Mumbai: Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide visited the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo in Byculla (East) today (September 17, 2026) to review the various ongoing projects and initiatives there.

During the visit, Ashwini Bhide viewed the hibiscus exhibition at the garden. She also planted a ‘Century Palm’ sapling within the premises as part of the Central Government’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ (A Tree in Mother’s Name) campaign and to commemorate Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s birthday.

Furthermore, she inspected the construction progress of the ‘tunnel aquarium’ being built within the garden and zoo complex and issued instructions to complete the construction work by January 2027.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs) Dr. Avinash Dhakne, Deputy Commissioner (Gardens) Ajit Kumar Ambi, Director (Zoo) Dr. Sanjay Tripathi, and Garden Superintendent Jitendra Pardeshi, along with other concerned officials and staff, were present on the occasion. A hibiscus exhibition has been organized at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo, showcasing approximately 50 varieties of hibiscus flowers in various colors. The exhibition is open to the public. On this occasion, Ms. Ashwini Bhide appealed to citizens to visit the exhibition and view the diverse varieties of hibiscus flowers.

Mumbai: The administration of Sanjay Gandhi National Park announces the death of the tigress Bijli (T2), aged approximately 18 years and 4 months, who passed away at 9:45 PM on September 16, 2026, due to age-related health issues.

She had been a beloved member of the Sanjay Gandhi family since 2016. Over the years, she captivated the hearts of countless visitors. A gradual decline in her food intake had been observed over the past month, prompting close monitoring of her health. Appropriate veterinary and supportive care was being provided by the veterinary officer under the guidance and technical advice of the Technical Veterinary Advisory Team from Western Maharashtra. Despite their tireless medical efforts and constant monitoring, Bijli peacefully breathed her last at 9:45 PM on September 16, 2026. Bijli had been brought to Sanjay Gandhi National Park from Pench Tiger Reserve on July 11, 2016, and remained under the care and protection of SGNP for over a decade. Her long association with Sanjay Gandhi National Park was a significant part of the park’s wildlife management, conservation education, and captive animal care initiatives. Although Bijli (T2) passed away due to old age, a standard post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death. The SGNP administration appeals to all wildlife enthusiasts and animal lovers to share their memories and photographs of Bijli (T2) on social media platforms so that we may honor her legacy and her contribution to wildlife conservation. The park administration once again expresses its sorrow over the loss of the tigress Bijli (T2). This announcement is issued by the Sanjay Gandhi National Park administration, Borivali, Mumbai.

Mumbai, Sep 17: In a major push to reinforce Maharashtra’s fiscal health and support its long-term growth roadmap, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the constitution of the Maharashtra Sustainable Public Finance Committee.

Headed by renowned economist and former Union Finance Secretary Dr Vijay Kelkar, the high-level panel, which was announced late Wednesday evening, is tasked with recommending measures to ensure sustainable growth in tax and non-tax revenues.

The decision forms an integral part of the state’s ‘Viksit Maharashtra @ 2047’ vision document, which outlines a strategic roadmap to scale the state’s economy to $1 trillion by 2030 and $5 trillion by 2047—coinciding with the centenary of India’s Independence.

The panel has been tasked with making recommendations to modernise the tax system, plug revenue leakages, and rationalise tax rates, fees, and exemptions; identify untapped revenue streams and maximise returns from public assets and state enterprises; streamline public spending while balancing expanding committed expenditures such as salaries, pensions, interest payments, and welfare schemes; and devise a fiscally responsible roadmap to reduce reliance on borrowings for infrastructure projects and budget deficits.

The Kelkar Committee comprises Prof Karthik Muralidharan (founder-director, CEGIS), Dr Nitin Kareer (former Chief Secretary, Maharashtra), T Rabi Sankar (former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India) and Dr Ashima Goyal (President, The Indian Econometric Society).

The formation of the panel comes at a critical juncture for Maharashtra. While the state actively pursues an investment-led growth strategy across core sectors—including infrastructure, human resource development, water security, urban management, and energy transition—it faces growing fiscal constraints.

Maharashtra government’s Vision document has suggested restructuring the government expenditure policy to align with long-term capital formation, identifying alternative financing models and private capital inflows.

Fiscal deficit targets are capped within standard Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) boundaries, targeting 2.8 per cent to 3.0 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) while keeping the revenue deficit under 0.7 per cent of GSDP, and implementation is tracked quarterly via a dedicated Vision Management Unit chaired by the chief minister.

Adhering to the targets set under the FRBM Act has proved challenging due to rising welfare commitments and debt servicing costs. Consequently, the government has frequently resorted to market borrowings to fund capital projects and offset short-term liquidity shortfalls.

The newly appointed Kelkar Committee is expected to deliver structural fiscal remedies to reverse this trend and secure long-term financial sustainability for the state.