The Mumbai Municipal Corporation is always ready to provide clean, safe and dignified public toilet facilities to the citizens. It has been found that these facilities are lacking in some places in North Mumbai. Therefore, the organizations operating public toilets on the ‘pay and use’ principle have been given a deadline of three months to improve the quality of the facilities. It has been warned that action will be taken against the organizations that do not improve within the stipulated period. In line with the vision of Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and MP from North Mumbai Piyush Goyal for clean, safe and citizen-friendly public toilets, a review meeting of the organizations operating ‘pay and use’ public toilets in North Mumbai was held today (30th May, 2026) at the Zone 7 office. The meeting was chaired by Ganesh Khankar, Leader of the House, Mumbai Municipal Corporation. The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Kiran Dighavkar, Deputy Commissioner (Zone 7) Manish Valenju, Corporator Siddhant Sharma, Assistant Commissioner (R South), Assistant Commissioner (R Central) Praful Tambe, officers of the Solid Waste Management and Maintenance Department as well as representatives of organizations operating various public toilets were also present.

It has been observed that there is a need for improvement in the basic amenities, cleanliness and maintenance of public toilets. Leader of the House

Ganesh Khankar expressed the view that such public toilets need to be improved immediately.
All toilet operators were directed to complete the work of replacing broken commodes, fittings and other equipment, repairing broken doors and windows, repairing damaged tiles and cladding, painting and beautification in the next three months and bring necessary improvements in the standards of cleanliness and maintenance.

In addition, it has been made mandatory to implement a citizen feedback system in all public toilets, maintain a record of cleaning every hour, conduct a deep cleaning campaign at least once a week and install an IoT-based odor monitoring system to control odor. Assistant Commissioners of the concerned departments have been directed to issue notices to all institutions and regularly review the improvement work. It was also clarified in the meeting that the contracts of institutions that do not bring the expected improvements within a period of three months will be suspended or cancelled and alternative institutions will be appointed in their place.

The Leader of the House said that this campaign is being run with the aim of improving the quality of public toilets and providing citizens with cleaner, safer, and more dignified facilities.

Jalgaon: A 25-year-old man died while his minor girlfriend survived after the couple allegedly attempted suicide inside a lodge in the Pachora town of Jalgaon district.

The incident took place on May 28 at a lodge located on Jalgaon Road. Police have registered an accidental death report (ADR) case and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

About The Incident…

The deceased has been identified as Ravindra Sanjay More, a resident of Pachora who operated a readymade garment shop in the town. According to police, More was in a relationship with a minor girl.

Investigators said the couple met at the lodge on Wednesday. Preliminary information suggests they were distressed because they believed a marriage between them was not possible.

Police Clarify Details…

Police suspect the two attempted to end their lives by hanging themselves from a ceiling fan in their room using a rope. Ravindra died during the incident. However, the girl survived after the rope reportedly snapped.

The incident came to light after lodge staff and local authorities were alerted. The girl was rescued and provided medical assistance, while Ravindra was declared dead.

Investigation Underway…

The case has created a stir in Pachora due to the circumstances surrounding the incident. Family members of the deceased have expressed suspicion and questioned whether the death was purely a case of suicide.

Police officials said all angles are being examined. Statements are being recorded, and evidence from the lodge is being reviewed as part of the investigation.

Authorities have stated that the exact sequence of events will become clear only after the completion of the investigation and the receipt of relevant forensic and post-mortem reports.

Mumbai: With Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil set to begin an indefinite hunger strike on May 30, the Maharashtra government on Friday stepped up efforts to defuse tensions by sending a delegation to meet him at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district.

Senior ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and BJP MLC Prasad Lad held discussions with Jarange and briefed him on measures taken regarding Maratha reservation and the distribution of Kunbi caste certificates.

Vikhe Patil said the government has prepared a standard operating procedure (SOP) to streamline issuance of Kunbi certificates and expedite large-scale distribution. He acknowledged delays due to administrative lapses and said action had been initiated against negligent officials.

He said village-level committees had been formed to create awareness and assist applicants in the certification process. Referring to Hyderabad Gazette records linked to Kunbi documentation, Vikhe Patil said while specific entries were unavailable, numerical records existed.

Jarange has also demanded withdrawal of criminal cases registered against protesters during the Maratha reservation agitation. Vikhe Patil said the government had withdrawn 567 of the 668 cases, while 191 cases remain pending before courts.

“The government is examining what legal steps can be taken regarding the remaining cases,” he said. The minister added that nearly 12 lakh certificates had been processed from around 58 lakh records identified so far.

Meanwhile, a day before the proposed fast, Jarange accused the government of discriminating against the Maratha community and subjecting it to a “cruel trial by fire”.

He reiterated that the agitation would begin at 10 am on Saturday and described it as the “toughest” and most “unprecedented” protest so far. “We will not step back unless every demand is accepted in writing. We are not ready to give the government any more time,” Jarange said. Those appointed to read Persian, Urdu and Modi language documents were not given salaries so they left their jobs after a month, Jarange claimed.

He said Kunbi certificates should be given as quickly as possible along with scholarships to students under the state government’s SARTHI scheme.