Mumbai: Commuting in Mumbai is set to become quicker and more affordable as the state transport department moves forward with plans to introduce bike taxi services. A policy has been drafted, and a report will soon be presented to the assembly. According to Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, once approved, the service is expected to launch by the end of this month or early April.

The fare for bike taxi rides has been set at `3 per kilometer. Additionally, it is mandatory for the bike to be equipped with a GPS system. The pillion rider must wear a helmet, and the bike taxis will be painted yellow. A few months ago, Rapido had launched its bike taxi service in Mumbai.

However, following objections from taxi and rickshaw unions, the service was suspended. Now, in a meeting held on January 29, 2025, the government has once again granted permission for bike taxis to operate in the city.

According to Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, while approving the service, the transport department has set specific rules and conditions, with special emphasis on women’s safety. A report detailing these guidelines has been prepared and will soon be presented to the legislature. Once approved, bike taxi services will officially begin in Mumbai.

Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik stated that bike taxi services are currently operational in 22 states across the country and that the fare for bike taxis is less than half of what Ola, Uber car taxis, kaali-peeli taxis, and auto-rickshaws charge. This initiative is expected to create employment opportunities for 10,000 to 20,000 youngsters in Maharashtra while also significantly reducing travel costs.

The bike taxi service has been included in the Chief Minister’s 100-day action plan. Given the importance of women’s safety, a clear policy has been formulated, along with necessary guidelines. A report on these regulations will soon be presented to the legislature for approval.

Mumbai, March 7: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Friday, said Maharashtra has received the decades’ highest annual foreign direct investment (FDI) in just nine months of the fiscal year 2024-25.

A total of Rs 1,39,434 crore has been received in the first nine months of the financial year 2024-2025, said the Chief Minister, quoting the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

The cumulative FDI equity inflow during October 2019 and December 2024 is reported at Rs 6,71,863 crore, which is 31 per cent of the total FDI equity inflow in the country. Maharashtra has thereby outpaced other competitive states, including Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Haryana.

In his post on X, the Chief Minister said, “Record foreign investment in the last 10 years, came to Maharashtra in just 9 months! The central government’s DPIIT has released the foreign investment report for the end of December 2024, and Maharashtra has received the highest annual foreign investment in the last 10 years in just 9 months. A total of Rs 1,39,434 crore has been received in the first 9 months of the financial year 2024-2025. This is the highest foreign investment received in Maharashtra in any single year in the last 10 years.”

He further added, “In doing so, the Grand Alliance government has broken its own record for the financial year 2016-17. Of course, there is still one quarter left in this financial year.Heartfelt congratulations once again to the entire Maharashtra! Under the leadership of my colleague Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar and the cabinet, this race for our Maharashtra will continue.”

The Chief Minister’s statement comes days after Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, in his address to the Assembly, said the state is a preferred destination for Foreign Direct Investment and it contributes over 14 per cent to the country’s total GDP, being one of the leading industrial States in the country.

He said that at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2025, the government signed Memorandums of Understanding worth approximately Rs 15.72 lakh crore of investment with 63 national and international companies. This will generate more than 15 lakh employment opportunities in the State.

Further, the government has planned to disburse the Investment Promotion Subsidy of about Rs 5,000 crore to different industries in the state to attract investments, foster industrial growth, and generate employment opportunities. The government enacted legislation last year to facilitate investments in a hassle-free manner through the effective implementation of the single window system to provide all the necessary approvals in a time-bound manner.

Mumbai: Senior RSS leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi ignited a political controversy with his statement, “If you are residing in Mumbai, it is not necessary that you have to learn Marathi.” In a state where Marathi is regarded both as symbol of cultural and political identity, his statement raised political tempers leading to chaotic scenes in the state legislature on Thursday as the opposition parties tried to put the state government on the mat, demanding action against Joshi.

Such were the barbs by the Shiv Sena UBT, MNS, Congress and the NCP that the BJP-led Mahayuti government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule vouched allegiance to Marathi, the state language. It also forced Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi to backtrack somewhat saying Marathi is Mumbai’s language and those coming from outside and speaking other languages should also understand it.

“Marathi is my native language and I take pride in it,” Joshi clarified, adding his remarks at the Ghatkopar event made on Wednesday which led to the controversy had been misconstrued. At an event in Ghatkopar on Wednesday, Joshi said, “Mumbai doesn’t have a single language. Each part of Mumbai has a different language. Ghatkopar area’s language is Gujarati. So if you are residing in Mumbai, it is not necessary that you have to learn Marathi.”

The Opposition pounced on the remark and raised a ruckus in both the houses of the state legislature pointing out that the state government has recently mandated the use of Marathi in various sectors and celebrated Marathi Bhasha Gaurav Din with great enthusiasm on February 27.

Responding to the demands by the Opposition leaders for clarity on the issue, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reaffirmed that Marathi is the language of Mumbai and Maharashtra. He insisted that everyone residing in the state should learn Marathi while also respecting other languages spoken by different communities. Fadnavis clarified that the government had no objection if individuals from other states conversed in their native languages but maintained that Marathi held a special status in Maharashtra.

Top leaders from the opposition parties, including Uddhav Thackeray lashed out over the statement. Shiv Sena UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray demanded Joshi should be booked for treason. He accused the BJP following a “divide and rule” policy. He alleged that the party had previously divided people along caste lines and was now attempting to do the same through language.

Thackeray even likened Joshi to Anaji Pant, a historical figure who betrayed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to the Mughals. Thackeray challenged Joshi to make similar statements in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, or West Bengal and see if he could return safely thereafter. He also demanded that Fadnavis take a firm stand against Joshi, just as he had labelled Prashant Koratkar a “chillar” (insignificant) person.

Thackeray urged the government to either take action against Joshi or admit that undermining Marathi in Mumbai was part of the BJP-RSS agenda. As protests intensified, BJP leaders attempted to control the narrative. State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule clarified in the Legislative Council that the government remained committed to Marathi as the official language of Maharashtra.

In the Council, MLC Anil Parab slammed the government for not condemning Joshi’s statement. He wanted to know whether Ghatkopar, a predominantly Gujarati-speaking area, had no Marathi speaker and demanded that Joshi apologize to the Marathi-speaking population of Mumbai.