Mumbai: To provide a suitable market for the produce of the fishermen in the state and to provide clean and nutritious seafood to the urban foodies, ‘Matsya Pav’ will now be made available in major cities of the state including Mumbai. This unique “Matsya Pav Mobile Food Van” scheme will be implemented based on the concept of Fisheries and Ports Minister Nitesh Rane, and a detailed proposal in this regard has been sent to the government for approval. This will create new employment opportunities in urban areas. Under this ambitious scheme, ‘Matsya Pav’, ‘Matsya Vada Pav’, shrimp pav and various other delicious fish products will be sold through specially designed mobile food vans. The estimated cost of this mobile food van project is around Rs 12.50 lakhs, and the main objective of this scheme is to generate decent employment for unemployed youth, women’s self-help groups and fish producing organisations in the state.

Hand gloves and gumboot scheme for women fishermen

A major decision has been taken under the Chief Minister’s Fisheries Scheme for the safety and health of women fishermen working in fish markets. Free gloves, gumboots and other protective equipment will be distributed to 500 women workers to enhance cleanliness, safety and processing efficiency in fish markets of Mumbai. A special training programme will also be implemented for this through ‘ICAR-CIFT’, and the entire project is expected to cost around Rs 30.69 lakh.

Separate policy on ambergris

The meeting discussed in detail the issue of ‘ambergris’ (fish vomit), which is considered highly sensitive with regard to marine biodiversity and coastal security. Minister Nitesh Rane directed to prepare a joint action plan in collaboration with the Forest Department, Coast Guard, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Fisheries Department to stop the smuggling of this valuable substance and create awareness among the fishermen. Along with this, a proposal to set up a ‘Marine Fisherman Welfare and Resilience Fund’ for the welfare of fishermen in coastal areas was also presented in this meeting.

Mumbai: Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, was seen driving a pink e-rickshaw on Monday as she lent her support to a women centric green mobility initiative launched on the World Environment Day.

A video shared by media captured Amruta Fadnavis confidently driving the pink e-rickshaw through a crowd during the launch event organised by the Bhamla Foundation. Her participation highlighted the foundation’s Women-Led Green Mobility Program, which aims to empower low-income women across Maharashtra by providing them with pink e-rickshaws and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Speaking to the media after the event, Amruta Fadnavis expressed her happiness at being part of the programme and interacting with women beneficiaries. She said the initiative is designed not only to promote environmentally friendly transportation but also to help women become financially independent.

“The programme offers a dual benefit. Firstly, these e-rickshaws contribute to reducing carbon emissions and pollution in cities. Secondly, they provide women with an opportunity to earn a livelihood and become self-reliant,” she said.

Speaking to media, Amruta further stressed on the government-backed scheme supporting the initiative. She stated that under the existing scheme, banks provide a 70 per cent loan to eligible women, while the government contributes 20 per cent. Beneficiaries are required to contribute the remaining 10 per cent, which typically amounts to Rs 30,000–35,000.

“Many women are unable to arrange even this amount. It is commendable that NGOs have stepped forward to bridge this financial gap and help these women benefit from the scheme,” she wrote on her X page.

Highlighting the programme’s future goals, Amruta said the target is to deploy 1,000 pink e-rickshaws in Mumbai. She was also seen taking a ride in one of the vehicles, reinforcing the initiative’s message of sustainable mobility and women’s empowerment.

The project is expected to contribute to lower carbon emissions and cleaner urban transport while creating opportunities for women. The initiative has received a wide appreciation online, with many users praising both the government’s support and Amruta Fadnavis’ active involvement in promoting the cause.

Mumbai: Mira Road Crime Branch Unit 4 has exposed a drug factory in Telangana, arrested three accused and seized drugs and equipment used in drug manufacturing worth over Rs 2 crore. Mira Bhayander Commissioner Niket Kaushik claimed in a press conference that this operation has been carried out under the Mira Bhayander police’s campaign against drugs. The Crime Branch has made progress in its operation on the basis of the drug peddlers arrested earlier and three people have been arrested. Earlier, on April 4, 2026, a raid was conducted at the house of Firdosh Arbaaz Qureshi in Mira Bhayander area and the Naya Nagar police had registered a case against him. During the operation, 1.324 crore MD was found, which is said to be worth Rs 2 crore. The police have registered a case under the NDPS Act against him. Sandeep Veeraswamy Naidu, Naseer alias Baba Jumaniya Sheikh, Mehmood Mehboob Khan have been arrested from Zaheerabad, Telangana, Hyderabad for the same crimes. They used to run a drug manufacturing factory in their farmhouse. MD was manufactured here. Apart from this, Chloroform Actone, Hydraulic Acid and MD Lap were also found in the farmhouse. Rs 6.22 crore worth of drugs and cash worth Rs 20.72 crore were seized from here. This operation will continue. Niket Kaushik said that the police have exposed the drug racket in a phased manner and taken action against it. At the same time, criminals do this drug trade because it is more profitable and in such a situation, the police and crime branch are continuously conducting operations to curb drug dealers and a significant success has been achieved in this.