Connect with us
Thursday,03-April-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Mumbai: BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal hits back at Aaditya Thackeray over corruption charges

Published

on

BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has refuted all allegations made by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray over “irregularities in BMC tenders and projects”. Chahal clarified that all projects are “implemented as per rules and regulations, without any misconduct or irregularities in the bidding process”.

‘No contractor has stopped work due to shortage of material’

Over shortage of gravel and monopoly of one contractor, Chahal said, “The allegations are baseless. No contractor responsible for cement concrete work has stopped work due to a shortage of material. No issue regarding hiked gravel prices has been raised by any contractor.”

‘Appropriate responses have been provided on the allegations’

The BMC chief said that the corporators’ term ended March 7, 2022, and the state government appointed him as the administrator of the civic body. He said he has diligently fulfilled the responsibilities bestowed upon him. “Appropriate responses have been provided on the allegations through various channels, legal forums, correspondence, media and social platforms. All allegations of financial misconduct, mismanagement, irregularities and contractor favouritism stand completely unsubstantiated and baseless,” he said.

Chahal makes his point very clear

Chahal further clarified that the contract to concretise the 400km road network was given to firms that met the eligibility criteria. “The rates had been increased because no contractor was ready to work within the BMC’s 2018 scheduled rates,” he said, emphasising that stringent conditions were included in the tenders to monitor and maintain quality.

He said even the street furniture tender process was implemented under the online SAP system as per the prevailing terms and conditions to achieve uniformity in 19 BMC departments.

‘Pedestrian First Policy’

The estimated cost for the road furniture project was nearly Rs263 crore but the first lowest tenderer had quoted Rs276.5 crore, which was 4.96% more than the estimated cost. Negotiations were conducted and the tender price was fixed with 0.01% less than the estimated cost. He said all works were supervised and executed by the deputy chief engineer (traffic) who is well versed with the ‘Pedestrian First Policy’ which has a defect liability period of nearly 10 years.

Addressing the sanitary pad vending and incinerator machine, he said, “Considering that many public toilets are located in slum areas, sanitary pad vending and incinerator machines have been set up there. As per a survey conducted by the Solid Waste Management Department, it was determined that the vending and incinerator machines will be installed in 5,000 out of the 8,173 public toilets. The responsibility of operating, maintaining, and refilling these machines for the next three years has been given to contractors. The BMC invited tenders and the lowest bidder was given the work.”

Maharashtra

New India Cooperative Bank embezzlement accused’s properties attached

Published

on

Mumbai: Mumbai Economic Branch (EOW) has also started property seizure proceedings in the case of embezzlement of crores of rupees from New India Cooperative Bank. EOW said that after identifying the properties obtained from the embezzled amount, it has been attached and seized. 5 accused have been arrested in this case and 21 immovable properties of these accused have been found, which have been allowed to be confiscated.

This is the first action under 107 BNSS in Mumbai city in which the property of the accused has been seized. Mumbai AOW said that the amount recovered from the seized properties will also be estimated. After the bank scam in Mumbai, EOW has taken major action and details of other properties of the accused are also being investigated.

Continue Reading

Crime

Mumbai Five members of Lawrence Bishnoi gang arrested, Mumbai Crime Branch gives a shock to Bishnoi gang

Published

on

Mumbai: Mumbai Crime Branch has claimed to have arrested five shooters of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi gang in a major operation. 5 revolvers and 21 live cartridges have been recovered from the possession of these shooters. Mumbai Police is also interrogating these shooters. Police arrested the attackers before they could execute the incident and averted the incident. Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested these five from Andheri area. They had come here with the intention of carrying out a major vandalism incident, but the police foiled the incident before that.

The arrested accused include Vikas Thakur, Samit Dilawar, Devendra Rupesh Saxena, Shreya Suresh Yadav, Vivek Gupta. Vikas Thakur is a resident of Versova Andheri, Samit Mukesh Kumar Dilawar is a resident of Sonipat, Haryana, Devendra Rupesh Saxena is a resident of Madhya Pradesh, Shreya Suresh Yadav is a resident of Jagdishpur, Bihar and Vivek Kumar Gupta is a resident of Rampur, Rajasthan.

Weapons have been recovered from their possession and the Crime Branch has registered a case against them under Section 3 and 25 of the BNS, Section 55 and 61 (2) and Maharashtra Police Act. The Crime Branch is investigating where the accused brought the weapons from.

After the shooting of Salman Khan, Lawrence Bishnoi gang is trying to become active in Mumbai, but due to the strict action of Mumbai Crime Branch, the back of the gang has been broken and now the Crime Branch has given a big blow to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and arrested five of its members. The Crime Branch is further investigating the matter.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

It is unconstitutional to deprive SP MLA Raees Sheikh of his right to handle religious affairs under Article 26 of the Constitution

Published

on

Mumbai: Maharashtra MLA Raees Sheikh has opposed the introduction of the Wakf Bill in the Lok Sabha. Raees Sheikh has strongly criticized the BJP for creating a false narrative and called the bill a misconception and unconstitutional bill which is harmful for the poor of the society.

Shaikh further said that Article 26 of the Constitution guarantees freedom to run religious institutions. It is unconstitutional to take away the right of a person to run his institution under Article 26 of the Constitution. MLA Shaikh said that this move is against the constitutional guarantee of dealing with religious matters.

Shaikh said that the BJP government is showing the UPA government that it is doing politics of appeasement of a particular community, while the BJP-led government is not doing so. This is an attempt to spread a lie that allows the community to seize any land under Waqf or claim it to be Waqf. The Waqf Board is not a private organisation of the Muslim community but a statutory body established under the Waqf Act. In the process of declaring a property as Waqf, a government surveyor conducts a survey and officially declares the property as Waqf. Sheikh remarked that it is completely wrong to present the idea that Muslims can arbitrarily declare any property as Waqf.

Shaikh further said that he strongly opposes the false image being created by the government and the government has not considered the suggestions given by Muslims or the opposition. All Waqf governing boards and trusts have been given the option to exit the Waqf framework. This has weakened the system. “This is an unimaginable and unimaginable bill that only harms the poor of the society,” Sheikh said.

He further said that some provisions, such as the condition that the person making the donation should have been a Muslim for five years, are strange. Earlier encroachment on wakf property was a non-bailable offence, but now it has been made a criminal offence

Continue Reading

Trending