Connect with us
Tuesday,01-April-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Mumbai: Aaditya Thackeray raises concerns about irregularities in BMC’s ₹263 crore street furniture tender

Published

on

Aaditya Thackeray, the former Maharashtra Minister, has written a letter to Iqbal Singh Chahal, the Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai, raising concerns about irregularities in financial transactions and processes within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Thackeray has specifically raised questions about the street furniture mess in Mumbai, which has reportedly been created to benefit one contractor friend of the BMC and those in government.

Aaditya: Questions regarding the tender remain unanswered

The former Minister has alleged that the BMC has issued a ₹263 crore tender for street furniture to this particular contractor, but many key questions regarding the tender have gone unanswered.

In the letter, Thackeray has sought clarity on the process followed by the BMC for issuing the tender, as well as the itemized market cost of the items required to be supplied by the contractor.

He has also asked why it is necessary for the contractor to buy all the 13 items required by the BMC and what items have been called for through the purchase and in what quantities.

Demand for access to report of three-member fact-finding committee

Moreover, Thackeray has requested access to the report of the three-member fact-finding committee formed after the allegations were made by VITI’s quality testing report of all bidders, remarks of the roads and traffic department of the BMC, and remarks of the urban planners/consultants on the requirements of the same, and whether the urban planners were picked through an Expression of Interest or arbitrarily.

Thackeray has further alleged that the entire process seems to be rigged in favor of a particular contractor friend of the BMC and has called for a demonstration of each item and quality testing again by all bidders.

This letter comes amid rising concerns about corruption and irregularities in the BMC.

Maharashtra

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Achieves Historic Property Tax Collection Nearing ₹800 Crores In Financial Year 2024-25

Published

on

Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has reached a historic property tax collection of Rs 795 crore for the first time ever. High-ranking officials from the property tax department mentioned that this amount might increase since the deadline for online payments remains available until midnight.

A campaign was launched to engage delinquent taxpayers, and the collection offices stayed open during holidays. Moreover, the ‘Abhay Yojana’ was introduced on March 10, 2025, providing a 50 percent reduction on late fees for outstanding payments if settled by March 31, 2025.

Municipal Commissioner took advantage of the chance to auction assets owned by individuals with tax debts, after sending notices to proprietors with unpaid taxes for three straight years, including state entities. This initiative led to the largest recovery of property taxes in the municipality’s history, according to report by Lokmat.

Municipal Commissioner Dr. Shinde advised property owners at risk of confiscation to settle their debts right away, cautioning that seized properties would go up for auction beginning in April 2025.

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Achieves Historic Property Tax Collection Of ₹795 Crores. Comparative data shows a steady increase in property tax income over the years: ₹521 crore in 2021-22, ₹562 crore in 2022-23, and ₹666 crore in 2023-24.

During the first nine months of the financial year 2023-24, Rs 465.70 crore has been gathered, rising from Rs 398.65 crore in the equivalent timeframe of the prior year. The NMMC aimed to reach its target of Rs 800 crore for the whole financial year, ultimately arriving at Rs 795 crores.

PMC Achieves Record Property Tax Collection

The Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) has reached a historic Rs 400 crore in property tax revenue this financial year, representing its highest earnings since being founded in 2016.

Continue Reading

disaster

Mumbai’s Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sudhakar Pathare, who was posted in the Port Zone, passed away in a road accident on Saturday.

Published

on

Pathare had visited Hyderabad for training. He was on his way to visit a temple with a relative when the accident occurred. Both Pathare and his relative lost their lives in the crash.

Mumbai Police have been informed about the incident.

More details are awaited.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Order to demolish the tomb of Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Baba in Mira Bhayander

Published

on

Mumbai: The state government has issued an order to demolish the four hundred year old dargah of Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Peer Rahmatullah Alaih located in Mira Bhayander. Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation has sent a letter to the collector declaring this dargah illegal and ordered action against it. As the dargah is located on forest land, communalists had started demanding the demolition of the dargah. In the House, Darranjan Daukhre had also demanded action against the dargah, after which now the state government has ordered to run a bulldozer on the dargah. An order has also been issued to remove and demolish the dargah by May.

Dargah trustee Amjad Sheikh said that this dargah is ancient and this order is illegal in itself. In this case, communal forces had launched a campaign against the dargah, after which this order was issued.

There is a dargah on the beach and citing the threat of terrorist and illegal activities and the presence of terrorists here, there was a demand to demolish the dargah. The dargah is close to the sea and in such a situation, the threat of a terrorist attack on Mumbai from the sea has been expressed, while the dargah administration has clearly denied this and said that communal organizations are running their agenda against the dargah and there is no such threat. Muslims have opposed this decision of the government and Muslims have also expressed their displeasure and anger over it.

The trustee says that this dargah is ancient and earlier the collector and the municipal corporation had given a notice, after which the illegal shed and other premises were demolished here and the dargah administration has taken this action at its own level. Now an order has been issued to demolish the dargah itself.

Continue Reading

Trending