Maharashtra
Maharashtra Government Form Committee To Explore Revenue Through Liquor, Cigarette Sales Amid Fund Issues
State governments, when drowning in debt, have no option but to tweak the excise policy on sin goods like cigarettes and liguor. Maharashtra may be no exception to the norm.
With its income sources already stretched thin, the cash-strapped Mahayuti government has decided to pop open a bottle of opportunity—appointing a five-member committee to explore liquor production and sales as a new revenue stream.
The committee, chaired by the additional secretary for the housing department, Appoints Committee to Study Liquor Policies for Revenue e Generation brings together a medley of bureaucrats: the additional chief secretaries from finance and state excise, the commissioner of state GST, and the member secretary, the state excise commissioner.
Together, they’ll be tasked with reviewing policies on liquor production, sales licenses, excise duties, and, crucially, revenue-maximizing practices adopted by other states, Expect a menu of recommendations on how to spice up state coffers. The committee’s. main course? A proposal already served up by the state excise commissioner, aimed at increasing annual income through liquor production and sales.
The plan? Crack down on illegal liquor sales and serve up more licenses for retail outlets. If this proposal is uncorked, it could boost the state’s revenue while also tidying up the department’ existing operations. ‘Why the sudden thirst for extra revenue, you ask? Blame the evergrowing list of populist promises made ahead of the state elections, which now need to be fulfilled. Take the Ladki Bahin scheme, for example—it demands a whopping Rs 46,000 crore annually.
Add to that loan waivers for farmers and covering electricity bills for agriculture pump sets, and you’ve got a recipe for fiscal trouble. To top it off, the state needs an extra Rs 600 crore to hike the Ladki Bahin disbursement from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100. Then there’s the debt. With loans soon expected to touch Rs 8 lakh crore, the state needs a sugar rush of revenue to keep things running smoothly. Aside from GST, Maharashtra relies heavily on VAT from petrol and diesel, stamp duties, vehicle taxes, and—of course—excise revenues. And so, the state is eyeing liquor sales as a cash cow.
But here’s the rub: the state’s current policy freezes the number of retail liquor licenses, a decision made back in 1974. With Maharashtra’s population growing and new urban areas cropping up, the demand for wine shops and country liquor outlets is higher than ever. The state excise department believes it’s high time to revisit this policy. Currently, there are 1,720 licenses for Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and 4,346 for country liquor, not including those granted to restaurants with permit rooms. As population booms and urbanization spreads, the excise department is suggesting that the state loosen its grip on liquor licenses and let more outlets sprout up, bringing in fresh revenue while reducing the black market’s grip.
So, is the state taking the path of least resistance, or is it simply opening a new bottle of opportunity? Only time (and the committee’s recommendations) will tell—but it seems like Maharashtra is preparing to raise a glass to new ways of keeping the state’s finances in the black.
Maharashtra
7 accused arrested in cyber fraud case of over Rs 1 crore in Mumbai

Mumbai: The Cyber Police Station has claimed to have solved the mystery of a cyber crime in which the complainant was threatened with digital arrest on WhatsApp from April 2 to April 18, 2026, and was involved in a money laundering case and was defrauded of Rs 16.74 crore online by sending fake electronic documents. During the technical investigation, the police have arrested 7 accused, identified as Sanjay Hiralal, 57, who used to generate OTPs, the 32-year-old female accused used to hide the fraudulent money, Rishi Ramchandra Meena, 38, who used to transfer the fraudulent money to bank accounts, Naushad Ali, 31, who digitally arrested the complainant and the victim and worked in this gang digitally, Muhammad Khalid Hafeezuddin Saif, 27, a digital expert, Jogesh Mehta, 43, and Zubair Hussain, 27, who helped them deposit the fraudulent money in their accounts. 613 mobile phones, 2 laptops, 5 digital sign devices were recovered from the possession of the accused. SIM cards of several companies, 10 cheque books, 2 passbooks and 2 ATM cards have been seized. DCP Bajrang Bansode told the press conference that there is no such thing as digital arrest and in such a situation, do not keep in touch on unknown social media accounts. If someone threatens digital arrest, do not believe them.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Mystery of Santa Cruz robbery solved during police operation, person who deposited stolen money in bank also identified, one arrested

Mumbai: After solving the mystery of a robbery in Santa Cruz area, the police have claimed to have seized cash and other jewelries worth Rs 76.36 lakh. According to the details, between June 20 and June 27, an unknown thief broke into a house on Juhu Tara Road in Santa Cruz area for the purpose of robbery and escaped with the jewelries, cash and gold biscuits in the cupboard. In this case, the police arrested the accused Chandan Kamlesh Mukhiya, 26, a resident of Darbhanga, during technical investigation. His transit remand was obtained and he was produced in Mumbai. In this case, another absconding accused is being sought. During the investigation, it has been revealed that with the help of the absconding accused, the thief had asked his acquaintance Kailash Shah to buy land with the money and stolen property. Therefore, Kailash Shah collected the cash and transferred it to a bank account. During the investigation, the police found that Kailash Shah had collected the stolen money of Rs 46.31 lakh, therefore, the police have issued a notice to him. 200 grams of gold jewelry and Rolex watches have also been recovered. This operation was carried out under the guidance of Mumbai Additional Commissioner Abhinav Deshmukh and DCP Mohit Kumar Garg, while Santa Cruz Senior Police Inspector Dattatreya Masvekar played an important role in solving the mystery of this theft.
Maharashtra
Demand for immediate installation of bus shelters in Govindi Shivaji Nagar, Abu Asim Azmi submits memorandum to BEST administration, concerned about safety of passengers

Residents of Mumbai, Shivaji Nagar and Govind (M-East Ward) areas face significant hardship during summer, monsoon and inclement weather due to lack of bus shelters and seating arrangements at major bus stops. In this backdrop, Samajwadi Party Maharashtra state president and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has submitted a memorandum to BEST Committee Chairperson Trishna Vishwasrao, demanding immediate installation of robust bus shelters and seating facilities at these locations. Shivaji Nagar depot is one of the largest depots in Mumbai, serving a large number of passengers daily. Around 132 BEST buses ply in this area, and thousands of school and college students, women, senior citizens, pregnant women, disabled persons and workers rely on BEST services. In his memorandum, Azmi said that essential passenger amenities are missing at many of the six major bus stops in the area. Specifically, these include stops at Shivaji Nagar Depot Junction, Konkan Bank and Sai Mandir, Jafri School, 10 Feet Road No. 2, Sant Nirankari Nagar, and New Bus Depot. Due to the lack of safe waiting areas, passengers are forced to stand on the roadside and wait for buses. The memorandum highlights that this situation is especially bad for women, senior citizens, pregnant women and disabled passengers. Azmi also observed that local residents have been continuously following up with the depot manager and the civic department since 2023. Although the approval for the bus stop on Road No. 2 was reportedly given in 2024, the work has not yet started, leading to dissatisfaction among residents. Demand for joint inspection of all bus stops Azmi has demanded that the issue be taken seriously and a joint inspection of all bus stops be conducted immediately with representatives of local citizens. He further stressed that the work should be completed by installing robust bus shelters and seating arrangements at the relevant locations using BEST’s infrastructure fund.
BEST serves as a vital lifeline for the daily commute of millions of Mumbaikars, and it is essential that commuters have access to safe and dignified travel facilities. Hence, Azmi has demanded immediate action on the matter.
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