Mumbai, July 2: In a milestone move for India’s agricultural landscape, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Thursday witnessed the discussion on the landmark ‘Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill-2026’. Welcoming and supporting the Bill, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar hailed it as a historic step towards providing justice, identity and rights to women farmers who form the backbone of the state’s agrarian economy.

Speaking during the Assembly debate, Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar emphasised that Maharashtra has become the first state in India to introduce such legislation.

“This Bill is not just a piece of law; it is historic justice for the hard work, dignity and rights of every woman farmer who breathes life into our soil and firmly supports Maharashtra’s economy. It is set to transform the lives of millions of women across the state,” she stated.

Drawing from her personal background as a daughter of a farming family, the Deputy Chief Minister shared her close experience of the hardships of farming, the unpredictability of nature and rural life.

She pointed out that despite working shoulder-to-shoulder with men in tasks ranging from sowing, animal husbandry, dairy, poultry and fisheries to post-harvest processing, women have historically never been recognised as official ‘farmers’. Due to the lack of land ownership, women have long been excluded from various government benefits.

Addressing this gap, the Deputy CM explained a key feature of the new law. She said the ‘Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill-2026’ establishes a woman’s actual participation in farming, rather than land ownership, as the primary criterion for granting her an official ‘Woman Farmer Certificate’.

The Deputy Chief Minister clarified that this certificate will finally grant millions of women an official identity, paving the way for easier access to government agricultural schemes and training, crop insurance, institutional credit, market access, skill development and entrepreneurship opportunities.

To ensure that the Bill does not remain a mere declaration but translates into meaningful action, a robust institutional framework will be established. This includes a dedicated Women Farmers Database, a Women Farmers Empowerment Cell, specialised assistance officers, a state-level monitoring committee and a dedicated Women Farmers Fund.

Addressing potential concerns, DCM Sunetra Pawar categorically reassured the House that the Bill does not alter, amend or interfere with any existing land ownership, inheritance or succession laws. Its sole purpose is to provide legal and institutional recognition to women’s immense contribution to agriculture.

Highlighting the Mahayuti government’s commitment to women’s welfare, the Deputy CM listed ongoing initiatives such as the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, Lek Ladki Yojana, Pink Rickshaw Scheme and the Nav Tejaswini Rural Women’s Enterprise Development Scheme, alongside safety nets such as One Stop Centres and the Manodhairya Yojana.

“Maharashtra has historically led India in women’s education, cooperatives, political reservation and self-help groups. By legally recognising women farmers, Maharashtra is once again setting a pioneering example for the entire country,” she concluded, congratulating the Chief Minister, Agriculture Minister and the Agriculture Department for crafting this historic legislation.

Mumbai: After the administration removed the scrap, soap and oil factories illegally issued on government land in Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly constituency, the demand for public use of this vacant land has intensified. Local MLA Abu Asim Azmi strongly raised the issue in a high-level meeting chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

In the meeting, MLA Azmi strongly demanded that instead of the government’s proposal to set up a jail or a film industry on this vacant land, a degree college, a technical college and a sports complex be built for the development of the citizens of Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar and Govindi.

Special emphasis on girls’ education and Urdu Ghar
Shedding light on the social situation of the area, the MLA said that our area has a large minority population, many girls are unable to go to distant areas for higher education due to wearing burqa, so a special women’s college and a modern library for children should be built on this vacant land.” He also demanded the construction of the long-pending ‘Urdu Ghar’ for the promotion of Urdu language and literature.

Advocate for permanent office for Maharashtra State Haj Committee
Raising another important issue during the meeting, he said that the Maharashtra State Haj Committee currently does not have a permanent office and is working from various temporary locations. Since Haj pilgrims come to Mumbai from all over Maharashtra and the Mankhurdshivaji Nagar area is well connected by rail, road, Eastern Freeway and highways, the central office of the Maharashtra State Haj Committee should be built on this vacant land.

Azmi clarified that prioritizing education and sports facilities will benefit the youth of the region and It is very important for the empowerment of minorities. The Revenue Minister listened to these demands seriously and assured positive action.

Mumbai: On Thursday afternoon (July 2, 2026), while the Sewerage Operations Department of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation was installing a ‘safety net’ on a manhole along Khairani Marg in Kurla SakiNaka, a person died after falling into the manhole. Taking serious notice of the incident, Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide issued instructions to suspend Assistant Commissioner of ‘L’ Division Dhanji Harlekar, Assistant/Secondary Engineer (Maintenance, L Division) Deepak Chogole, Junior Engineer (Maintenance, L Division) Abhijeet Chogole, Assistant Engineer (Sewage Operations) Uttam Patil pending investigation.
The Commissioner has also ordered the blacklisting of the contractor concerned for negligence in the work regarding safety norms. A high-level inquiry has been constituted under the chairmanship of Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) to conduct a thorough investigation into this unfortunate incident and prevent such incidents from reoccurring in the municipal limits. The process of installing a ‘manhole protective net’ was going on at the Sewerage Operation Department along Khairani Marg in Kurla Sakinaka, in the ‘L’ division area of ​​the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. While this process was going on, it was seen that the contractor did not take any care of safety. At that time, Aslam Ishaq Sheikh (aged 55 years) was walking on the road while talking on his mobile phone. When Sheikh approached the manhole, people standing near the manhole tried to stop him by raising noise. However, unfortunately, Sheikh lost his balance and fell into the ‘manhole’. Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai Fire Department and employees reached the spot and tried their best to save him. However, unfortunately, the person lost his life. Taking serious note of the incident, Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has ordered an inquiry. In addition, Assistant Commissioner of the L Department Dhanji Harlekar, Assistant/Secondary Engineer Mr. Deepak Chogole, Junior Engineer Mr. Abhijeet Chogole, Assistant Engineer Mr. Uttam Patil have been suspended till the inquiry. The Commissioner has also ordered to blacklist the contractor concerned for negligence in safety. Mayor Ritu Tawde has announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh
High-level inquiry appointed
A high-level inquiry committee has been appointed under the chairmanship of Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident and suggest measures to prevent such incidents from happening again in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation area. The committee includes Deputy Commissioner (General Administration), Deputy Commissioner (Zone 7), Deputy Commissioner (Infrastructure). The inquiry committee has been ordered to submit a report within seven days.
Along with this, as a safety measure, instructions have been given once again that barriers should be installed on all sides while working on the entry of humans. In addition, 100% inspection of survey manholes in the municipal area should be done in the next eight days. Their safety should be ensured. All Additional Municipal Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners of all seven zones, Assistant Commissioners of 26 administrative divisions have been instructed to prepare a report in this regard.
However, as part of the pre-monsoon preparations, the Municipal Commissioner, Additional Municipal Commissioner held regular meetings of the officers of the Municipal Corporation from March 2026 and ordered all departments to install manhole nets.