follow post the land transfer from the central government.

Mumbai’s monsoon brings back the pothole menace – over 6,758 cases reported from June to mid-July. Andheri West (K/West ward) topped the list with 488 complaints, closely followed by Bhandup (S ward) with 453. However, officials noted a sharp decline in the quantity of mastic used for pothole repairs over the past year.

Despite BMC’s efforts to make Mumbai pothole-free by concretising 49% of city roads before the monsoon, data indicates that the number of complaints have increased this year. Launched in 2022, the road concretisation project aims to eliminate potholes, with remaining work scheduled to resume in October. Between June 1 and July 15, pothole reports rose from 6,231 in 2024 to 6,758 in 2025, indicating a spike despite ongoing efforts.

To address the issue, BMC deployed road engineers for daily inspections in each ward, while citizens report complaints via social media, the civic disaster management helpline, and the ‘My Pothole Quick Fix’ app. Of the total complaints, 3,461 were received through these digital channels, while 3,297 were identified by civic engineers.

The BMC uses mastic asphalt to fix potholes during the monsoon, deploying 8 to 10 mastic cookers daily. “In 2024, 25,632 metric tonnes of mastic were consumed for repairs and pre-monsoon maintenance, but only 6,548 metric tonnes have been used so far this year. The deployment of mastic cookers has also declined, with a daily peak of 33 in 2024 compared to 24 this year. A civic officer added, “We aim to identify and repair potholes early to prevent safety risks.”

This year too, the BMC has assigned one road engineer to each of its 227 wards, responsible for daily inspections within a 10–15 km radius and resolving pothole complaints within 24–48 hours. For asphalt and paver-block roads yet to be concretised, the civic body has allocated Rs. 154 crore for repairs, which was Rs. 205 crores last year. 

Mumbai’s road network spans 2,050 km, of which 1,333 km are already concretised. The remaining 700 km of asphalt and paver-block roads will be concretised in this 17,000 crores mega drive. The project aims to concretise 700 km of roads across the city—320 km (700 roads) in phase I and 378 km (1,421 roads) in phase II.