Maharashtra
Supreme Court dismisses PIL seeking direction to designate BMC as sole planning authority for Mumbai
New Delhi, Dec 16: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a direction to the Urban Development Department of Maharashtra government to designate BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) as the sole and centralised planning and sanctioning authority for the city of Mumbai.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the petitioner, Earth, a non-government organisation, to approach the Bombay High Court.
Sensing the disclination of the apex court to entertain the plea, the petitioner’s counsel sought liberty to withdraw the PIL. Ultimately, the matter was dismissed as withdrawn by the apex court.
The PIL said that Section 40 of the Maharashtra Regional & Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966, which empowers the state government to appoint a Special Planning Authority (SPA) for notified areas, was enacted before the Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, effective June 1993.
“This amendment introduced Part IXA, titled ‘The Municipalities’ (Articles 243P to 243ZG along with Twelfth Schedule), establishing the framework for the constitution, composition, and responsibilities of Municipalities. However, Section 40 was not amended to explicitly define the roles, powers, and functions of a SPA concerning matters outlined in Schedule XII,” the plea added.
Despite this lack of clarity, the Urban Development Department proceeded to appoint multiple SPAs, which diluted the planning and sanctioning powers of BMC, contented the petition, adding that “this ambiguity has adversely affected BMC’s ability to address key issues in Schedule XII, including urban planning, land use regulation, building construction, road and bridge maintenance, and slum improvement”.
The PIL, filed through advocate Dilip Annasaheb Taur, said that the approach has hindered urban development and limited citizens’ access to amenities due to a lack of transparency and consistency in the approval processes of the SPAs, the transfer of public amenities, and the execution of the 18 responsibilities outlined in the Schedule XII.
“The insufficient transparency in transferring amenities to the BMC obstructs effective urban planning and negatively impacts residents, depriving them of essential services and facilities,” it said.
The BMC established under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act of 1888 (MMC Act), serves as both the governing civic body and the planning authority for Mumbai in accordance with the MRTP Act, 1966.
The petition said that the existence of multiple planning authorities (without a clear delineation of duties) has led to certain operational inefficiencies, and the planning and sanctioning process of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) is laced with “major deficiencies”.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Ajit Pawar’s plane crash investigation handed over to central agency, inquiry started after state government’s recommendation, agency in possession of black box

Mumbai: The investigation into the plane crash of the state’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar (Ajit Pawar Baramati plane crash) will now be conducted by a central agency. The Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has started an investigation into the accident and after receiving its report, it will be sent to the state government. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had written a letter to Union Aviation Minister Kanjrapu Ram Mohan Naidu requesting an investigation into the accident. After this, the Union Minister gave this information in a letter written to the Chief Minister.
The Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has started an investigation. The black box of the aircraft has been seized. An investigation has been started as per the Aircraft Accident and Incident Rules. This will be done in a transparent and time-bound manner.
All the technical records, operational details, facts available at the accident site are being investigated. The Ministry has taken note of our request to control such incidents in future and steps will be taken in this regard as soon as the investigation report comes. The cooperation of the Maharashtra government in this investigation will also be valuable for us. The local administration will help in this. We will also give this complete investigation report to the state government.
A very senior leader like Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash. Along with him, 4 others have also lost their lives in it. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had demanded that the exact reasons for this accident should be investigated. He also demanded in the letter that immediate steps be taken to ensure that such accidents do not happen in the future.
Ajit Pawar’s last rites
The last rites of the state’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were performed in a mournful atmosphere in Baramati. Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati yesterday. After which the entire state is in mourning. Ajit Pawar’s last rites were performed at the Vidya Pratishthan Ground in Baramati in the presence of lakhs of fans, supporters and leaders of all parties.
The untimely death of Ajit Pawar has shocked the entire state. Senior leaders of all parties including senior leader Sharad Pawar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, MNS President Raj Thackeray and others were present at the Vidya Pratishthan. Amidst the slogans of Ajit Dada Amar Rahe, Partha Pawar and Jay Pawar performed the last rites of Dada with tearful eyes. It seems that Dada’s departure has created a big void in the politics of the state.
Maharashtra
Three-day mourning on Ajit Pawar’s death, no order to close schools, tricolour to be hoisted from government offices

Mumbai: State Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Dada Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati yesterday morning. After this, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a three-day mourning. Due to this, a debate has started on whether there will be a three-day holiday in government, private and other schools in the state. After the state government announced mourning on the death of Ajit Pawar, the tricolor has been lowered on other government institutions including Mantralaya. The government has denied the closure of schools. The state government has given a clarification in this regard. According to the government, a holiday was announced for schools only on January 28. While schools will remain open as usual on January 29 and 30. There will be no holiday in schools.
One-day holiday
The state government has given a clarification in this regard. Accordingly, following the order of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, government offices and schools were given a holiday on January 28. After this, there is no order to keep schools closed on January 29 and 30, nor has any holiday order been issued. Parents and students have been appealed to contact the school administration. The decision of the school administration at the local level will also be important. Therefore, parents have been appealed to contact the school and teachers to get information about this.
Three-day political mourning
After the death of Ajit Pawar, the Maharashtra government has announced a three-day political mourning in the state. During this, all government offices in the state will remain closed on January 30. But schools and other educational institutions will function smoothly. Schools and institutions will function as usual. No government order has been given to grant them a holiday.
The state government has issued an official notification. Accordingly, the state’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar passed away on January 28, 2026. A three-day political mourning has been declared across Maharashtra in honour of the late leader. According to the notice, as per the instructions of the Maharashtra government, wherever the national flag is regularly hoisted in the state, it should be lowered. No official programme will be held during this period.
This rule is applicable to all districts of the state. Yesterday, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was coming from Mumbai to Baramati for the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti election campaign and four meetings. His plane met with a major accident before landing on the runway of the Baramati airport. The plane crashed in a nearby field. Six people including him were killed in it. Due to which an atmosphere of mourning has spread in the state.
Business
Adani’s ACC Ltd clocks 346 pc jump in net profit in Q3, logs highest ever volume

Ahmedabad, Jan 28: Cement major ACC Limited, part of the diversified Adani Portfolio, on Wednesday reported a standout performance for the quarter ended December 31 (Q3 FY26), with profit after tax (PAT) surging by 346 per cent (normalised basis) at Rs 380 crore year-on-year, with highest-ever quarterly revenue at Rs 6,483 crore — up by 22 per cent.
The company also recorded its highest-ever quarterly volume at 11.3 million tonnes, up 15 per cent (on-year).
“We have sustained our growth momentum with another strong quarter, delivering our highest‑ever quarterly volumes. Higher trade and premium cement sales, alongside continued expansion in RMX, have supported better realisations than industry peers and strengthened our market position in core regions,” said Vinod Bahety, Whole-Time Director and CEO, ACC Limited.
The company’s momentum during the quarter reflects transformative steps, chief among which is the announcement of the amalgamation of ACC Limited into Ambuja Cements Limited — establishing a unified ‘One Cement Platform’ that will accelerate its growth trajectory, drive operational excellence, improve capital efficiency, reinforce its industry leadership and support long-term value creation.
“The proposed integration into the One Cement Platform is expected to accelerate both efficiency and growth, enabling deeper synergies across procurement, manufacturing and distribution once statutory approvals are completed,” Bahety mentioned.
Pursuant to the implementation of the new Labour Codes with effect from November 21, 2025, the company has recognised Rs 50 crore as an exceptional expense towards additional Gratuity and Leave Encashment obligations.
Along with the parent company, ACC continues to work on cost leadership and targets to achieve Rs 3,650/ MT by FY28 under the One Cement Platform, it said.
Cement grinding units at Salai Banwa (2.4 MTPA) and Kalamboli (1.0 MTPA) are on track to be commissioned in Q4 FY26, the company informed.
“On the market side, our premium portfolio, led by ACC Gold, continues to deliver superior EBITDA margins, and the increasing share of Trade and Premium is expected to sustain realisation advantages. We are grateful to our customers, our expansive dealer and retailer network of over one lakh partners, and the seven‑lakh‑plus influencers (masons/contractors) who power the Adani Cement Parivar,” said Bahety.
Moreover, the concrete business footprint increased through the addition of 14 plants YoY — and now there are 117 plants spread over 45 cities.
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