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Maharashtra

BMC: For 1st time, civic body’s budget shoots over Rs 50K cr – higher than many states

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For the first time in its 134-year-old history, the country’s richest civic body, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s budget for 2023-2024 has crossed a staggering Rs 50,000-crore mark — higher than many of the smaller states in the country.

The budget estimates, presented on Saturday by BMC Commissioner I.S. Chahal came ahead of the civic elections which are likely to be announced soon, and promised sustainable local economic development for the country’s commercial capital.

The budget estimates for the new fiscal is proposed at Rs 52,619.07 crore, an increase of 14.52 per cent over last year’s Rs 45,949.21 crore (2022-2023) and the previous year’s Rs. 39,083 crore (2021-2022).

Targetting a ‘net zero’ on the environment front in the near future, the budget emphasises rapid infrastructure development, cleanliness, health, education, urban greening and making monsoons hassle-free for the citizens.

For the first time in 38 years, the BMC is being run by an Administrator in the absence of an elected civic body and hence there was no Mayor, a General Body or Standing Committee for the budget presentation exercise on Saturday.

Chahal has also proposed a total Budget Provision of Rs 2,650-crore is proposed in the Revised Estimates (RE) for 2022-23 and Rs 3,545-crore in Business Estimates (BE) 2023-24 for the Coastal Road Project, one of the mega-infrastructure projects taken up by the BMC.

Hoping to give relief to Mumbai residents from monsoon floods, of the 386 chronic flooding spots, 306 have been tackled, 34 will be completed before the monsoon season 2023, and the remaining 6 later.

The BMC plans to plant 100,000 trees through ecologically sustainable planting practices, and Rs 1,729-crore shall be spent on various beautification initiatives for Mumbai bridges, footpaths, dividers, trees, etc.

Under the Ashray Yojana, the budget makes a provision of Rs 735.12-crore in the RE 2022-23 and Rs 1,491.50-crore in BE 2023-24.

A sum of Rs 227.07-crore is proposed to enhance the city’s fire-fighting forces in this budget.

There is a provision of Rs 887.88-crore (RE) and Rs 1,376-crore for the Water Supply Project, and Rs 2,021.06-crore (RE) and Rs 3,566.87-crore for the Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project department.

The city’s BEST will get an assistance of Rs 800-crore for its various schemes, setting up a dedicated Climate Action Plan Cell (CAPC) and installing Air Purifiers at the most congested areas like Dahisar Toll Post, Mankhurd, Mulund Toll Post, Kalanagar Junction, and Haji Ali Junction, in 2023-2024.

Chahal assured that coming off the Covid-19 pandemic of the past two years, the civic body will make the citizens’ life more comfortable but will be “well-prepared” for a Covid wave or any other pandemic.

Maharashtra

Former SIMI Office-Bearer & Key Accused In Delhi-Padgha ISIS Terror Module Case, Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan, Dies Following Brain Stroke

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Mumbai: Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan (63), a former office-bearer of the banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and a key accused in the Delhi-Padgha ISIS terror module case, died after suffering a brain stroke. He was undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital and died about an hour before official sources confirmed the development.

Nachan was under investigation for his alleged involvement in aiding ISIS-linked operatives and was facing serious charges under anti-terror laws.

Nachan who was under judicial custody in Tihar Jail, was admitted to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital on Monday after suffering a stroke.

Due to the severity of his condition, he was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital on Wednesday morning for advanced medical care. According to National Investigation Agency (NIA) sources, Nachan was under close observation in the ICU prior to his death.

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Maharashtra

59-Year-Old Laundryman Dies After Drinking Stain Remover Mistaken For Cough Syrup In Lower Parel

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Mumbai: A 59-year-old laundryman from Lower Parel died after accidentally consuming a chemical used for removing stains from clothes, mistaking it for cough syrup. The incident occurred near Deepak Cinema in Jia Masoom Chawl, where the deceased, Sambhajit Rajai Dhobi, ran a small ironing shop. The NM Joshi Marg Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in the case.

Speaking to the media report, Senior Inspector Arvind Chandanshive of NM Joshi Marg Police Station said the incident occurred on the night of June 25 around 11:00 pm, when Sambhaji mistakenly consumed the stain remover chemical that had been stored in a cough syrup bottle. The next morning, between 7 and 8 am, he began vomiting blood and was rushed to KEM Hospital for treatment. However, despite efforts, he was declared dead by doctors at 3:20 pm on June 26.

Police said Sambhaji, who also worked as a clothes washer, had kept the chemical used for stain removal in a bottle typically used for cough syrup, which led to the fatal confusion.

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Maharashtra

17-Year-Old Molested By Coaching Class Professors

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Maharashtra: In a shocking incident, a 17-year-old girl was abused in a well-known coaching class in Beed, Maharashtra. The allegations have been leveraged against the two professors of the coaching classes.

The cops at the Shivajinagar police station registered a case under the POCSO Act late Thursday night. Professor Vijay Pawar, an office bearer of the coaching class association and a very well-known name in Beed’s coaching industry, along with Professor Prashant Khatavkar, allegedly molested a class 12 student.

As per the victim, in July 2024, Khatavkar asked the victim to visit her in his cabin, after which he behaved inappropriately. Later, she went to the institute’s director to report the incident. However, the victim alleged that the director also indulged in similar behaviour. According to her, the molestation continued till May 2025.

After the case was filed by the victim, Assistant Inspector Atul Kumar Landge took charge of the situation. “Both are absconding after committing the crime. Three teams of the local crime branch are trying to nab them,” Landge informed.

This incident has raised concerns over women’s safety in coaching centres in Beed.

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