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

General

Mumbai News: Amenities Still Out of Bounds on Samruddhi Mahamarg

Published

on

Mumbai: Seven months after Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway or Samruddhi Mahamarg was inaugurated, wayside amenities and food courts remain out of public reach. Having such passenger-friendly amenities helps in ensuring overall accident cases are reduced.

A senior Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) official confirmed that there has been a delay in rolling out amenities for expressway users. “Already a few iterations were made to the tender document,” the official shared. The plan is to have 16 food courts along the Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, eight on each side of the corridor.

On an average, there will be a food court every 80-90km. Gradually, the number may be increased in the years to follow depending on the increase in vehicular traffic.

Just one agency filled tender yet

In December, such facilities would take six months to be established on the 701km long expressway connecting the western coast of the country with Central India. Earlier this year, the MSRDC had invited bids to set the ball rolling. However, only one agency has shown its willingness to provide food courts, public conveniences and auxiliary facilities.

With only one private agency showing interest, the response will be tabled in front of the chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. “The Board will decide whether to go ahead with the only bid received or go in for re-tendering,” said another MSRDC official. Through such facilities, MSRDC is looking at earning a minimum of Rs235.40 crore, the reserve price as ‘Highest Upfront Lease Premium’ from the private player who will be given the rights to manage the facilities.

According to transport experts, having such facilities at regular intervals helps motorists take break while driving long distances, which in turn results in them re-fueling their respective vehicles and adjusting tyre pressure. Additionally, the stopover also leads to a break from the monotony of driving on the expressway that barely has any turns. Otherwise, it leads to driving road hypnosis, which can prove fatal. Until these come up, the motorists will have to exit the expressway in between and scout for the best available eatery or dhabas and re-enter to continue the remainder of the journey.

Since its inauguration in December up to April 30, 39 people have lost their lives and 143 suffered various degrees of injuries in the 358 accidents, as per the statistics available with State Highway Police. They have blamed road hypnosis as one of the prime causes of these mishaps.

In December, 520km between Nagpur and Shirdi was made open. In May, another 80km was inaugurated. Now, only 10km stretch between Bharvir and near Thane is left, which is likely to be ready later this year.

POINTS:

Inaugurated in Dec 2022

Food courts still out of public reach

Plan to have 16 food courts

Eight on each side of corridor

Food court at every 80-90km

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