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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Govt Scraps Plan To Purchase Trolley Bags Worth ₹82 Lakh To Distribute Stage Budget Copies To Legislators

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Mumbai: The Maharashtra government scrapped its decision to purchase 886 trolley bags, each costing around Rs 10,000, to distribute copies of the state budget and related documents to legislators on a pendrive. The move came after strong criticism from opposition leaders and activists, who argued that spending Rs 82 lakh on bags was unnecessary, especially when the government is promoting digital initiatives like e-cabinets.

The issue gained public attention after reports on the government’s plan came to light. Following the backlash, the finance department issued a resolution cancelling the decision as reported by media. “Administrative approval was granted for the procurement of 886 hard-top, four-wheeler luggage trolley bags for distributing budget publications in pendrives to members of the legislature and others. This decision is now being canceled,” the resolution stated.

Rohit Pawar Questions Mahayuti Govt’s Priorities

NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar was among the voices criticising the expenditure. He questioned the Mahayuti government’s priorities, pointing out that while funds were unavailable to support families of farmers who had committed suicide, Rs 82 lakh was allocated for trolley bags for legislators.

In a post on X, he wrote, “With changing times, unnecessary customs must also change. If the practice of giving expensive bags is not stopped, even PM Modi’s Digital India policy will lose its meaning. Our finance minister is disciplined, DCM Eknath Shinde is a common man, and CM Eknath Shinde is a scholar—they should put an end to such traditions.”

Activist Vijay Kumbhar also questioned the necessity of such an expense. “A Rs 10,000 bag just to provide a budget copy on a pendrive? The total cost—Rs 82 lakh! The budget is available online, and if some MLAs struggle with digital files, a few physical copies can be kept in the legislature library. Why spend so much money on this?” he asked.

Maharashtra

Mumbai bus travel becomes more expensive, fares increase

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SOURCE: FREE PRESS JUORNAL

Mumbai : Mumbai citizens have been hit by inflation ahead of the BMC elections. The fare hike for BEST buses has been approved. An additional fare of twice the fare will be implemented from today, which will now mean that BEST passengers will have to pay an additional fare, which will affect the pockets of the passengers. The BEST administration has decided to implement the new fare from May 9. The fare has been increased for distances of 5, 10, and 20 kilometers.

The fare for a distance of 5 kilometers has been doubled. The fare for a distance of 5 kilometers has been increased from Rs 6 to Rs 12. No concession has been given in the fare for a 12-year-old child. The daily pass was previously Rs 60, but now the new fare has been increased to Rs 75. The monthly pass is from Rs 900 to Rs 1,800. The facility of Chalo Bus Pass has been provided for children of the Municipal Corporation. The increase in bus fares and tickets in Mumbai has put a burden on the pockets of the citizens. Shared taxis and auto rickshaws are also operated in Mumbai city and its suburbs, but due to the fare, many passengers are unable to pay for these shared means of transport and travel by buses.

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Maharashtra

The verdict in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case will be announced on July 31

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Mumbai: The verdict in the September 29, 2008 bomb blast in Malegaon will be pronounced on July 31. BJP leader and former MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt. Col. Srikant Prasad Purohit, former Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Swami Dayanand Pandey, Ajay Rahirkar, and Sameer Kulkarni are accused of being involved in illegal activities. A bomb was planted in Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur’s scooter, after which the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested 13 accused in the case and charged 7 accused. The hearing of the Malegaon bomb blast will be completed in April. The verdict was expected to be pronounced today, but the court gave the reason that more than one lakh pages are under study and therefore the matter has been adjourned till July 31.

A bomb blast in a scooter at Bhakko Chowk killed 7 people and injured 100. In this case, ATS Chief Hemant Karkare investigated and MCOCA was also applied to the accused, but this investigation was later handed over to the NIA in 2011. The NIA has sought death penalty for the accused in this case. Statements of 223 witnesses were recorded in this case and 23 witnesses defected in the court, including 8 witnesses from the army and defense department. The court has ordered all the accused to be present on July 31 and if anyone is absent, action will be taken against him. The court will pronounce its verdict in this case only on July 31 because the hearing of the case has been completed and the court has also reserved its verdict.

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Maharashtra

Digital Rakshak secures money of five complainants who were scammed in the name of Digital Arrest

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Mumbai: Five complainants who were scammed on social media in the name of digital arrest through the Mumbai Police’s Digital Rakshak (Digital Protector) have been protected by the Digital Rakshak. In Mumbai, CBI, ED and police officers send notices on social media and WhatsApp in the name of Digital Arrest, demanding huge money for video calling in the name of investigation and saving them from the case in the name of investigation. Accordingly, Mumbai Police has developed the Digital Rakshak app. The complaint of five victim complainants was processed on this helpline. In Mumbai’s Chembur area, a video call was made to an elderly person on social media calling him Digital Arrest and it was said that he had huge money in his bank account and his documents, Aadhaar card and PAN card were used in illegal activities.

The caller on the call told the elderly person that he was a CBI officer and demanded money without disconnecting the video call. During this, the victim When the daughter entered the house, she found her father scared and then she asked her father why he was scared. On this, the father told her that it was a call from a CBI officer and that he had transferred money in this matter. After that, the victim contacted the Mumbai Police’s Digital Rakshak helpline and then informed the police about this notice. After that, it was confirmed that this notice was prepared by the CBI and ED by creating a fake notice and sending it on WhatsApp. The police have resolved five cases of digital arrest and have appealed to the citizens that no security agency does digital arrest and neither is investigation done on WhatsApp, so be careful of such elements.

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