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Tuesday,29-July-2025
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Maharashtra

Maharashtra: Deadlock Over CM Post Continues As Eknath Shinde Cancels Key Mumbai Meeting Citing Poor Health, Ajit Pawar Flies To Delhi

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The suspense over who will become the chief minister of Maharashtra continues as Eknath Shinde cancelled his meetings on Monday citing poor health, while NCP leader Ajit Pawar left for Delhi to meet top BJP leadership and discuss government formation. 

According to reports, Shinde was scheduled to attend a Mahayuti leaders meeting to finalise portfolio allocations. He is suffering from a throat infection and fever and did not return to his official residence, Varsha, in Mumbai. Shinde is currently staying in his native village in Satara. 

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Srikant Shinde, the son of Maharashtra’s caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on Monday, said the speculations about him getting the deputy CM’s post in the new state government were false and baseless.

In a post on X, the parliamentarian also said he had the chance of becoming a minister at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year, but he refused it and he wanted to focus on working for the party organisation.

More than a week after the Mahayuti clinched a massive victory in Maharashtra polls with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 132 seats, the new government is yet to be sworn in.

The oath-taking ceremony of the Mahayuti government is scheduled for December 5 evening at Azad Maidan in Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The name of Devendra Fadnavis has been finalised as the new chief minister of Maharashtra, a senior BJP leader claimed on Sunday night. 

Is Shinde unhappy with centre’s decision?

Eknath Shinde left for his native village in Satara district on Friday amid speculation that he was not happy with the way the new government was shaping up. The caretaker CM reached Thane on Sunday afternoon.

Shrikant Shinde on Monday said the swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti coalition government has been a bit delayed, and currently there are lot of discussions and rumours. 

He said the rumours escalated after his father went to the village for two days and took rest due to ill-health. 

“The news that I will be the deputy chief minister has been circulating with question marks for the past two days. There is no truth to this, and all such news are baseless,” the Kalyan MP said on X.

He said despite an opportunity to become a minister in the central government after the Lok Sabha elections, he had turned it down to focus on strengthening the party organisation. 

“I have no desire for a position of power. I make it clear once again that I am not in the race for any ministerial position in the state,” he said, reinforcing his commitment to work for his Lok Sabha constituency and Shiv Sena.

Acknowledging the media’s enthusiasm and competition, Shrikant Shinde urged them to refrain from distorting the facts. 

“I hope that the discussions about me will at least stop now,” he added.

In the recently concludes state polls, the Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The BJP led with 132 seats, while the Shiv Sena got 57 and NCP 41 seats. 

Amid speculation that his son Shrikant Shinde might get the deputy CM’s post and Shiv Sena is keen on the Home portfolio, Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the Mahayuti allies will decide the government formation through a consensus after sitting together.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra COVID-19 Update: 6 New Cases Reported, 1 Death In Nashik Due To Comorbidities

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Mumbai: Maharashtra reported six new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and one death over the past week, the state’s Public Health Department said. A 79-year-old man from Nashik with multiple comorbidities succumbed to the infection, taking the state’s COVID-19 death toll for 2025 to 43.

Fresh Infections Logged

According to the department, the new cases reported on July 29 include two from Mumbai and one each from Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Kalyan municipal corporations.

Single Fatality

The deceased, who passed away on July 24 in Nashik, had a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and had undergone Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA), the department noted.

City Tally Climbs

Mumbai’s COVID-19 tally for 2025 now stands at 1,091 cases, with 551 cases reported in June and 99 recorded so far in July. Since January, Maharashtra has recorded a total of 2,726 COVID-19 cases, with 2,650 patients having recovered.

A total of 41,872 COVID-19 tests have been conducted across the state since the beginning of the year.

Ongoing Vigilance

During a recent state-level COVID-19 review meeting, health officials were directed to ensure regular surveillance of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases. As per the guidelines, 5% of ILI patients and all SARI patients must be tested for COVID-19, with all positive samples sent for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS).

All public health institutions, government medical colleges, and municipal hospitals have been instructed to keep COVID-19 testing and treatment facilities ready and updated. The health department has urged citizens to remain vigilant and continue following preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Eyes Pedestrian Subway Network To Boost Metro Line 3 Connectivity; 1-Km Link Planned Connecting Acharya Atre Chowk Station To Mahalaxmi Racecourse

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Mumbai: As Mumbai gears up for the full launch of Metro Line 3 in August, city planners are shifting focus from just underground transit to creating a seamless pedestrian experience above and below the ground. Officials are now envisioning a citywide network of pedestrian subways that will connect commuters directly from Metro stations to key urban destinations, offices, malls, parks and even the coastline.

Key Meeting Held Between Top Infra Bodies & BMC

In a key development, senior officials from the BMC, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and Indian Railways met at the BMC headquarters on Monday evening to discuss last-mile connectivity solutions. The meeting focused on integrating pedestrian infrastructure with the expanding Metro system, particularly around Metro Line 3 stations.

Metro Line 3, also known as the Aqua Line, is Mumbai’s first fully underground metro corridor. It currently operates from Aarey to Acharya Atre Chowk in Worli and is already serving around 60,000 passengers daily. Once fully operational, the 33.5-km line will connect 27 stations, stretching from Aarey in the north to Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai. It will traverse key commercial and transport nodes such as Mumbai Central, Mahalaxmi, Churchgate, CSMT and BKC.

One of the first pedestrian integration projects in the pipeline is a 1-kilometre-long subway connecting the Acharya Atre Chowk station to the Mahalaxmi Racecourse and the Coastal Road parking hub at Haji Ali. A 160-metre side arm is also being planned to provide access to nearby open spaces. BMC and MMRCL have been working on its alignment since June.

The meeting was primarily about identifying nodal agencies that will lead such pedestrian infrastructure projects,” the official added. A senior official confirmed that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be drafted within the next four months.

Mega Plan For Subways Around Key Metro Stations

The broader vision includes building pedestrian subways within a 500-metre to 1-kilometre radius of major Metro stations, particularly in high-density zones like malls, corporate parks and business hubs. Equipped with escalators and elevators, these subways aim to be accessible to all, encouraging walking, easing traffic congestion, and redefining Mumbai as a more connected and commuter-friendly city.

If successfully implemented, this pedestrian network could become a game-changer in urban mobility and last-mile connectivity for Mumbai.

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Maharashtra

Ladki Bahin Yojana: 26.34 Lakh Ineligible People Temporarily Suspended Due To Suspicion Of Fraud

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State governments and the Central government have introduced schemes to improve the economic condition of women. Similarly, the Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is being run in Maharashtra. Under this scheme, financial assistance of Rs 1,500 is provided every month to eligible women beneficiaries.

Ladki Bahin Scheme Fraud

So far, 12 instalments of this scheme have been released. Meanwhile, a scam has been revealed in the Ladki Bahin scheme in Maharashtra. This has created a stir in the state. Many men are also benefiting from this scheme. Now the government is preparing to recover money from ineligible people.

State Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkar has issued a statement saying that during the verification it was found that people are taking advantage of the scheme despite being ineligible. In such a situation, the state government has removed 26.34 lakh ineligible people from the scheme. Let us tell you that in June 2024, the Maharashtra government launched the Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Behen Yojana, intending to promote the economic independence of women in the state.

Under this scheme, eligible women between 21 and 65 years of age in Maharashtra are provided financial assistance of Rs 1,500 every month. Aditi Tatkar said on the social media platform X that investigation revealed that some beneficiaries were taking advantage of multiple schemes. Some families had more than two beneficiaries. In some cases, even men had applied for this scheme. She further said that the Women and Child Development Department had sought information from all government departments to check the eligibility of all applications. The Information and Technology Department said that about 26.34 lakh beneficiaries are taking advantage of this scheme despite being ineligible.

How Many Accounts Were Suspended?

The accounts of 26.34 lakh ineligible people have been temporarily suspended. Apart from this, about 2.25 crore eligible beneficiaries have received the installment for June 2025.

Investigation Of Suspended Accounts

The district officer of the respective district will investigate the accounts of those whose accounts have been suspended. If they are found eligible in the verification, then the suspended accounts will start getting benefits again. It is being said that the state government can take strict action against those who take advantage by giving wrong information.

Can All Women Participate In Ladki Bahin Scheme?

This scheme has been implemented only for women between the ages of 21 and 65. To take advantage of this scheme, women must be residents of Maharashtra. To join this scheme, one has to apply online. All married, unmarried, divorced women can take advantage of this scheme. To take advantage of the scheme, it is very important for women to have an account in a bank. At the same time, the annual income of the woman’s family should not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh. This scheme does not apply to those women who are taking advantage of any other government scheme.

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