Mumbai: The Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), Maharashtra South Zone has submitted its recommendations to the state government for the 2026-27 budget. The report calls for a planned systemic change in the education sector, urging the Maharashtra government to allocate at least 20% of the total budget expenditure for education to ensure the constitutional values ​​of equity and inclusive development.

Despite Maharashtra’s rapid economic growth, the report highlights the lack of development opportunities for the Muslim community. Citing decades of data from the Sachar, Kundu, and Mahmud-ur-Rehman committees, it has been observed that Muslims often lag behind Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in key human development indicators, especially in urban and backward districts.

Key points and recommendations:

1. Education Crisis in Urdu Primary Schools

The report reveals a clear disparity in student retention: Only 10 out of every 100 students in Urdu medium schools reach the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) level, while the number is 27 in Marathi medium schools.

SIO Demands:

Infrastructure Development: The state government should address the fact that 9.1% of these schools lack boys’ toilets and 6.9% lack girls’ toilets.

Teacher Retention: Special attention should be paid to urgent recruitment and regularization of contract teachers to address the student-teacher ratio.

2. Addressing the Shortage of Digital and Other Resources

Currently, only 7% of Urdu medium schools have computer laboratories and the computer-to-student ratio is 81:1, SIO demands dedicated funding for smart classrooms and AI-powered learning tools.

3. Reforms in Secondary and Higher Education

To prevent dropouts at the transition stage, SIO suggests:

Extension of RTE Act: The age limit of Right to Education (RTE) Act should be extended to 18 years.

New Institutions: A Central University should be established in Maharashtra to maintain the quality of education and a Higher Education Regulatory Authority should be set up.

Career Opportunities: Vocational exposure at the upper primary stage and career counselling cells should be introduced in all junior colleges.

4. Financial Aid and Minority Welfare

The organization demands the government to increase the scholarship allocation to fill the gap left by the closure of MANF and pre-matric scholarships, while ensuring timely and transparent distribution to economically weaker families.

5. Urban Development

Beyond the classroom, SIO proposes special interventions in minority-centric areas, including public parks, libraries, student centres and better sanitation management, etc.

In this regard, SIO South Maharashtra President Uzair Ahmed Rangrez said, “The 2026-27 budget is a major opportunity to correct long-standing regional and social imbalances. We are not just asking for funding, we are asking for a roadmap for social justice. By prioritizing these recommendations, the government can ensure that every citizen is included in the ‘Maharashtra Development Agenda’, regardless of the region they come from or the language they speak.” This was informed here today by
Awais Siddiqui
State Secretary, Public Relations
SIO, South Maharashtra.

The Mumbai Municipal Corporation has issued attachment notices under Section 203 to major defaulters who are reluctant to pay tax within the stipulated period and who do not pay property tax despite having financial capacity. If the tax is not paid within the stipulated period, as per the provisions of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, the said property will first be seized and auctioned under Sections 204, 205, 206. If the tax is not collected from it even then, the property will be auctioned under Section 206, the notice clarified.

Property tax is the main source of income of the Municipal Corporation. Property tax must be deposited with the Municipal Corporation within 90 days of receipt of property tax payment. If the tax is not paid during this period, the Municipal Corporation initiates step-by-step action. Officers of the Tax Assessment and Collection Department of the Municipal Corporation follow up for payment of property tax by directly contacting and contacting them. If the property tax is still not paid, a ‘demand letter’ is sent. In the next stage, a final notice of 21 days is given to the property holder. After this, action like seizure of the property of the defaulters, auction etc. is taken. To achieve the objective of recovery of property tax in Mumbai city and suburbs, various efforts are being made by the Tax Assessment and Collection Department under the leadership of Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi and under the guidance of Joint Commissioner (Tax Assessment and Collection) Shri Vishwas Shankarwar. For this, awareness and appeals are being made among the public through various media. Online facility is available to the citizens to avoid inconvenience in paying taxes. Information in this regard is available on the website of the Municipal Corporation https://www.mcgm.gov.in. Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi has appealed that taxpayers should use the information available on the municipal corporation website to pay tax online. However, since some large arrears are still not paying tax and they are not getting proper response despite being informed from time to time, the Tax Assessment and Collection Department has issued attachment notices. This includes the arrears along with the penalty amount. The auction will be conducted as per the provisions of the Municipal Corporation Act. Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Joshi has appealed to the property owners who have received the notices to pay tax immediately to avoid action.

*List of ‘Top 20’ property owners who were followed up for tax payment on February 13, 2026-

1) Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (H-West Division) – Rs. 63 crore 21 lakh 40 thousand 591

2) M/s Rajahans Associates (S Division) – Rs. 46 crore 05 lakh 27 thousand 065

3) M/s Vimal Associates (K-East Division) – Rs. 39 crore 09 lakh 85 thousand 085

4) National Industrial Corporation (S Division) – Rs. 10 crore 36 lakh 81 thousand 048

5) National Industrial Corporation (S Division) – Rs. Rs 102,078,589

6) Yashwant N Jadhav SSV Realtors (N Section) – Rs 994,70,145

7) Ambika Silk Mills (G South Section) – Rs 964,90,982

8) Maharashtra Government Occupier Sushil Kumar Sambhaji Shinde Pratishthan (H East Section) – Rs 879,29,948

9) The Victoria Mills Limited, Plaza Panchsheel Mills (D Section) – Rs 876,68,006

10) National Industrial Corporation (S Section) – Rs 808,70,328

11) Mohammad Yusuf Khan (L Section) – Rs 764,89,036

12) A.H. Wadia Trust Skylink Developers (H East Section) – Rs. 7.56 crore 78 thousand 272

13) Mehranisa Muhammad Sahib Khatib (B Division) – Rs. 7 crore 33 lakh 80 thousand 711

14) The New Sun Mail Com Limited Shubham Fabric (G South Division) – Rs. 7 crore 19 lakh 30 thousand 047

15) Jay Mata The Construction (M West Division) – Rs. 5 crore 79 lakh 35 thousand 563

16) Transcon Triumph Phase 2 Private Limited (K West Division) – Rs. 5 crore 78 lakh 10 thousand 552

17) Transcon Triumph Phase 2 Private Limited (K West Division) – Rs. 5 crore 56 lakh 55 thousand 897

18) National Industrial Corporation (S Division) – Rs. 5 crore 35 lakh 18 thousand 138

19) Elco Arcade Cooperative Housing Society D Wing (H West Division) – Rs. 48.112 crores 046 thousand

20) Golden Royal Talkies (D Section) – Rs. 42.267 crores 041 thousand 415 thousand

Guwahati, Feb 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated a fleet of 50 modern electric buses for Bhavnagar on Saturday as part of the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme, marking a further expansion of sustainable urban transport in India.

The buses were flagged off under the national scheme to promote clean and sustainable public transport, during the Prime Minister’s visit to Assam where he inaugurated projects worth over Rs 5,450 crore.

Bhavnagar is the first city in Gujarat to receive buses under the initiative, with 50 vehicles handed over on the day and plans for a total of 100 to serve the city’s residents.

The air-conditioned buses are equipped with facilities to assist passengers with disabilities and include CCTV cameras to enhance commuter safety.

Under the scheme’s roll-out in Gujarat, a total of 750 electric buses are expected to be deployed across eight cities in the state.

In addition to Bhavnagar, allocations include 250 buses in Vadodara, 100 each in Rajkot and Gandhinagar, 50 each in Jamnagar and Junagadh, 80 in Gandhidham and 20 in Navsari.

The Gujarat Urban Development Mission (GUDM) has been appointed the state nodal agency for implementation by the Urban Development and Urban Housing Department.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen India’s public transport infrastructure and reduce carbon emissions in urban mobility.

In Gujarat, infrastructure and technical facilities to support electric bus operations are being advanced, reflecting a coordinated push towards clean transport solutions.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi made a historic landing at the region’s first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Moran Bypass in Dibrugarh district aboard an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft.

The 4.2 kilometres reinforced stretch of National Highway-37 was inaugurated as a strategic dual-use runway capable of accommodating military and civilian aircraft during emergencies.

Officials said it will enhance defence preparedness, logistics and disaster response capacity in the region.

Prime Minister Modi also witnessed an aerial display by Indian Air Force fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters following the landing.