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Maharashtra

‘Anarchy’ in Maharashtra Congress’, change party chief, demands state leader

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 In a jolt for the Congress, a party leader in Maharashtra on Tuesday claimed that there is “anarchy” in the state unit for which state President Nana Patole is responsible, and has sought his removal.

The demand has been in a letter penned to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge by former legislator from Nagpur Dr Ashishrao R. Deshmukh – the son of Congress strongman, former state party chief minister Ranjeet Deshmukh.

Without mincing words, Deshmukh has blamed Patole for all the ills plaguing the party after he took over as the state chief in February 2021, and claimed that it has gone into “anarchy”.

“The recent rebellion by Dr Satyajit Tambe (in Nashik) has brought disgrace to the Congress. During Patole’s tenure, the party has been facing constant upheavals. Vidarbha (from where Patole also hails) was once known as the stronghold of the Congress, but it has slipped out of the hands,” he alleged.

Citing other lapses, Deshmukh said that belying Patole claims of making Congress No. 1 in the state when he was made party chief, the party has slid to the No 4 position, and now with Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS), it will be pushed down to No 5.

He recalled the examples of how Dr. Ravindra Bhoyar was the Congress candidate for the 2021 MLC polls from Nagpur, but after dramatic political developments, at the last minute, the party supported independent Mangesh Deshmukh, due to which the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule won overwhelmingly.

Similarly, in June 2022 MLC polls, official Congress candidate Chandrakant Handore was defeated while another party leader Bhai Jagtap bagged more votes and won.

Another instance was the floor test of the newly-appointed government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis in July 2022, when the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi unity’s was of importance.

Deshmukh said that instead, during the confidence vote, 10 Congress MLAs remained absent which greatly improved the government’s majority.

Patole had promised to investigate all these cases and submit a report to the party high command, but till date no action has been taken nor anybody held responsible though many people continued to do anti-party work even when they were in the party, he said in the letter to Kharge.

On the upcoming MLC’s polls on January 30, Dr. Deshmukh warned that its outcome could have a bearing on the election of the Chairman of the Legislative Council.

He rued that in the erstwhile bastion of Maharashtra, today, there are many leaders but no dedicated workers left, the Congress is struggling for survival, its ideology is not respected by the leaders, and the party is viewed as one without a competent state leadership.

This is the reason why people from the Congress are moving out to other parties like Shiv Sena-UBT, Nationalist Congress Party or Bharatiya Janata Party, there are no anew faces’ in Congress, rampant factionalism and the party is left without a backbone, he alleged.

Maharashtra

Heavy rainfall in Mumbai; waterlogging disrupts traffic, railway services

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Continuous heavy rainfall has disrupted normal life in Mumbai and its adjoining areas, as waterlogging at several locations is causing considerable inconvenience to commuters and motorists.

Heavy rains that have continued since Saturday night have resulted in severe waterlogging on the eastern side of Nalasopara Railway Station.

Despite the waterlogged conditions, passengers have been forced to wade through accumulated water to reach their destinations. Large crowds of passengers were also seen inside the station premises amid the ongoing rainfall.

Meanwhile, heavy rains have continued to lash Vasai-Virar city since Saturday night. Due to the persistent rainfall, several roads in Nalasopara, including areas around Centre Park and Tulinj Bridge, have become waterlogged, creating difficulties for motorists as well as pedestrians during the morning hours.

Heavy rainfall has also continued in Mumbai’s Dadar area, leading to inconvenience for commuters travelling through the locality. The railway tracks at Kurla station have also been flooded following the continuous downpour, affecting movement in and around the station.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar for Sunday, forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rainfall and strong winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph at some places.

The weather department said, “The sky will generally remain cloudy with occasional moderate rain or thundershowers, accompanied by lightning and strong winds of 40-50 kmph. Isolated areas may also experience isolated heavy rain.”

Mumbai is likely to witness further rainfall on Monday as well.

The prevailing weather conditions are expected to keep rainfall activity over the city and neighbouring areas.

The IMD has forecast moderate rainfall in Mumbai for the day, which also marks the first day of the famous Ganesh festival.

The idol immersion processions are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, and according to the weather forecast, the city is also expected to receive light to moderate rainfall on that day.

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Maharashtra

Construction work on the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road targeted for completion by December 2028; Additional Municipal Commissioner inspects the site.

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To alleviate traffic congestion and ensure smooth, convenient travel within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a major infrastructure project known as the ‘Mumbai Coastal Road (North).’ Spanning approximately 60 kilometers—including interchanges and link roads—this mega-project aims to connect the Versova and Bhayandar areas via a coastal route. The construction work has been divided into seven packages: Packages A, B, C, D, E, F, and the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road (DBLR). Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar visited and inspected the Bhayandar interchange site (part of the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road/Package 7), located within the limits of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation, and issued necessary instructions during the visit.

The Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road is a crucial project for the Mumbai and Mira-Bhayandar regions, and construction is currently underway. It will establish a direct and rapid road connection between Dahisar West and Bhayandar West. The total length of this road project is approximately 5.135 kilometers. The project encompasses various engineering structures, including elevated roads, roads on stilts through mangrove areas, high-level structures over creeks, elevated corridors over salt pan lands, connecting roads and interchanges for traffic distribution, and flyovers. The main elevated road of the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road project—spanning approximately 3.83 km in length and 45 meters in width—will serve as the final leg of the Mumbai Coastal Road (North). Mr. Bangar visited the site and reviewed the preliminary works. Currently, the installation of gabion walls is underway; additionally, piling (deep foundation) and the construction of pile caps are progressing. Several components of the project have already been completed, including 60 piles, 5 pile caps, 4 bridge piers, pier caps, and the ninth section of the bridge. State-of-the-art machinery is deployed at the site, and a temporary bridge system is operational for access. Work related to the ‘launching girder’ is scheduled to commence in the second week of October; Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar reviewed detailed information regarding this. Bangar issued instructions to expedite the land acquisition process required for the project and to prepare a priority list in this regard. He emphasized the need to secure cooperation from the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation and other relevant authorities. He also directed that safety-related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) be strictly adhered to, adequate barricading be installed at the site during construction, and the work be completed to high standards within the stipulated timeframe. He instructed that planning and execution be carried out with the aim of completing the project by December 2028. Deputy Commissioner (Infrastructure) Shri Girish Nikam and Deputy Chief Engineer (Mumbai Coastal Road – North) Vaibhav Gandhi were present on the occasion, accompanied by the concerned engineers and consultants.

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Maharashtra

Gutkha and scented betel nut worth approximately ₹1.18 crore seized in Mumbai; 9 arrested.

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Mumbai: Authorities have claimed the seizure of banned gutkha worth ₹1.18 crore within the jurisdiction of the Bhandup Police Station. Acting on a tip-off regarding the transportation and sale of banned gutkha and scented betel nut, the Senior Police Inspector of Bhandup Police Station dispatched Assistant Police Inspector Vinod Lad and his team to verify the information and take action. Based on the intelligence received, the team laid a trap and conducted a raid on September 12 at approximately 4:25 AM at the Municipal Corporation parking area on Village Road, Nahur. During the operation, they seized five vehicles—comprising one container truck, two tempos, one Bolero, and one pickup truck—and arrested a total of nine individuals. The seized contraband included banned scented betel nut products (such as ‘Varanasi Aashiq’ scented betel nut and scented tobacco) valued at ₹20,21,100, along with five motor vehicles from various companies valued at ₹98 lakh; the total value of the seized property amounts to ₹1,18,21,100. The five vehicles, the nine accused, and the contraband have been taken into custody, and proceedings to register a formal case at the Bhandup Police Station are currently underway. This successful and noteworthy operation was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Sharma (Law and Order), Additional Commissioner of Police Dhananjay Kulkarni (East Region), Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhay Singh Deshmukh (Zone 3), and Assistant Commissioner of Police Ajay Joshi (Bhandup Division), by a team comprising Senior Police Inspector Sapna Khirsagar, Assistant Police Inspector Vinod Lad, Police Havaldars Hiralal Charande, Akesh Tirmare, and Ganesh Sonone, and Police Constables Vikas Shinde and Vijaykumar Pawar.

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