Maharashtra
BMC elections 2023: FGGL to middle-class to press NOTA to highlight pending demands in Mumbai

Mumbai: The Federation of Grantees of Government Land (FGGL) has decided to appeal to all activists and voters to press the None Of The Above (NOTA) button in the next BMC elections. FGGL is an organisation demanding conversion of land allotted to thousands of cooperative housing societies by the government into freehold land.
The organisation is, in fact, toying with the idea of forming a NOTA Party of India to give an institutional framework to their movement.
President of FGGL, Salil Rameshchandra, and General Secretary Vikaramaditya Dhamdhere said that for the past several years their organisation has been trying to persuade the Maharashtra government to convert government-allotted land to freehold for them to undertake redevelopment of thousands of old and dilapidated buildings.
FGGL said at present the State Government is demanding 60-70 % of the ready reckoner rate which is beyond the middle-class bandwidth. The federation has instead suggested 5% for redevelopment to be viable.
“We have been pressing for this for the past several years, but politicians of all persuasions are only giving false promises. Hence, we have decided to appeal to the middle-class, which forms a substantial portion of the electorate, to press the NOTA button in protest against the indifferent attitude of politicians,” Mr Rameshchandra said.
Several activists contacted by the Free Press Journal supported the pro-NOTA campaign. Prominent activist Dr Gaurang Vora said the support for NOTA is the need of the hour. “All political parties are the same. They make tall promises but forget the very voters who sent them to office when they come to power. It’s high time their cheating is stopped. NOTA is a powerful weapon in the hands of the common man, and he should exercise it,” he observed.
Noted activist Sameer Jhaveri said, “I fully support the demand. Politicians simply don’t care for the common man. For each and every problem, ordinary people have to move the courts to get justice, which is time-consuming.”
Neeraj Pattath of the Petition Group, too, supported the demand. Jaypal Shetty of the group also backed the demand for NOTA. He said, “I was a part of the Anna Hazare movement. Our main demand was better governance, free of corruption. But the movement didn’t succeed for several reasons. The call to press the NOTA button is an alternative before the people. They should press it to demonstrate their exasperation at growing corruption and an indifferent government.”
However, Vasant Patil, who is part of the Samvidhan Morcha, said NOTA is not an option. “It is like running away from the problem. Political parties must be tackled politically,” he said. Another activist Naseer Jahagirdhar, too, said pressing the NOTA button is not an option. “There’s need for something like the criminal procedure and civil procedure codes that will make the administration accountable,” he said.
A meeting of activists is likely to be held in the coming few weeks to decide upon ways to mobilise public opinion around NOTA, especially among the middle-class. According to political observers, slum votes are managed by political parties with huge funds at their disposal. It’s the middle-class that has been taken for granted all these years.
Maharashtra
Thief who came from Mumbai and committed several thefts arrested

Mumbai: Police have claimed to have arrested a thief who committed theft in the limits of Milind police station, against whom several cases of theft and burglary are registered in Mumbai. Mumbai Zone 7 DCP Vijay Kant Sagare, while addressing a press conference here, said that the accused came to Mumbai by flight with the intention of stealing and broke into several 5 houses.
Theft cases are registered against him in Nehru Nagar, Milind, Alwaye, Navi Mumbai. One and a half lakh silver ornaments weighing two kg, totaling Rs 15 lakh have been seized. Cases of stalking are also registered against the criminal Rajesh in Dombivali, Vishnu Nagar, Vishai, Vitthalwadi, Manpara, Pan police stations.
The accused told that he came to Mumbai from Varanasi by plane on March 13, 2025 and robbed five houses in 15 days.
Maharashtra
Struggle Against Land Mafia in Waqf Properties: New Amended Bill Adds to the Challenges

New Delhi : In the ongoing battle to protect Waqf properties and ensure their benefits reach the deserving, land mafias, encroachers, and illegal groups were already a major hurdle. Now, the government’s newly amended bill has emerged as another significant challenge. Advocate Dr. Syed Ejaz Abbas Naqvi has strongly criticized this move and demanded immediate reforms. He stated that the primary objective of Waqf was to benefit the needy, but unfortunately, this objective has completely failed. On the other hand, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the largest Sikh religious organization, has been actively involved in the welfare of its community for decades. As a result, the Sikh community has nearly eradicated beggars and human rickshaw pullers.
Illegal Encroachments and Misuse of Waqf Lands Exposed :
According to Dr. Naqvi, Waqf properties have suffered the most due to unlawful encroachments by vested interest groups. The most unfortunate fact is that many Waqf lands were originally donated for the shrines (Dargahs) of Syed families, but they have been grossly misused. He revealed that a well-known individual shamelessly sold an acre of prime Waqf land on Mumbai’s Altamount Road for just 1.6 million rupees, a blatant violation of Waqf principles and laws.
Demand for a Stricter Amendment in Section 52 :
Dr. Naqvi has called on the government to take strict action against those who illegally sell Waqf properties. He has urged for an immediate amendment to Section 52 of the Waqf Act to introduce
capital punishment or life imprisonment* for unauthorized Waqf land sellers. This issue is a major setback for those fighting to safeguard Waqf properties, who are already battling corrupt elements and illegal land grabbers. It remains to be seen whether the government takes these concerns seriously and enacts effective legislation to protect Waqf lands.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Cleanup Marshal and Swachh Mumbai campaign ended, fine collection from citizens also stopped, BMC helpline number released

Mumbai: Mumbai BMC has abolished the clean-up marshal policy, after which now the clean-up marshal has disappeared from the streets of the city. The Municipal Corporation has completely banned the clean-up marshal and the Swachh Mumbai Mission has been stopped. This means that now no clean-up marshal will be able to force citizens to pay fines or take any other punitive action. After complaints against clean-up marshals, Mumbai BMC has decided to stop and suspend the service of clean-up marshals from today.
The Solid Waste Management Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation, under the Department of Garbage and Sanitation, oversees public cleanliness in Mumbai and the ‘Swachh Mumbai Mission’ has been closed from April 4, 2025. However, the Municipal Corporation administration has appealed to the citizens that if any fine has been imposed on them despite this, then they can complain about it. Complaints regarding cleanup marshals can be made to the divisional control room of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation at 022-23855128 and 022-23877691 (extension number 549/500).
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