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Maharashtra

Mumbai: CM Eknath Shinde’s busy schedule costs BMC Rs 6 lakh/month

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The BMC has been spending Rs 6 lakh a month on the maintenance of Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Auditorium in Byculla, although it has not been used even once since being built. The 761-seater theatre, which was handed over to the BMC in April, awaits ribbon-cutting by the CM, but he has a full schedule. “We somehow managed to maintain it for a few months with our limited staff, but it is a huge area for sweeping and cleaning. So we issued a regular maintenance contract,” said a civic official.

Besides, the lighting and sound systems need regular check-up and maintenance. So we issued a regular maintenance contract,” said a civic official.

The maintenance cost does not include electricity and water bills, which will be paid by the BMC. The maintenance contract of Rs 38.40 lakh was issued in October for six months.
The Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Auditorium was started in 1963 as an open-air theatre, where artistes performed Marathi folk art like Lavani and Bharud. Located adjacent to Byculla zoo, the shows caused disturbance to the animals, because of which performances stopped after 1985.

The BMC finally pulled down the theatre in 2015 to build a closed auditorium, so that the animals at the zoo do not suffer. The auditorium, which was back then estimated to be built in two-and-a-half years, was ready seven years later at the cost of Rs 35 crore.
The delay in its reopening drags on. Former CM Uddhav Thackeray was supposed to inaugurate the theatre in the last week of June, but his government collapsed. Since then, the BMC attempted twice to get CM Eknath Shinde’s appointment for its inauguration, but in vain. Officials said Shinde has not been able to give time because of his busy schedule.

“Once inaugurated, it will be used not only for folk art but can be used for dramas and contemporary performances also,” said an official.
Shinde was unavailable for comment until the time of going to the press.

Rs 38.40
Total amount in lakhs that the BMC will spend on maintenance over 6 months

1963
Year the theatre was first started

disaster

Mumbai’s Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sudhakar Pathare, who was posted in the Port Zone, passed away in a road accident on Saturday.

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Pathare had visited Hyderabad for training. He was on his way to visit a temple with a relative when the accident occurred. Both Pathare and his relative lost their lives in the crash.

Mumbai Police have been informed about the incident.

More details are awaited.

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Maharashtra

Order to demolish the tomb of Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Baba in Mira Bhayander

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Mumbai: The state government has issued an order to demolish the four hundred year old dargah of Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Peer Rahmatullah Alaih located in Mira Bhayander. Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation has sent a letter to the collector declaring this dargah illegal and ordered action against it. As the dargah is located on forest land, communalists had started demanding the demolition of the dargah. In the House, Darranjan Daukhre had also demanded action against the dargah, after which now the state government has ordered to run a bulldozer on the dargah. An order has also been issued to remove and demolish the dargah by May.

Dargah trustee Amjad Sheikh said that this dargah is ancient and this order is illegal in itself. In this case, communal forces had launched a campaign against the dargah, after which this order was issued.

There is a dargah on the beach and citing the threat of terrorist and illegal activities and the presence of terrorists here, there was a demand to demolish the dargah. The dargah is close to the sea and in such a situation, the threat of a terrorist attack on Mumbai from the sea has been expressed, while the dargah administration has clearly denied this and said that communal organizations are running their agenda against the dargah and there is no such threat. Muslims have opposed this decision of the government and Muslims have also expressed their displeasure and anger over it.

The trustee says that this dargah is ancient and earlier the collector and the municipal corporation had given a notice, after which the illegal shed and other premises were demolished here and the dargah administration has taken this action at its own level. Now an order has been issued to demolish the dargah itself.

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Maharashtra

Haji Ali Dargah will be closed for pilgrims for a few hours on Eid due to rising sea level

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Mumbai: Due to rising sea level at Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai, the dargah will be closed for pilgrims for a few hours on Eid. On March 31, the dargah will be closed for pilgrims from 12 noon to 3 pm. During this time, entry of pilgrims to the dargah will be restricted. The dargah will be closed on Tuesday, April 1 from 12:45 pm to 3:45 pm and on Wednesday, April 2 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

Therefore, we have appealed to the pilgrims not to gather at the dargah during these hours. This information has been released by Tahir, administrative officer of Haji Ali Dargah. Pilgrims visit Haji Ali Dargah on Eid-Basi and Tiwasi, but due to the rising water level of the sea, water gets accumulated on the way to the Dargah and entry to the Dargah is prohibited and the gate of the Dargah remains closed during these days, due to which there is a lot of crowd there. Therefore, pilgrims have been requested to come to the Dargah only at the scheduled time.

The police also remains vigilant at the Dargah during the rising sea level, as there is a crowd of pilgrims here during Eid and festivals. The Haji Ali Dargah administration has said that on the occasion of Eid, lakhs of pilgrims visit the Dargah of Haji Ali (RahmatullahAlaih). These pilgrims include pilgrims from the country and abroad, so the Dargah administration has also claimed special security arrangements on Eid. Spiritual scenes are also seen at Haji Ali Dargah during Eid prayers.

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