Connect with us
Tuesday,29-July-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Post-polls, BJP unleashes ‘monster’ of fuel price hikes: Shiv Sena

Published

on

Attacking the Centre over the spiralling inflation, Shiv Sena on Thursday said Bharatiya Janata Party has unleashed the ‘monster’ of fuel prices hike to bulldoze the common masses after the Assembly elections ended in five states this month.

Prior to the elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab, the Centre had decided to defer any hikes in prices of fuel or cooking, but after the polls, the BJP has revealed its true colours.

“The Opposition parties had even warned that the situation would change after the elections… But the government raked up issues like ‘hijab’, ‘Pakistan’, ‘Hindu-Muslims’, etc., and blocked the minds of the people who voted overwhelmingly for the BJP,” said the Sena.

In sharp edits in the party newspapers ‘Saamana’ and ‘Dopahar Ka Saamana’, the Sena said that after the polls, the government has resorted to the old adage, “once our work is done, the need is over” and uncorked the demons of fuel price hikes on the unsuspecting masses.

“Even if the people are jolted awake now, what’s the use… Once their votes are taken, their utility is also over, at least for the time being… The Opposition’s apprehensions on this count proved to be true,” said the edits.

The Sena pointed at the latest series of hikes of petrol-diesel, and also domestic cooking gas cylinders (14 kg) touching nearly Rs 1,000, and commercial gas cylinders (19 kg) at almost Rs 2,000.

The voters in the four states ‘donated’ power to the BJP which has reciprocated with a ‘gift’ of inflation by snatching away whatever money was left in the peoples’ pockets.

“This has been the policy of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi… When elections are due, fuel prices are kept on hold, once the polling is over, they hike rates in an inhuman manner on the public,” slammed the Sena.

Simultaneously it plays a cruel joke on the citizens claiming that despite 137 day of spiralling crude oil prices in the global markets, they “did a favour” by not effecting a fuel price hike.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman even said that her government was more successful in checking inflation compared with the previous UPA government, but blamed the latest hikes on the Russia-Ukraine war.

The government even announced that it had managed to procure cheaper fuel from Russia though the global prices were skyrocketing, yet it crushed the people with the increase in prices of fuels here since the election season is over, said the Sena.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra COVID-19 Update: 6 New Cases Reported, 1 Death In Nashik Due To Comorbidities

Published

on

Mumbai: Maharashtra reported six new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and one death over the past week, the state’s Public Health Department said. A 79-year-old man from Nashik with multiple comorbidities succumbed to the infection, taking the state’s COVID-19 death toll for 2025 to 43.

Fresh Infections Logged

According to the department, the new cases reported on July 29 include two from Mumbai and one each from Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Kalyan municipal corporations.

Single Fatality

The deceased, who passed away on July 24 in Nashik, had a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and had undergone Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA), the department noted.

City Tally Climbs

Mumbai’s COVID-19 tally for 2025 now stands at 1,091 cases, with 551 cases reported in June and 99 recorded so far in July. Since January, Maharashtra has recorded a total of 2,726 COVID-19 cases, with 2,650 patients having recovered.

A total of 41,872 COVID-19 tests have been conducted across the state since the beginning of the year.

Ongoing Vigilance

During a recent state-level COVID-19 review meeting, health officials were directed to ensure regular surveillance of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases. As per the guidelines, 5% of ILI patients and all SARI patients must be tested for COVID-19, with all positive samples sent for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS).

All public health institutions, government medical colleges, and municipal hospitals have been instructed to keep COVID-19 testing and treatment facilities ready and updated. The health department has urged citizens to remain vigilant and continue following preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Mumbai Eyes Pedestrian Subway Network To Boost Metro Line 3 Connectivity; 1-Km Link Planned Connecting Acharya Atre Chowk Station To Mahalaxmi Racecourse

Published

on

Mumbai: As Mumbai gears up for the full launch of Metro Line 3 in August, city planners are shifting focus from just underground transit to creating a seamless pedestrian experience above and below the ground. Officials are now envisioning a citywide network of pedestrian subways that will connect commuters directly from Metro stations to key urban destinations, offices, malls, parks and even the coastline.

Key Meeting Held Between Top Infra Bodies & BMC

In a key development, senior officials from the BMC, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and Indian Railways met at the BMC headquarters on Monday evening to discuss last-mile connectivity solutions. The meeting focused on integrating pedestrian infrastructure with the expanding Metro system, particularly around Metro Line 3 stations.

Metro Line 3, also known as the Aqua Line, is Mumbai’s first fully underground metro corridor. It currently operates from Aarey to Acharya Atre Chowk in Worli and is already serving around 60,000 passengers daily. Once fully operational, the 33.5-km line will connect 27 stations, stretching from Aarey in the north to Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai. It will traverse key commercial and transport nodes such as Mumbai Central, Mahalaxmi, Churchgate, CSMT and BKC.

One of the first pedestrian integration projects in the pipeline is a 1-kilometre-long subway connecting the Acharya Atre Chowk station to the Mahalaxmi Racecourse and the Coastal Road parking hub at Haji Ali. A 160-metre side arm is also being planned to provide access to nearby open spaces. BMC and MMRCL have been working on its alignment since June.

The meeting was primarily about identifying nodal agencies that will lead such pedestrian infrastructure projects,” the official added. A senior official confirmed that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be drafted within the next four months.

Mega Plan For Subways Around Key Metro Stations

The broader vision includes building pedestrian subways within a 500-metre to 1-kilometre radius of major Metro stations, particularly in high-density zones like malls, corporate parks and business hubs. Equipped with escalators and elevators, these subways aim to be accessible to all, encouraging walking, easing traffic congestion, and redefining Mumbai as a more connected and commuter-friendly city.

If successfully implemented, this pedestrian network could become a game-changer in urban mobility and last-mile connectivity for Mumbai.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Ladki Bahin Yojana: 26.34 Lakh Ineligible People Temporarily Suspended Due To Suspicion Of Fraud

Published

on

State governments and the Central government have introduced schemes to improve the economic condition of women. Similarly, the Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is being run in Maharashtra. Under this scheme, financial assistance of Rs 1,500 is provided every month to eligible women beneficiaries.

Ladki Bahin Scheme Fraud

So far, 12 instalments of this scheme have been released. Meanwhile, a scam has been revealed in the Ladki Bahin scheme in Maharashtra. This has created a stir in the state. Many men are also benefiting from this scheme. Now the government is preparing to recover money from ineligible people.

State Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkar has issued a statement saying that during the verification it was found that people are taking advantage of the scheme despite being ineligible. In such a situation, the state government has removed 26.34 lakh ineligible people from the scheme. Let us tell you that in June 2024, the Maharashtra government launched the Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Behen Yojana, intending to promote the economic independence of women in the state.

Under this scheme, eligible women between 21 and 65 years of age in Maharashtra are provided financial assistance of Rs 1,500 every month. Aditi Tatkar said on the social media platform X that investigation revealed that some beneficiaries were taking advantage of multiple schemes. Some families had more than two beneficiaries. In some cases, even men had applied for this scheme. She further said that the Women and Child Development Department had sought information from all government departments to check the eligibility of all applications. The Information and Technology Department said that about 26.34 lakh beneficiaries are taking advantage of this scheme despite being ineligible.

How Many Accounts Were Suspended?

The accounts of 26.34 lakh ineligible people have been temporarily suspended. Apart from this, about 2.25 crore eligible beneficiaries have received the installment for June 2025.

Investigation Of Suspended Accounts

The district officer of the respective district will investigate the accounts of those whose accounts have been suspended. If they are found eligible in the verification, then the suspended accounts will start getting benefits again. It is being said that the state government can take strict action against those who take advantage by giving wrong information.

Can All Women Participate In Ladki Bahin Scheme?

This scheme has been implemented only for women between the ages of 21 and 65. To take advantage of this scheme, women must be residents of Maharashtra. To join this scheme, one has to apply online. All married, unmarried, divorced women can take advantage of this scheme. To take advantage of the scheme, it is very important for women to have an account in a bank. At the same time, the annual income of the woman’s family should not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh. This scheme does not apply to those women who are taking advantage of any other government scheme.

Continue Reading

Trending