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Maharashtra

Maharashtra: Govt assures ‘smooth ride’ on all Konkan roads before Ganeshotsav

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Under severe fire from the Opposition for the bad roads condition, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday assured that repairs are being carried out on “a war footing” on all the important thoroughfares from Mumbai to the coastal Konkan ahead of the 10-day Ganeshotsav festival starting on August 31.

Public Works Department Minister Ravindra Chavan has directed all concerned officials to accord priority attention to the region which witnesses lakhs of commuters from Mumbai travelling to their homes in the Konkan region to celebrate Ganeshotsav.

The officials have been directed to ensure complete repairs like smoothening uneven stretches, potholes, cracks, washed out sections and other obstacles by the weekend to ensure speedy movement of traffic as well as avert accidents on the roads and highways from Mumbai to Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

Senior engineers of the PWD shall be deployed to oversee and monitor the road repairs carried out by the local contractors of the various civic bodies, to ensure quality and durability of the work, an official from Ratnagiri explained.

Additionally, Chavan said the number of traffic wardens manning the roads and the main link, the Mumbai-Goa Highway, shall be increased to control the traffic and prevent road snarls which in the past have held up the commuters – travelling in cars, mini-vans, tempos, state transport of private buses, etc. for many hours.

Lakhs of people who live and work in Mumbai hail mostly from the Konkan districts and they travel to their native towns or villages during the Ganesh festival, with massive traffic movement witnessed for 10 days.

It may be recalled that certain stretches of the highway, major and arterial roads in the Konkan region have been ravaged during the monsoon onslaught, with shocking photos and videos going viral on social media, as the temporary ‘festival migration’ is slated to start from this weekend.

The poor roads in the Konkan have hampered traffic movement, led to breakdown of vehicles, resulted in serious accidents and major vehicular jams that take hours to clear, delaying or stranding thousands of people en route.

For the first time after the 2020-2021 Coronavirus pandemic, the state government has lifted all restrictions on Ganeshotsav celebrations from August 31-September 9, creating euphoria among the people, especially in the Konkan region where the state’s most important public festival is celebrated in a big way.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra Fraud: Raigad CGST Officials Bust ₹9 Crore Fake Input Tax Credit Racket; 2 Arrested In Panvel And Dombivli

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Mumbai: A team of officers of Anti-Evasion, CGST & Central Excise Raigad Commissionerate, Mumbai Zone have arrested two persons involved in generating and passing on fake input tax credit (ITC) of more than Rs 9 crore by creating fictitious firms and issuing invoices without actual supply of goods/services.

Fake ITC Passed Using Fictitious Firms, Say Raigad CGST Officials

Acting upon intelligence, the team identified the fake firms being operated by the accused to avail and pass on fake ITC. The accused firm availed ineligible credit passed on by non-existent firms registered based on forged documents.

No Actual Goods Supplied, Yet Invoices Issued

The accused firm was found non-operational at the registered principal place of business evidencing no goods received or supplied. Thus, the firm had fraudulently availed/ passed on ITC in violation of CGST Act, 2017.

Panvel and Dombivli Residents Nabbed for Tax Evasion

The investigation revealed that the Directors of the firm, a resident of New Panvel and a resident of Dombivli (W) were actively involved in the fraud of government revenue.

Two Arrested for ₹9 Crore GST Fraud in Maharashtra

Both were arrested under section 69(1) of CGST Act, 2017 for offences punishable under Section 132(1)(b)/132(1)(c) of CGST Act, 2017 and produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Panvel. The Court has sent them to judicial custody.

Further investigation is in progress to identify other beneficiaries and operators of this fake invoice racket.

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Maharashtra

Good News For Mumbaikars! Now Book Mumbai Local Train Tickets Through WhatsApp; Ticketing Process Made Easier

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Mumbai: The Railways aims to improve the local ticketing system’s convenience and is exploring the possibility of launching a ticketing system via a chat-based app such as WhatsApp. Recently, a meeting took place with organisations that are interested in this matter. Officials mentioned that the tender process will be evaluated once all the details are finalised.

Within the framework of the Digital India initiative, the Indian Railways is emphasising on transforming the ticketing system through digital means. As a result, passengers are being offered fast tickets that are cashless. The shift to digital At present, 25 per cent of travellers are reserving tickets via digital methods, and its adoption is growing daily.

In addition to the current digital ticketing system, the Railways is working on a chat-based ticketing solution to enhance convenience in ticketing. Metro travellers favor using WhatsApp for ticket bookings in the metro. Upon scanning the QR code at the ticket window, a chat interface appears.

Upon sending a Hi message, you are presented with options for ticket booking, and afterward, digital tickets can be obtained upon making the payment. 67 percent of metro fares are being reserved in this manner. What difficulties are there? Several factors need to be addressed during the creation of the WhatsApp ticketing system.

Due to the current misuse of the QR-based ticketing system via UTS, caution must be exercised in developing the new system to avoid similar vulnerabilities. We aim to create a system that will be easy for the travelers. Several alternatives are under consideration for this, including the chat-based ticketing system, Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer.

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Crime

Mumbai Drug Bust: 24-Year-Old Arrested In Byculla With Mephedrone, Charas Worth ₹3.46 Crore In Car

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Mumbai: In a major anti-drug operation, the Mumbai Police arrested a 24-year-old man in the early hours of Wednesday and recovered a large quantity of narcotics valued at over Rs 3.46 crore. The accused, identified as Sahil Junaid Ansari, a resident of Bhiwandi in Thane district, was intercepted while driving through the Byculla area of South Mumbai.

Accused Found Driving Suspiciously In Byculla Area

The incident occurred around 4 am when a team of patrolling constables, Bhabad, Bhoye and Gangurde, spotted a Maruti Ertiga car moving suspiciously near Hume Church on B.A. Road. The team flagged down the vehicle and questioned the driver about his presence at that odd hour. Ansari, however, failed to give a satisfactory response, raising the officers’ suspicions.

Alerted by constable Bhabad, night duty in-charge Police Inspector Anup Dange immediately reached the location with PSI Kolekar, PSI Asade from the Anti-Terror Cell and other detection personnel.

Details On Drugs Found In Car

A detailed search of the vehicle was conducted, during which the police found 1,710 grams of Mephedrone, commonly known as MD, concealed inside. The street value of the seized MD is estimated at Rs 3.42 crore. Additionally, 17 grams of charas worth Rs 4.5 lakh were also recovered from the car.

Police officials confirmed that Ansari has been taken into custody and booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The contraband was seized and sent for forensic examination.

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