Mumbai: St Xavier’s College in Mahim, Mumbai, received a bomb threat on Tuesday, said the official.

According to the Mumbai police, St Xavier’s College in Mahim, Mumbai, received a bomb threat. Nothing suspicious was found by the police, and they believe this is primarily a hoax threat.

The police are taking appropriate action and investigating.

More details awaited.

This comes after a series of bomb threats earlier this week caused panic across the city.

On Wednesday, threat emails were received at multiple locations, including the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Vidhan Bhawan, and the High Court.

Police, including the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) team, are present on the scene, officials said on Wednesday.

According to the Mumbai police, threat mail has been received at BSE, Vidhan Bhawan and the High Court this morning.

“Adequate security measures have been taken and are in place. Necessary legal action is being taken at the respective police stations,” Mumbai Police said.

On March 8, a hospital in Mumbai received a bomb threat via email, claiming that an “LED blast” would be carried out on the premises.

The email sparked significant panic among patients and staff.

In response, the Mumbai Police’s Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) conducted a thorough inspection of the hospital.

Mumbai: Local and civic bodies across the state have heaved a much-needed sigh of relief as the central government has started releasing development funds that had been held back for the last four years because the bodies were under administrators’ rule. The funds were approved by the Fifteenth Finance Commission from 2022–23 onwards, but had not been released.

In the last few days, the state government has released Rs 606 crore to Municipal Councils, Municipal Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis whose elections were held in the last few months.

The Fifteenth Finance Commission, constituted in 2021–22 for a five-year term, will complete its tenure this year. The Finance Commission is mandated to determine the share of funds from the central pool to be allocated to various states and local bodies. These funds come from taxes and levies collected by the central government.

The funds approved by the Commission had remained stuck in the central treasury as they could not be allocated in the absence of elected bodies. The state, despite the tenure of almost all local and civic bodies having ended, could not hold elections due to controversies over OBC reservation and the powers related to the formation of electoral wards. It was only after a decision by the Supreme Court that the election process was set in motion.

Of the Rs 606.63 crore released in the last few days, Rs 182 crore is under the Million Plus Cities programme approved by the Finance Commission for 2024–25. The programme aims to improve infrastructure and environmental quality in urban agglomerations.

Another Rs 273 crore has been earmarked for cities to undertake drinking water schemes, including rainwater harvesting, recycling, and solid waste management projects. As many as 398 civic bodies, including Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils, are beneficiaries of this central assistance.

An allocation of Rs 182 crore has been made for Zilla Parishads, Panchayat Samitis and Village Panchayats across the state. The funds are being released to 12 Zilla Parishads, 325 Panchayat Samitis and more than 350 Village Panchayats whose elections were held last month. These funds were sanctioned by the Finance Commission in 2022–23 but were released only now.

Mumbai: In a bold move to scrub the city’s image and climb the ranks of the national cleanliness mission, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officially launched the ‘Mumbai Clean League’ on Tuesday. This innovative initiative transforms mundane civic duties into a high-stakes, city-wide competition, aiming to turn every area into a champion of hygiene.

The campaign received a major boost with Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar stepping in as the official brand ambassador. Known for his advocacy of sanitation, Kumar is now the face of Mumbai’s local swachhata revolution.

During the launch event, he stressed that the city’s beauty depends on the collective effort of its residents, noting that just 30 minutes for cleanliness can make a massive difference. He urged every Mumbaikar to spend half an hour a week tending to their immediate surroundings to build a healthier future.

The ‘Mumbai Clean League’ is designed to be inclusive, inviting participation from all corners of the city. The league features dedicated categories for housing societies, slums, markets and gardens to ensure a level playing field. While housing societies are challenged to implement waste segregation and composting, slum communities are being encouraged to lead drives to keep common passages and shared facilities pristine.

To ensure transparency and real-time monitoring, the BMC has integrated a digital tracking system. Participants are provided with unique QR codes placed at strategic locations within their premises. By scanning these codes, residents can submit photos of their efforts, track their ‘League Points’ and report waste collection updates directly to a centralised dashboard. Top-performing societies and wards are likely slated to receive civic grants and special recognition from the BMC.

BMC believes that the competitive element will foster a sense of ownership among citizens. By gamifying hygiene, the corporation hopes to move away from heavy fines toward a culture of voluntary participation. As the league kicks off, all eyes are on Mumbai’s wards to see which locality will emerge as the ‘Cleanest in the City.’