Maharashtra
Mumbai: BMC budget release likely on February 3; announcement without corporators for first time in 36 years

Mumbai: Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal is likely to release the civic budget on February 3. As per BMC rules, the budget has to be presented in the first week of February. However, since the terms of the corporators ended on March 7, 2022, there is no general body or standing committee to which the budget proposals can be presented.
Civic officials said booklets containing the proposals are likely to be released on February 3. Last year, the BMC had a budget of about Rs 45,000 crore.
General body of corporators absent for budget first time since 36 years
There will be no general body of corporators at the time of budget proposal for the first time after a gap of 36 years. A similar situation prevailed in 1984 and 1985. The civic elections were expected to be held in October last year but were not held for a variety of reasons, including the controversy over the delimitation of wards. There is no indication when they will be held. However, the State Government has undertaken a massive beautification programme at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore.
CM Shinde, Deputy CM Fadnavis gave inputs for this year’s budget
This year, Chahal will present the budget in the BMC headquarters and address a press conference to brief the media about the highlights. He has been handling all administrative and financial responsibilities of the civic body since March 7, 2022. All the department heads are sending their proposals to him and he is approving them by using his powers as the administrator.
It is learnt that both Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have given their suggestions for the budget.
Ravi Raja says this exercise is ‘dangerous to democracy’
Leader of the Opposition Ravi Raja of the Congress said, “It is dangerous to democracy. Officials who sit in the office will never know what are the citizens’ needs. We don’t know what the administrator did this year because there is no standing committee. There’s no general body where questions could have been raised by corporators on various aspects of the budget. There is no one to question Chahal. This year he will make the budget and present it to himself according to his convenience.”
BJP leader defends the move, says in accordance with Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act
However, BJP group leader in the BMC, Prabhakar Shinde, said, “As per the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act of 1887, the BMC administrator has power to present the budget if there is no standing committee and general body. But whenever the elections are held, the proposals will be placed before the civic standing committee. Until then, the administrator will run the BMC like he has been doing since last year.”
He said everyone until then has to get information by filing Right to Information queries.
Activist accuses BMC of flouting norms
Meanwhile, civic activist Kamalakar Shenoy has accused the BMC of violating norms while embarking on the beautification project. He has also filed complaints with the police in this regard.
Maharashtra
Thief who came from Mumbai and committed several thefts arrested

Mumbai: Police have claimed to have arrested a thief who committed theft in the limits of Milind police station, against whom several cases of theft and burglary are registered in Mumbai. Mumbai Zone 7 DCP Vijay Kant Sagare, while addressing a press conference here, said that the accused came to Mumbai by flight with the intention of stealing and broke into several 5 houses.
Theft cases are registered against him in Nehru Nagar, Milind, Alwaye, Navi Mumbai. One and a half lakh silver ornaments weighing two kg, totaling Rs 15 lakh have been seized. Cases of stalking are also registered against the criminal Rajesh in Dombivali, Vishnu Nagar, Vishai, Vitthalwadi, Manpara, Pan police stations.
The accused told that he came to Mumbai from Varanasi by plane on March 13, 2025 and robbed five houses in 15 days.
Maharashtra
Struggle Against Land Mafia in Waqf Properties: New Amended Bill Adds to the Challenges

New Delhi : In the ongoing battle to protect Waqf properties and ensure their benefits reach the deserving, land mafias, encroachers, and illegal groups were already a major hurdle. Now, the government’s newly amended bill has emerged as another significant challenge. Advocate Dr. Syed Ejaz Abbas Naqvi has strongly criticized this move and demanded immediate reforms. He stated that the primary objective of Waqf was to benefit the needy, but unfortunately, this objective has completely failed. On the other hand, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the largest Sikh religious organization, has been actively involved in the welfare of its community for decades. As a result, the Sikh community has nearly eradicated beggars and human rickshaw pullers.
Illegal Encroachments and Misuse of Waqf Lands Exposed :
According to Dr. Naqvi, Waqf properties have suffered the most due to unlawful encroachments by vested interest groups. The most unfortunate fact is that many Waqf lands were originally donated for the shrines (Dargahs) of Syed families, but they have been grossly misused. He revealed that a well-known individual shamelessly sold an acre of prime Waqf land on Mumbai’s Altamount Road for just 1.6 million rupees, a blatant violation of Waqf principles and laws.
Demand for a Stricter Amendment in Section 52 :
Dr. Naqvi has called on the government to take strict action against those who illegally sell Waqf properties. He has urged for an immediate amendment to Section 52 of the Waqf Act to introduce
capital punishment or life imprisonment* for unauthorized Waqf land sellers. This issue is a major setback for those fighting to safeguard Waqf properties, who are already battling corrupt elements and illegal land grabbers. It remains to be seen whether the government takes these concerns seriously and enacts effective legislation to protect Waqf lands.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Cleanup Marshal and Swachh Mumbai campaign ended, fine collection from citizens also stopped, BMC helpline number released

Mumbai: Mumbai BMC has abolished the clean-up marshal policy, after which now the clean-up marshal has disappeared from the streets of the city. The Municipal Corporation has completely banned the clean-up marshal and the Swachh Mumbai Mission has been stopped. This means that now no clean-up marshal will be able to force citizens to pay fines or take any other punitive action. After complaints against clean-up marshals, Mumbai BMC has decided to stop and suspend the service of clean-up marshals from today.
The Solid Waste Management Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation, under the Department of Garbage and Sanitation, oversees public cleanliness in Mumbai and the ‘Swachh Mumbai Mission’ has been closed from April 4, 2025. However, the Municipal Corporation administration has appealed to the citizens that if any fine has been imposed on them despite this, then they can complain about it. Complaints regarding cleanup marshals can be made to the divisional control room of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation at 022-23855128 and 022-23877691 (extension number 549/500).
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