Mumbai: To create a mass movement against drug addiction, a special campaign titled “Mumbai Against Drugs” will be launched from May 1 for a period of one year in Mumbai.

“The recent deaths caused by drug overdose are a serious warning that this issue cannot be resolved through police action alone. In this context, under the guidance of Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis ji, a comprehensive anti-drug mass movement is being launched by bringing together all sections of society. Through this initiative, we can build an effective fight against drug abuse,” said Mumbai BJP chief MLA Satam.

The decision was taken during a meeting held on Monday under the chairmanship of Mumbai Suburban Joint Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha and MLA Satam. The meeting was convened to outline and plan this campaign. Mumbai Suburban District Collector, police officials, sports officers, municipal officials, and representatives from various NGOs were also present in the meeting to plan the execution of the “Mumbai Against Drugs” campaign. 

MLA Satam further stated that this campaign will be implemented with the participation of schools, colleges, universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), religious institutions and major places of worship, resident welfare associations (RWAs), as well as prominent personalities from various fields (celebrities), parent-teacher associations (PTAs), various corporate establishments, and all government offices.

“The objective of this campaign is to create awareness against drug abuse, especially among the youth. Activities will be conducted in colleges, schools, educational institutions, and various establishments where young people are present. The initiative will focus on awareness generation, community engagement, and active public participation to combat drug abuse,” Satam added.

Mumbai: A video showing a young woman, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, creating a ruckus outside a wine shop in Mumbai Malvani area of Malad West has gone viral on social media. The incident reportedly stemmed from a payment dispute, and visuals also showed her scuffling with a woman police official who arrived at the scene.

The now-viral video, shared by Media on its official handle on X (formerly Twitter), shows the woman pushing and scuffling with the police official who tried to stop her.

The woman had reportedly arrived at the liquor shop in an intoxicated state to purchase alcohol. However, an argument soon broke out with the shop staff over payment, and she reportedly smashed a liquor bottle. As the situation went out of control, Malvani police were called in to manage the chaos.

The report further added that it took nearly an hour to bring her under control, after which she was taken to the police station. She was later taken to a hospital for a medical examination, which confirmed that she was under the influence of alcohol.

Meanwhile, in another case, the Pant Nagar police registered a case against two security guards for allegedly misusing a licensed firearm and violating provisions of the Arms Act. The accused, identified as Sunil Ramshankar Mishra, 51, and Sunil Pandey, 45, were found carrying and using a double-barrel gun and live cartridges for commercial purposes at a wedding venue in Ghatkopar East.

Mumbai: After facing sharp criticism from the Bombay HC over glaring gaps in its street vendors policy, the Maharashtra government has appointed a panel to draft a comprehensive and uniform scheme.

The move comes even as civic bodies intensify drives against illegal hawkers. An estimated 7 lakh legal and illegal street vendors operate within the limits of BMC, but only about 99,000 have been officially recognised as eligible under the current regulatory framework.

During the hearing of Writ Petition No. 3890/2021, the High Court on March 26 observed that the state’s 2017 scheme suffered from several critical omissions.

It failed to incorporate key provisions under Section 38 and Schedule II of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which mandate a comprehensive framework to safeguard livelihoods while regulating vending activities.

Schedule II lays down norms for surveys, issuance of vending certificates and identity cards, fee structures, revenue collection, and licence validity and renewal.

The court further noted that the scheme was silent on crucial aspects such as issuance of licences between survey cycles, eviction protocols, confiscation and return of goods, relocation of vendors, and social audits. Acting on these observations, the Urban Development Department has constituted a 12- member committee under the Commissioner of the Directorate of Municipal Administration.

The panel includes senior officials from municipal corporations in Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, along with representatives from Malegaon, Badlapur, Khamgaon, Alibag and Wada.

The Deputy Commissioner of the Directorate will serve as Member-Secretary. The committee has been given one month to submit its report. Its mandate includes reviewing gaps in the 2017 government resolution, aligning the revised scheme with statutory provisions, and drawing on best practices from other states.

Before final notification, the draft will be circulated among local bodies and Town Vending Committees (TVCs). Civic authorities have also been directed to constitute TVCs, conduct vendor surveys, and hold elections where necessary. Local bodies will consult TVCs and submit their feedback to the panel before the scheme is finalised.