Puttaparthi (Andhra Pradesh), Nov 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid obeisance to Sri Sathya Sai Baba at Prasanthi Nilayam and Mahasamadhi in this town in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Sathya Sai district.

He performed special pujas at the golden statue of Sri Sathya Sai Baba amid chanting of Vedic hymns by a group of priests in Sai Kulwant Hall.

Later, as part of the centenary celebrations of Sathya Sai Baba, the Prime Minister participated in the ‘godanam (gift of cows)’ programme. He handed over cows to four farmers.

The priests offered their blessings to the Prime Minister, who later participated in the centenary celebrations along with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Central Ministers Ram Mohan Naidu, G. Kishan Reddy, Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma and state Minister Nara Lokesh.

Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust Managing Trustee RJ Rathnakar and others were present.

Earlier, on arrival at Puttaparthi Airport, the Prime Minister was accorded a warm welcome by Chief Minister Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and other leaders and top officials.

The centenary celebrations began with a colourful cultural programme. Hundreds of students from the educational institutions run by Sathya Sai Central Trust participated in the programme.

The Prime Minister will also release a commemorative coin and a set of stamps honouring the life, teachings, and enduring legacy of Sathya Sai Baba. He will also address the gathering during the programme.

Before he arrived in Puttaparthi, the Prime Minister paid respects to Sathya Sai Baba through a post on ‘X’.

“His life and efforts towards community service and the spiritual awakening of society remain a guiding light for generations. I have had various opportunities to interact with him and learn from him over the years. Here are some glimpses from our interactions…,” wrote the PM, who posted his photographs taken with the godman on different occasions in the past.

New Delhi, Nov 19: In a coordinated operation, the South-West District Police solved a robbery case within 48 hours, arresting two men who allegedly targeted a commuter in the Vasant Kunj area.

According to a press release issued by the district police on Wednesday, the accused, both 22 years old and residents of Mahipalpur, were tracked down through extensive CCTV analysis and sustained field efforts.

The incident took place on November 14 when a PCR call alerted PS Vasant Kunj South about a robbery. Police officials rushed to the spot where the complainant, identified as K.K. from Gurugram, reported that two men forcibly snatched his phone and made him transfer Rs 1,500 from his account before fleeing.

A case under FIR No. 471/2025 was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and investigation began immediately.

Given the seriousness of the crime, a specialised team led by Sub Inspector Ravi Malik and comprising Head Constable Naveen, HC Nemi Chand, Constable Harish and Woman Constable Suman was formed to track the culprits. The team combed through CCTV footage across multiple routes, including NH-48, Vasant Kunj Road and Mahipalpur Road. Their efforts led them to Ashish, one of the suspects, who was subsequently detained.

Police said Ashish confessed during interrogation that he and his associate Abhishek Dixit, also known as Golu, had committed the robbery. Acting on this information, a follow-up search operation resulted in the arrest of Abhishek from a wooded area near Arjun Camp.

Both men worked in Mahipalpur hotels on a commission basis, according to the press release. One of them, Ashish, is a drug user, while Abhishek is illiterate.

The police recovered the robbed iPhone SE and the clothes the accused were allegedly wearing during the robbery. “Further investigation is in progress,” the press release issued by Amit Goel, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South-West District, stated.

Mumbai: Nearly seven months after floating a tender for a service-based waste-management system covering outsourced cleaning and transportation across 21 administrative wards, the BMC has received four bids for the Rs. 4,000-crore contract. However, all bids are 32–34% higher than the civic body’s estimated cost, raising fresh concerns over project feasibility and budget escalation.

The financial bids were opened on Tuesday. Participating companies include AG Enviro, Prime, Metro Waste Management, and Delhi Waste Management. The tender is divided into eight groups. According to the civic circular, contracts over Rs. 250 crore exceeding the estimate by more than 10% cannot be negotiated and require re-tendering. Officials indicated a re-tender is likely due to unexpectedly high bids.

Under the new service-based model, a single agency will manage both waste collection and transportation using high-capacity, colour-coded vehicles 10–15% of which will be electric. The agency will also handle maintenance, movement, and management of waste bins, aiming for a more streamlined and efficient system.

The BMC labour union protested, citing fears of job losses. After assurances that existing jobs would be protected, the contract proceeded to the bidding stage.

Mumbai generates approximately 6,900 metric tonnes of waste daily, managed using around 1,334 vehicles. While the BMC owns some vehicles, most are supplied by private contractors. Currently, the BMC operates on a hiring-based contract model for vehicles, while waste collection and processing are handled directly. Only wards L (Kurla), M East (Govandi), and M West (Chembur) rely primarily on municipal vehicles due to proximity to the Kanjur Marg and Deonar dumping grounds.