Mumbai: is a city that embraces crores of citizens. Therefore, the responsibility of keeping this city clean and beautiful lies with every resident and every citizen here. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation administration is making continuous efforts for cleanliness. However, the efforts of the administration alone are not enough. Citizens need to take the initiative themselves. Because, public cleanliness is a social duty, actor Padma Shri Akshay Kumar has made this appeal. To keep the area of ​​Mumbai (Mumbai city and suburbs) clean and beautiful, the Solid Waste Management Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation has organized the ‘Mumbai Clean League’ competition. Registration for this competition began today (March 17, 2026) at the Mumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters in the presence of actor Padma Shri Shri.

MLA Amit Sattam, Deputy Mayor Sanjay Gadi, Leader of the House Ganesh Khankar, Chairman of the Standing Committee Prabhakar Shinde, Chairperson of the Education Committee Rajeshree Shravadkar, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi, Deputy Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Kiran Dighavkar etc. were present on the occasion. Akshay Kumar further said that the Mumbai Municipal Corporation is constantly trying to keep Mumbai clean. As citizens, we should be more positive about this and take an active part in it. To increase public participation in public cleanliness and highlight its importance, a ‘Mumbai Clean League’ competition has been organized. Celebrities from the fields of film, sports etc. will participate in it along with various institutions. He also said that this will create a competitive environment and help maintain cleanliness. Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said on the occasion that various steps are being taken and various activities are being implemented in Mumbai by the Solid Waste Management Department of the Municipal Corporation in relation to public cleanliness. In this context, the ‘Mumbai Clean League’ competition has been organized to ensure cleanliness in Mumbai and increase the participation of citizens. These competitions will be held in various categories including Clean Administrative Division (Corporate Servant Group), Clean Administrative Division (Ward), Clean Residential Complex, Clean Slum Area, Clean Commercial Establishment, Clean Hospital (Government and Private), Clean Restaurant (Restaurant, CC Road), Clean Restaurant. Clean Parks and Open Spaces, Clean Market and Adoption of the Surrounding Area for Cleaning.

Meanwhile, the registration process for this competition has started from today (March 17, 2026). Citizens or institutions can register for the competition by visiting the link https://sba.mcgm.gov.in/bmc/ or by scanning the QR code circulated through social media, media, Public Awareness Board. Gagrani also said that to ensure fair and transparent competition, the evaluation of each registered establishment can be viewed on the website in real time.

In the Clean Administrative Division (Municipal Servant Group) category, a prize fund of Rs. 1 crore, Rs. 75 lakh for the first position and Rs. 50 lakh for the third position and in the Clean Administrative Division (Ward) category, a prize fund of Rs. 50 lakh, Rs. 25 lakh and Rs. 15 lakh will be given. In the Clean Residential Complex category, a prize fund of Rs. 15 lakh, Rs. 20 lakh, Rs. 30 lakh will be given. In the Clean Slum Area category, a prize fund of Rs. 15 lakhs, Rs. 10 lakhs, Rs. 30 lakhs will be given. In the category of Clean Commercial Establishment, a prize fund of Rs. 15 lakhs, Rs. 10 lakhs, Rs. 30 lakhs will be given. In the category of Clean Hospital (Government and Private), a prize fund of Rs. 15 lakhs, Rs. 10 lakhs, Rs. 30 lakhs will be given. In the category of Clean School (Government and Private), a prize fund of Rs. 15 lakhs, Rs. 10 lakhs, Rs. 30 lakhs will be given. In the category of Clean Canteen, a prize fund of Rs. 15 lakhs, Rs. 10 lakhs, Rs. 30 lakhs will be given. In the category of Clean Community Toilet, a prize fund of Rs. 15 lakhs, Rs. 10 lakhs, Rs. 30 lakhs will be given. In the category of Clean Road/Pathway, a prize fund of Rs. 15 lakh, Rs 10 lakh, Rs 30 lakh will be given. The first prize in the Clean Park and Open Space category is Rs 15 lakh, the second prize is Rs 10 lakh, the third prize is Rs 5 lakh. The first prize in the Clean Market Area category is Rs 15 lakh, the second prize is Rs 10 lakh, the third prize is Rs 5 lakh. While the first prize for the special category of adopting the surrounding area for cleanliness is Rs 15 lakh, the second prize is Rs 10 lakh, the third prize is Rs 5 lakh. The entire competition will be evaluated by a third-party organization.

Mumbai: Once again, the Hindu Sangha protested in Kurla area demanding strict action against illegal hawkers, after which the BMC will now register a case against such hawkers who have been repeatedly found occupying the road and footpath or have interfered in the action. To make the action against hawkers more effective, the police and BMCL L ward should take joint action. The residents of Kurla are facing a lot of problems due to hawkers, after which an important meeting was held in L ward in which DMC Sarshagar made it clear that action will be taken against illegal encroachments along with clearing Kurla of hawkers.

Assistant Municipal Commissioner Dhanaji Herlekar said that in order to make further progress in the operation that was going on in the limits of L Ward Kurla in January, an FIR will now be registered for effective action. On the complaint of BMC, the police will now register a case in this matter. In this meeting, Kurla Senior Police Inspector Rukas Mehmkar has assured all possible cooperation in the operation. Earlier, the Sakal Hindu Samaj also tried to give a communal and religious color to the hawkers and hawkers. Along with this, action has also been demanded against the illegal Iftar party in the market and the unauthorized Iftar party on the road. Not only this, there is also a demand to remove the temporary prayer shed in the market, on which BMC officers have assured necessary action.

The BMC has now taken action against the illegal encroachment on footpaths in Kurla, and Assistant Municipal Commissioner Dhanaji Herlekar has made it clear that action will also be taken against the hotels that have encroached on roads and footpaths. This action will be taken in collaboration with the traffic police and police personnel. After the assurance of the BMC, the Circle Hindu Samaj ended its protest. BJP leader Rupesh Pawar has said that hotels have occupied the footpath from Kurla Sahara Hotel to LBS Marg. There is a traffic problem here. There are five hospitals at the same location. If a patient is in a critical condition, it is difficult to reach the hospital. Many patients have also died in this. Therefore, action is also necessary against those hotels that do business on the footpath. This is why the citizens of Kurla are worried about the footpath and if the BMC relaxes the action on this, the protest will intensify further. Hindskal has warned the BMC that if action is not taken against illegal businesses and hawkers, the protest will intensify further.

New Delhi, March 17: Over 200 prominent senior citizens, including former ambassadors, retired army officers, bureaucrats and senior advocates, on Tuesday raised their voice against the alleged conduct and demeanour of Rahul Gandhi, the senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LOP), alleging that it weakens the dignity and effectiveness of the country’s Parliament.

The letter is signed by 204 prominent citizens, including 116 retired army officers, 84 former bureaucrats, four ambassadors and four advocates.

The letter addressed to citizens of the country, released by former Jammu and Kashmir DGP, S.P. Vaid, says, “The events witnessed on 12th March are deeply concerning. Parliament is the supreme forum of democratic deliberation where the collective will of the people is articulated. Parliament is rightly regarded as the temple of democracy where elected representatives come together to deliberate on matters of national importance. Unfortunately, Shri Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly contributed to lowering the level of public discourse and decorum through theatrics both inside and outside Parliament.”

The signatories said such actions suggest a pattern of conduct driven less by respect for democratic institutions and more by a sense of personal privilege that treats Parliament as a stage for provocation rather than a forum for serious deliberation.

“In the process, valuable public time and resources are lost. Parliamentary proceedings must not be disrupted or trivialised in ways that undermine the functioning of this vital democratic institution. In his efforts to question the government of the day, the actions of Shri Rahul Gandhi are damaging the reputation of our country and our democracy. The fact that such behaviour is being carried out by a person who occupies a position as responsible and important as the Leader of Opposition makes it even more disturbing,” the latter said.

“As custodians of a constitutional institution that embodies the democratic aspirations of over a billion people, Members of Parliament must remain conscious that their actions carry symbolic and institutional significance. The credibility of Parliament is reinforced when its Members uphold the traditions of propriety and restraint that have always defined parliamentary life,” the signatories said.

They said that as citizens who have served this nation for decades in public life, they are deeply pained to witness repeated attempts by Rahul Gandhi and his associates that risk weakening the effectiveness of this temple of democracy.

“As citizens committed to the preservation and strengthening of India’s democratic institutions, it is incumbent upon all of us to call out conduct that diminishes the dignity of Parliament, an institution that embodies the sovereign will of the people of India. The events witnessed reflect a troubling sense of hubris and privilege that has no place in a constitutional democracy, least of all in the conduct of the Leader of the Opposition. Shri Rahul Gandhi must apologise to the nation for this behaviour and introspect. The Parliament of India occupies a unique and elevated position within the constitutional architecture of the country.

“The dignity of Parliament, therefore, is not a matter of mere convention but an essential element of the constitutional ethos that governs our democracy. The conduct of Members within the precincts of the Parliament House must, consequently, conform to the highest standards of propriety and institutional respect,” the letter mentioned.

“Shri Rahul Gandhi, along with several Members of Parliament, was seen sitting on the steps of Parliament having tea and biscuits in a manner that was wholly unbecoming of members of the nation’s highest legislative body. The steps of Parliament are not a venue for spectacle or political theatre. Such conduct within the precincts of Parliament represents a clear disregard for established norms of behaviour and decorum. It reflects an attitude of arrogance and entitlement, and a troubling lack of respect for an institution that embodies the democratic will of the people,” the letter pointed out.

“Parliamentary practice and long-standing conventions recognise that the sanctity attached to the Chambers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha extends equally to all areas within the parliamentary precincts, including its stairs, corridors and lobbies. These are not incidental spaces but integral parts of Parliament itself, and the conduct expected therein must reflect the dignity of the institution, so that the solemnity, authority and institutional sanctity of the Parliament remain fully preserved,” the letter added.