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Maharashtra

Maha govt excludes 5 lakh ineligible women beneficiaries from Ladki Bahin scheme

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Mumbai, Feb 7: In a significant development, the Maharashtra government has excluded a record five lakh women beneficiaries from the flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana after a verification exercise revealed a long list of ineligible individuals.

“Five lakh ineligible women have been excluded from the Ladki Bahin Yojana as per the government decision. The beneficiaries who were declared ineligible include women beneficiaries of Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana – 2,30,000; women above 65 years of age – 1,10,000 and women who are beneficiaries of Namoshakti Yojana and have four-wheelers in the name of family members but voluntarily withdrew their names from the scheme – 1,60,000,” Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said.

Tatkare, however, clarified that the state government is committed to providing the benefits of the Ladki Bahin Yojana to all eligible women.

Under the Ladki Bahin Yojana, which was launched in July last year ahead of Assembly elections, the government has provided monthly aid of Rs 1,500 each from July to January to about 2.46 crore eligible women beneficiaries.

The government is planning to give the installment for February soon.

The Maharashtra government’s move to drop five lakh women from the Ladki Bahin Yojana comes in the wake of a verification exercise launched after it received complaints about bogus beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin Yojana.

The government had sought information from the Income Tax Department and Transport Department for the verification of beneficiaries.

Aditi Tatkare clarified that the government would only address complaints regarding the bogus beneficiaries.

She said that the trigger for launching the verification process was complaints about potential bogus beneficiaries of the scheme. She added that about 4,500 women have applied to opt out of the scheme following these concerns.

Earlier, the minister of industry and Marathi language Uday Samant said that the state government will not close the implementation of a flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana but reiterated that the verification of eligible beneficiaries will continue. He added that some beneficiaries during the verification process will become ineligible due to age, the possession of vehicle and excess income.

“Those who are above 65 years of age and those who have a four-wheeler are not eligible for this scheme. Also, if such women have joined the scheme inadvertently or by mistake, they are being excluded,” he said.

Maharashtra

Milind’s gangsters are a symbol of the city’s destruction, action is being taken under MPDA

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Mumbai: Milind Police have taken action against Tek Shankar Dhotre, who created terror here by intimidating shopkeepers, passers-by and rickshaw drivers and collected money by threatening them. The action has been taken on the instructions of Additional Commissioner Mahesh Patil. The accused is a terror in the area. A total of 6 cases of violence against him have been registered against him for collecting money. He intimidates traders and shopkeepers and collects money from him every month. No one used to speak out against him. In such a situation, the police took the complainant into confidence and took action against him. He is a terror in Milind. After taking action under the MPDA, the accused was taken into custody and deported from Mumbai to other cities. The Mumbai Police has now started action against such goons to restore the trust of the public towards the police so that the public’s trust in the police is established and the fear of the police remains in the hearts of the goons.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Weather Update: City Continues To See Smog-Filled Morning Amid Rising Pollution; Overall AQI Remains In Unhealthy Range At 281

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WETHER

Mumbai: Mumbai began its Friday with a deceptively pleasant chill, as minimum temperatures dipped just below 22°C, offering residents a brief sense of relief. However, this early coolness quickly gave way to discomfort as people stepped outside to find the city blanketed in a dense, lingering smog. Commuters heading out during peak morning hours encountered reduced visibility along with eye irritation, throat discomfort and difficulty breathing, clear signs of an atmosphere overloaded with pollutants.

What initially felt like a refreshing morning soon became yet another stark indicator of Mumbai’s steadily worsening air-quality crisis. A thick haze settled over major roads, residential complexes, commercial hubs and transit routes. With only weak winds sweeping across the region, there was little natural movement to disperse the pollutants that have been steadily accumulating throughout November.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the city is expected to experience clear skies through the day, with temperatures likely climbing to around 33°C in the afternoon. While the mild morning chill is expected to persist over the next few days, experts noted that there is still no sign of when Mumbai’s air quality might improve. The stagnant atmospheric conditions continue to trap particulate matter close to the surface, aggravating the city’s pollution load.

On Friday, Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) rose to a worrying 281, placing it firmly in the unhealthy category. This spike represents a major deterioration from earlier in the month, when several neighbourhoods reported moderate or merely poor readings. The decline is now citywide, affecting coastal stretches, industrial belts and densely populated residential areas alike.

Among the worst-affected locations, the Wadala Truck Terminal recorded an alarming AQI of 395, marking it as the most polluted spot of the day. Colaba followed with a reading of 317, while Chakala reported 310, both falling within the severe category.

Prominent business zones were not spared either: Worli and the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) each logged AQI levels of 310, showing how uniformly pollution has spread across Mumbai’s central, western and eastern sectors.

Some suburbs fared marginally better but still failed to reach healthy levels. Kandivali East recorded the day’s lowest AQI at 130, classified as poor. Powai stood at 200, Malad West at 210, Parel Bhoiwada at 220, and Mulund West at 237, placing all within the poor to unhealthy range.

For context, an AQI of 0–50 is considered good, 51–100 moderate, 101–150 poor, 151–200 unhealthy, and anything above 200 classified as severe or hazardous. With much of the city now above that threshold, Mumbai continues to grapple with an air-quality crisis that shows no signs of easing.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Massive Fire Breaks Out Inside Godown In Kurla’s Kismat Nagar;

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Mumbai: A major fire erupted inside a godown in Kurla West’s Kismat Nagar area on Thursday night, triggering a swift response from the Mumbai Fire Department. Videos circulating on social media showed towering flames accompanied by dense black smoke rising high above the godown, visible from several hundred metres away.

According to officials, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Fire Brigade received an emergency call at 11:08 pm, following which multiple fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Initial assessments categorised the blaze as a Level-II fire, but as flames rapidly spread across adjoining structures, the situation escalated. By 11:44 pm, the Mumbai Fire Brigade declared it a Level-III (major) fire after the inferno engulfed nearly 10 to 12 chawl structures.

Firefighters battled the spreading flames through the night, working to prevent the blaze from reaching densely packed residential units in the vicinity. The godown where the fire originated was located within a chawl cluster, making containment especially challenging. Thick plumes of smoke blanketed surrounding localities as emergency teams attempted to bring the situation under control.

Several agencies were deployed as part of the coordinated response effort, including the BMC Fire Brigade, local police, ward officials, the Electricity Distribution Company and a 108 ambulance unit. Despite the scale of the fire and the proximity to residential structures, authorities reported no injuries so far. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident late Wednesday night, a car fire on the Bandra Worli Sea Link caused major disruption to traffic. The vehicle, identified as a Honda sedan, reportedly rammed into the side barrier at high speed before catching fire. Motorists on the busy sea link were left stranded as a long traffic snarl developed, with many unsure of the cause until videos began circulating online.

Footage showed the vehicle completely charred, with firefighters working quickly to extinguish the flames. Though the fire generated thick smoke and intense heat, no casualties have been confirmed. Fire officials later stated that the blaze was brought under control after brief yet intense firefighting efforts.

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