Mumbai: Nearly seven months after floating a tender for a service-based waste-management system covering outsourced cleaning and transportation across 21 administrative wards, the BMC has received four bids for the Rs. 4,000-crore contract. However, all bids are 32–34% higher than the civic body’s estimated cost, raising fresh concerns over project feasibility and budget escalation.

The financial bids were opened on Tuesday. Participating companies include AG Enviro, Prime, Metro Waste Management, and Delhi Waste Management. The tender is divided into eight groups. According to the civic circular, contracts over Rs. 250 crore exceeding the estimate by more than 10% cannot be negotiated and require re-tendering. Officials indicated a re-tender is likely due to unexpectedly high bids.

Under the new service-based model, a single agency will manage both waste collection and transportation using high-capacity, colour-coded vehicles 10–15% of which will be electric. The agency will also handle maintenance, movement, and management of waste bins, aiming for a more streamlined and efficient system.

The BMC labour union protested, citing fears of job losses. After assurances that existing jobs would be protected, the contract proceeded to the bidding stage.

Mumbai generates approximately 6,900 metric tonnes of waste daily, managed using around 1,334 vehicles. While the BMC owns some vehicles, most are supplied by private contractors. Currently, the BMC operates on a hiring-based contract model for vehicles, while waste collection and processing are handled directly. Only wards L (Kurla), M East (Govandi), and M West (Chembur) rely primarily on municipal vehicles due to proximity to the Kanjur Marg and Deonar dumping grounds.

Mumbai: In a major action against narcotics trafficking, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai Crime Branch, Kandivali Unit, seized heroin worth ₹1.16 crore during a late-night operation in Andheri on Monday–Tuesday. Two drug suppliers were arrested while they had allegedly arrived in Andheri West to sell the contraband.

According to officials, one of the arrested accused hails from Uttar Pradesh, while the other is a native of Bihar. Both had been living in the Bandra area for the past few months. Police are now searching for other members of the drug network involved in the case.

A senior officer said that the drug trafficking chain is extensive, and continuous interrogation of the arrested accused is underway to uncover more links.

The ANC Kandivali Unit received a tip-off from a confidential informant that two men would be arriving near Andheri Railway Station (West) for drug peddling. Acting swiftly, the unit laid a trap in the area. Based on suspicion, two young men were detained, and upon searching them, police recovered 292 grams of heroin, valued at ₹1.16 crore in the international market.

Both suspects were immediately arrested. The Crime Branch is now conducting further investigation to trace other individuals connected to the drug trafficking racket. Police said they have already identified some associates and expect to arrest them soon. Initial inquiries revealed that the arrested accused had come to the Andheri area for the first time to supply drugs.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tribute to former PM Indira Gandhi on the occasion of her birth anniversary.

PM Modi took to his social media platform X and said, “Tributes to former Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi on the occasion of her birth anniversary.”

Indira Gandhi was born on this day in 1917 into an illustrious political family. She was the daughter of India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Her early education took place at prestigious institutions such as Ecole Nouvelle in Bex, Switzerland; Ecole Internationale in Geneva; Pupils’ Own School in Poona and Bombay; Badminton School in Bristol; and Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan. She later attended Somerville College, Oxford. Over the years, she received honorary doctoral degrees from several universities around the world, along with a Citation of Distinction from Columbia University.

Indira Gandhi became involved in the freedom struggle from a young age. As a child, she founded the Bal Charkha Sangh and later, in 1930, established the Vanar Sena, a group of children dedicated to assisting the Congress Party during the Non-Cooperation Movement. She was imprisoned in September 1942 for her role in the Quit India Movement. In 1947, she worked in riot-affected areas of Delhi under Mahatma Gandhi’s guidance, providing relief and support to victims of communal violence.

On March 26, 1942, she married Feroze Gandhi, with whom she had two sons. Her political responsibilities grew steadily as she rose through the Congress Party’s organisational ranks. She became a member of the Congress Working Committee and the party’s Central Election Committee in 1955. In 1958, she joined the Central Parliamentary Board of the Congress. She also served as the Chairperson of the National Integration Council of the AICC, President of the All India Youth Congress, and head of the Women’s Department of the AICC. Indira Gandhi became President of the Indian National Congress in 1959, holding the position until 1960, and again from January 1978.

Her ministerial career began when she served as the Minister for Information and Broadcasting from 1964 to 1966. She went on to become the Prime Minister of India in January 1966, holding the office until March 1977, and then again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984. During her tenure, she simultaneously held several key portfolios, including Minister for Atomic Energy from 1967 to 1977, Minister of External Affairs from 1967 to 1969, Minister of Home Affairs from 1970 to 1973, and Minister for Space from 1972 to 1977. In January 1980, she became Chairperson of the Planning Commission.

Indira Gandhi served as a Member of the Rajya Sabha from 1964 to 1967 before being elected to the Lok Sabha in the fourth, fifth, and sixth general elections. In January 1980, she won from both Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and Medak in Andhra Pradesh, ultimately choosing to retain the Medak seat. She also served as the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party from 1967 to 1977 and again from 1980.

Her achievements earned her numerous national and international honours, including the Bharat Ratna in 1972, the Mexican Academy Award for the Liberation of Bangladesh, the FAO’s Second Annual Medal, and the Sahitya Vachaspati Award. Internationally, she received the Mothers’ Award in the United States, Italy’s Isabella d’Este Award for diplomacy, and Yale University’s Howland Memorial Prize.