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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Government Approves ₹25 Crore Fund To Strengthen Haffkine Vaccine, Announces DCM Ajit Pawar

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Mumbai/Pune: A meeting was held on Tuesday to address the challenges of the Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation under the leadership of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The discussions included pension concerns of retired staff and officers, as well as measures to strengthen its vaccine manufacturing capacity, particularly at the premises located in Vallab Nagar, Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Ajit Pawar took to X (formerly Twitter) and announced the meeting. He said, “The Haffkine Institute has made invaluable contributions to the field of vaccine production. It has played a significant role in the eradication of polio from the country. The Government of India has a demand for 268 million doses of oral polio vaccine.”

Pawar further said, “In today’s meeting, an in-principle approval was granted to provide a fund of ₹25 crore to the Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation from the two per cent cess of the Haffkine Procurement Cell for the production of these vaccines.”

Pawar further said that a committee headed by renowned scientist Dr Raghunath Mashelkar has been appointed. Its purpose is to strengthen the Haffkine Institute and Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation. The committee has submitted its report to the government.

This committee will include the secretaries of the medical education, public health, and planning departments. They were instructed to prepare a five-year roadmap for the empowerment of Haffkine.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad unit of the Haffkine Institute, which specialises in antivenoms, currently has 1.5 lakh doses of the anti-snake venom vaccine ready. “The snake venom vaccine produced by Haffkine is effective and potent. Instructions were given that the Maharashtra Medical Goods Procurement Authority should purchase these vaccines directly from Haffkine,” said Ajit Pawar.

Despite these developments, Haffkine continues to grapple with significant challenges at its Pimpri-Chinchwad premises. media earlier report had revealed the problems with the facility. Originally envisioned as a key hub for vaccine manufacturing, Haffkine suffers from underutilisation and delayed modernisation.

Hearing reports about this, Maharashtra FDA Minister Narhari Zirwal visited the premises a fortnight ago. He was told about infrastructure bottlenecks, outdated equipment, and slow-moving approvals in Haffkine, which have hampered production expansion at the site. Employees voiced concerns over uncertain operational schedules and inconsistent government support. 

Crime

Mumbai Crime: Kandivali Developer Booked In ₹4.07 Crore Cheating Case

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Mumbai: The Kandivali police have registered a case of cheating worth ₹4.07 crore against a local developer, identified as Jayant Mehta, a resident of Samajdeep building, Bata Showroom Lane, Kandivali (West)..

According to the complaint lodged by Dinesh Dayalal Vadodaria (74), a real estate agent, the accused allegedly duped him by showing redevelopment documents of 11 rooms located at Shivmahal Building, Danvibhavan Chawl, Mathuradas Road, Kandivali (West). The accused assured the complainant of profitable returns if he financed the project.

Believing these assurances, Vadodaria invested ₹2.89 crore in cash and ₹1.18 crore via cheque, totaling ₹4.07 crore. However, neither the redevelopment project materialized nor did the complainant receive any returns, leading to the registration of the case.

The alleged fraud occurred at Mathuradas Road, White Arch Building, Kandivali (West). Police have booked the accused under relevant sections of cheating and fraud. Further investigation is underway.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Weather Update: City Wakes Up To Scattered Showers, Cloudy Skies Expected Today

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Mumbai: Mumbaikars woke up to scattered showers and overcast skies on Thursday. The shift in weather brought much-needed relief to residents who endured a turbulent September marked by heavy rains across the Konkan belt.

For nearly a week, torrential rains had disrupted life in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, flooding streets, halting transport, and forcing authorities to issue repeated advisories. However, with the arrival of October, the monsoon’s intensity has eased, giving citizens a welcome respite.

In Mumbai, the day began with cloudy skies but little to no rainfall. The water that had accumulated in low-lying parts of the city over the past few days has started receding, allowing traffic to move more smoothly. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the city’s maximum temperature is likely to hover between 27 and 31 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will stay around 27 degrees. Light winds and high humidity will make conditions feel warm and muggy.

Thane and Navi Mumbai, too, reported a pause in heavy showers on Thursday morning. Roads that had been clogged with water earlier this week have begun to clear, with commuters finding it easier to move around. The IMD has forecast a generally cloudy day with chances of light drizzles in some pockets. The temperature in these twin cities is expected to remain between 26 and 30 degrees Celsius, with wind speeds averaging 12 kmph.

Further north in Palghar, the intensity of rain has dropped sharply. The district will continue to see cloudy skies with only light to moderate showers in isolated areas, according to the forecast. No weather alerts have been issued for the next few days, easing concerns for residents.

Meanwhile, the coastal districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, which bore the brunt of September’s lashing monsoon, also witnessed calmer conditions on Thursday. With no heavy rains reported, the skies remained partly cloudy. Daytime temperatures here are expected to stay between 25 and 29 degrees Celsius, accompanied by mild winds.

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Maharashtra

Kurla: Patients’ lives are in danger due to the negligence of Fauzia Hospital, how can a hotel and a hospital be in the same building? License revoked, Haji Arafat demands action

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Mumbai: Due to the negligence of Kurla Fauziya Hospital, the lives of patients are in danger. Here, BUMS Unani and BHMS doctors are fighting over who does not have permission to practice medicine. Therefore, after an inquiry by the hospital administration, Anwar Ismail Lakdwala, his brother Usman Lakdwala, Dr. Anjum Deshmukh and all the doctors on the panel, the hospital’s license should be canceled. BJP leader and former Minorities Commission chief Haji Arafat Shaikh has demanded this from the caretaker health minister Prakash Abhiyan. He said that patients are facing problems due to the hospital’s irresponsibility and corruption, so an inquiry should be conducted and justice should be given to the people of Kurla. Kurla LBS Marg Perfozia Hospital and Medical is completely fake. The doctor working in this hospital is unregistered in Hepapathy and Ivyani and the hospital staff is also untrained. An inquiry is necessary. How is it possible to have a gym and canteen on the hospital terrace on the first and second floors along with a hotel next to the hotel, this is what the people of Kurla are asking. Haji Arafat has demanded that the health minister cancel the license of the hospital and take action against such BMC officers and medical officers who have given permission to this hospital. This hospital is built on illegal constructions. Why have the ward officer, Assistant Municipal Commissioner Dhanaji Harlekar, fire officer Anil Pawar, health officer Dr. Satish Tahsildar not taken action against this hospital yet? Are these officers still dreaming? Haji Arafat said that there is no space in the hospital. If there is a fire in the hotel and the hospital, how will the fire brigade enter the hospital? It will be difficult to save the patients here in such conditions. He said that due to the criminal negligence of the hospital administration, the lives of the patients are in danger because even the most critical patients are treated not by MD or MBBS doctors, but only by homeopathy and Unani doctors. Many deaths have occurred due to this negligence of the hospital. In such a situation, action should be taken against the hospital. Fire brigade. On what basis has the BMC issued an NOC to the hospital? There are more beds than the capacity of the rooms and there is a shortage of space for patients in the hospital. Treatment is also not done properly here.

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