With the BMC elections nearing, the Mumbai North Central District Forum (MNCDF) has released a Citizen Charter aimed at candidates contesting the polls. The charter outlines a 30-point roadmap demanding a decisive shift from “PR gimmicks” to a transparent, technology-driven and accountable civic administration.

A key demand is a complete overhaul of the BMC’s social media-based grievance mechanism. The forum insisted that existing PR agency agreements be reworked to include time-bound resolutions and independent citizen oversight, alleging that earlier contracts diluted accountability.

The charter proposed the creation of a secure, multilingual portal to allow anonymous whistleblower complaints, along with mandatory monthly review meetings at the BMC headquarters. To ensure effectiveness, it called for annual independent audits of grievance redressal systems across all civic departments.

A significant portion of the charter focused on “pedestrian-first” urban planning. Key demands included the creation of dedicated pedestrian zones, implementation of universal accessibility standards, and high-visibility road markings across the city.

Taking a strong stand on encroachments, the forum called for criminal action against illegal hawkers and the relocation of “Aarey milk centres,” alleging that many have been converted into illegal food stalls. It also suggested mandating joint meetings between resident welfare associations and utility departments before any road is concretised, to address recurring road damage.

In the healthcare sector, the MNCDF demanded mandatory annual hygiene and staffing audits in civic hospitals, along with the establishment of mental health counselling centres. Environmental recommendations included real-time, ward-wise air quality index (AQI) monitoring and strict enforcement of noise mitigation norms at construction sites.

Trivankumar Karnani, founder of the MNCDF Citizen Welfare Forum, said the charter reflected collective public demands. “This Citizen Charter is not just a list of demands; it is the collective voice of Mumbai’s citizens insisting on dignity, safety and accountability in civic governance. We call upon every candidate in the upcoming BMC elections to endorse these commitments and prove that public service is about responsibility, not rhetoric,” he said.

Mumbai: Ramakant Gore, 45, a resident of Khar West who works as a recovery agent with a reputed bank, was shocked after receiving notices in the names of his wife and daughter from the Karnataka GST department, demanding payment of outstanding dues amounting to Rs. 47.36 lakh. The Gore family claims they have never conducted any business in Karnataka and suspects that their PAN card details were misused to register fake firms. Following a complaint, the Khar police registered an FIR on December 31.

According to the FIR, a GST arrears notice dated January 19, 2024, was received in the name of the complainant’s wife, Savita Gore, under the firm name M/s Gore Traders. Subsequently, on February 26, 2024, action was initiated against her SBI bank account due to the pending dues, leading to the freezing of her fixed deposit of Rs.6 lakh along with the remaining account balance. After the Gore family approached the Karnataka GST office, the account was later defrozen.

However, in September 2024, another notice was received in the names of M/s Vasant Traders and M/s Gore Traders. The notice bore Savita Gore’s purported signature, following which the account was once again frozen by the Karnataka GST department. In November 2025, the bank account of their daughter, Dhanashree Gore, was also frozen, and in December 2025, the family received a summons from the Income Tax Department. The Gore family has since submitted all relevant documents to the Income Tax authorities.

The family has alleged that neither they nor any of their family members have ever started or operated any business under the names Gore Traders or Vasant Traders. They claim that unknown persons misused their PAN card details to fraudulently register fake companies in Bengaluru. The family stated that they are undergoing severe financial and mental distress due to the incident and have demanded a thorough investigation and strict action against those responsible.

Based on the complaint, the Khar police have registered an FIR against an unidentified person under Section 318(4) (cheating) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with sections of the Information Technology Act.

New Delhi, Jan 2: The Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) on Friday urged the government to roll back the notified excise rates on tobacco products and revise them to revenue-neutral rates, to disincentivise smuggling, and support domestic agriculture.

A stable taxation framework, FAIFA noted in a statement, is necessary to sustain farmer incomes, protect employment across the value chain, and align economic policy with long-term public health goals.

The Ministry of Finance notification ‘Chewing Tobacco, Jarda Scented Tobacco and Gutkha Packing Machines (Capacity Determination and Collection of Duty) Rules, 2026’ has imposed an excise duty of Rs 2,050-Rs 8,500 per 1,000 sticks, depending on cigarette length, effective February 1.

FAIFA said such a steep hike in taxes would force domestic manufacturers to raise prices of finished goods, which will lead to a drop in sales, hurting farmers supplies in return. This could cause a glut in the tobacco crop market in the near term, it added.

“While announcing GST 2.0 on September 4, 2025, Government had assured that in the case of tobacco products, GST would be charged at 40 per cent of the retail sales price, while the overall incidence of tax would be kept unchanged,” said Murali Babu, President, FAIFA.

He further added that the farming community across India has been holding on to this assurance of revenue neutrality and had welcomed the government’s decision to rationalise GST by restructuring rates and doing away with the 12 per cent slab, which helped reduce prices.

Appealing to the government, FAIFA leaders stressed that India’s legal cigarette prices are already among the least affordable globally when measured against per capita income, as reflected in World Health Organization’s (WHO) affordability index.

Current steep increase will render legal products unaffordable to a huge section of consumers, accelerating consumer migration to illegal channels, it argued. FAIFA appealed to the government to ensure that taxation policies do not punish those who have always remained within the law.