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Maharashtra

Roll back Agnipath scheme, Punjab assembly adopts resolution

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Led by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Thursday passed a resolution urging the Union government to roll back the Agnipath scheme in the larger interest of the country.

Moving a resolution in the House, amidst protest by two BJP members, the Chief Minister read that the unilateral announcement of the government of India to introduce the Agnipath scheme in the armed forces has witnessed widespread reactions across the country, including Punjab.

“The Punjab Vidhan Sabha strongly feels that the scheme where youth will be employed in armed forces only for a period of four years and out of which only 25 per cent will be retained is neither in the interest of national security nor of the youth of this country,” he said.

Mann further said, “this policy is likely to create dissatisfaction among the youth who wish to serve the armed forces of the nation throughout their life”.

The Chief Minister reminded the House that more than one lakh soldiers from Punjab serve the armed forces and a large number of them sacrifice their lives at the altar of their motherland while safeguarding the borders of the country every year.

He apprised the House that the youth of Punjab, known across the globe for their traits of valour and courage, consider it a matter of pride and privilege for them to serve their motherland by joining the armed forces.

However, Mann bemoaned that this scheme has crushed the ambitions of several youths of Punjab who have been aspiring to join the armed forces as regular soldiers.

The Chief Minister envisioned that the scheme also has the propensity to weaken the long standing espirit de corps of the armed forces. “The Vidhan Sabha urges the Union government to roll back the Agnipath Scheme immediately,” read the resolution moved by the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, training his guns at the BJP-led NDA government for this whimsical move, the Chief Minister, while participating in the debate, dared the BJP leaders to enroll their own sons as Agniveers before supporting this anti-youth move.

He said that those who are advocating this move should set an example by sending their sons first in the Army under the scheme.

Mann said in this way they will get a fresh young lot of Agniveers who will be saluting their leaders in their office, after a service of four years.

The Chief Minister asked the BJP leaders to explain how will the country combat its infiltrators and enemies with an ‘army on rent’.

He cautioned them that this move will prove fatal for the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country in the coming times.

Opposing the resolution, BJP member Ashwani Sharma said it is nothing but doing politics on the security of the country. The scheme was wrongly interpreted. “It is rather aimed at instilling discipline, skilling and patriotism in the youth,” he said.

Congress Legislature Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa, while supporting the resolution, said the Agnipath scheme is fraught with danger. He said a majority of the retired army officers were opposing the scheme.

Crime

Mumbai: Irfan Edenwala arrested on charges of fraud and preparing fake documents, including under the Arms Act

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CRIME

Mumbai; The Mumbai Police has claimed to have arrested a youth who had cheated the police and administration by producing fake licenses and clearance certificates and had obtained fake police clearance certificates on Nagaland license. At Khar Police Station, Mumbai, a person named Faiz Irfan Edenwala, aged 36, illegally renewed his arms license from Nagaland using fake police clearance certificates and illegally kept firearms on the said arms license. He has also not submitted information about the said firearms in his possession to the Mumbai Police Commissionerate. Therefore, a case has been registered against him at Khar Police Station under sections 465, 467, 471, 474 IPC as well as sections 3, 25(1) (a), 30 of the Arms Act, 1959.

The accused named Faiz Irfan was arrested in the said crime on today as the investigation revealed that he was directly involved in the crime.

The said arrested accused was produced in the 9th Court, Bandra (East), Mumbai on May 30 and the Hon’ble Court remanded the said accused in police custody till June 2. Further investigation into the said crime is underway.

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Maharashtra

Eviction action against around 250 unauthorized structures in Powai’s Phuket Nagar and Malind Nagar areas

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A joint eviction operation was carried out by the ‘S’ Administrative Division (Ward) and the Water Engineering Department of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation on about 250 unauthorized structures on the land of the Water Engineering Department located in the Phuket Nagar and Malind Nagar areas of Powai. This operation was conducted under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner (Zone 6) Shinus Kumar Dhunde. and led by Assistant Commissioner Samiti. Samreen Sayyad was also present. The operation was taken after observing a large number of unauthorized structures on government land in the said area. This campaign is being implemented in a planned manner with the aim of clearing the concerned land from encroachments and protecting it. About 150 police personnel, around 50 engineering officers and employees of the ‘S’ Department and Water Engineers Department and 200 labourers were deployed for this operation. This operation was also carried out with the help of 7 JCBs, 10 dumpers and other small cargo vehicles. During the operation, the unauthorized structures are being removed and the area is being completely cleared. As soon as the process of removing encroachments is completed, the work of fencing the relevant area will also be started immediately and necessary security measures are being taken to prevent further encroachments. Meanwhile, the administration has clarified that action against encroachments on government and municipal-owned areas will continue regularly.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Municipal Corporation has given three months to the concerned agencies to improve the quality of facilities provided in public toilets.

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The Mumbai Municipal Corporation is always ready to provide clean, safe and dignified public toilet facilities to the citizens. It has been found that these facilities are lacking in some places in North Mumbai. Therefore, the organizations operating public toilets on the ‘pay and use’ principle have been given a deadline of three months to improve the quality of the facilities. It has been warned that action will be taken against the organizations that do not improve within the stipulated period. In line with the vision of Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and MP from North Mumbai Piyush Goyal for clean, safe and citizen-friendly public toilets, a review meeting of the organizations operating ‘pay and use’ public toilets in North Mumbai was held today (30th May, 2026) at the Zone 7 office. The meeting was chaired by Ganesh Khankar, Leader of the House, Mumbai Municipal Corporation. The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Kiran Dighavkar, Deputy Commissioner (Zone 7) Manish Valenju, Corporator Siddhant Sharma, Assistant Commissioner (R South), Assistant Commissioner (R Central) Praful Tambe, officers of the Solid Waste Management and Maintenance Department as well as representatives of organizations operating various public toilets were also present.

It has been observed that there is a need for improvement in the basic amenities, cleanliness and maintenance of public toilets. Leader of the House

Ganesh Khankar expressed the view that such public toilets need to be improved immediately.
All toilet operators were directed to complete the work of replacing broken commodes, fittings and other equipment, repairing broken doors and windows, repairing damaged tiles and cladding, painting and beautification in the next three months and bring necessary improvements in the standards of cleanliness and maintenance.

In addition, it has been made mandatory to implement a citizen feedback system in all public toilets, maintain a record of cleaning every hour, conduct a deep cleaning campaign at least once a week and install an IoT-based odor monitoring system to control odor. Assistant Commissioners of the concerned departments have been directed to issue notices to all institutions and regularly review the improvement work. It was also clarified in the meeting that the contracts of institutions that do not bring the expected improvements within a period of three months will be suspended or cancelled and alternative institutions will be appointed in their place.

The Leader of the House said that this campaign is being run with the aim of improving the quality of public toilets and providing citizens with cleaner, safer, and more dignified facilities.

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