Mumbai: Commuters using Mumbai’s suburban railway network are advised to plan their Sunday travel carefully as Central and Western Railways will operate mega maintenance blocks, leading to large-scale cancellations, diversions and delays across multiple sections.

On the Central Railway main line, a mega block has been announced between Thane and Kalyan on the Up and Down Fast lines from 10.40 am to 3.40 pm. During this period, all fast local trains will be diverted to the slow lines. Railway officials said that due to this diversion, several local services will remain cancelled, while others may run with a delay of up to 20 minutes, particularly during peak block hours.

Meanwhile, Harbour line services will be severely affected due to a block between Kurla and Vashi from 11.10 am to 4.10 pm. All local trains operating on the Up and Down Harbour routes between CSMT and Vashi, Belapur and Panvel will remain suspended during the block period. To provide partial relief to passengers, special local trains will operate between CSMT and Kurla, as well as on the Vashi–Panvel section.

On the Western Railway, a block has been scheduled between Churchgate and Mumbai Central on the Up and Down Fast lines from 10.35 am to 3.35 pm. During this time, fast local services will be diverted onto the slow lines. In addition, select trains will operate only up to Dadar and Bandra, from where they will commence their return journeys. This arrangement is expected to result in cancellations and delays on the Western line as well.

Railway authorities said the blocks are essential for track, signalling and overhead equipment maintenance, aimed at ensuring passenger safety and smoother operations in the long run.
Commuter Advisory:

Passengers are advised to avoid non-essential travel, keep extra buffer time, and check official railway updates before stepping out. Those travelling for work, exams or medical reasons are urged to plan alternative routes or timings.

Mumbai, Jan 31: The Indian equity benchmarks gained around 1 per cent during the week, though the trading sessions were volatile but with a cautiously constructive tone amid mixed global cues and rising geopolitical tensions.

Risk appetite weakened toward the end of the week ahead of the Union Budget 2026-27, with volatility resurfacing amid sustained FII outflows and rupee depreciation leading to losses in the last trading session.

Nifty added 1.09 per cent during the week and dipped 0.39 per cent on the last trading day to 25,320. At close, Sensex was down 296 points or 0.36 percent at 81,537. It added 0.90 per cent during the week.

Sectoral indices traded mixed this week with diversified consumer services stocks and hardware tech stocks logging the worst-performance, dipping 2.5 to 3.7 per cent. FMCG, media and software stocks slide over 1 per cent.

Metal stocks as well as oil and gas were the top weekly gainers up over 2 per cent, however Nifty metal index plummeted over 5 per cent on the last trading session. Profit booking also intensified in IT amid a firmer dollar and global liquidity concerns, and caution over incoming Fed Chair, analysts said.

Select pockets of weakness were observed in autos and beverages amid intensifying competitive pressures.

Broader indices posted stronger gains during the week, with the Nifty Midcap100 up 2.25 per cent, while Nifty Smallcap100 gained 3.2 per cent.

The markets opened the week with a subdued sentiment due to renewed tariff-related concerns and mixed corporate earnings, although optimism surrounding the India–EU trade agreement lent support, particularly to trade-oriented sectors.

Market sentiment improved mid-week following a favourable economic survey that reinforced expectations of robust FY27 growth and a benign inflation outlook.

Analysts said that markets remain wary that a potentially stronger inflation focus could prolong tight financial conditions and weigh on emerging markets.

Looking ahead, markets are expected to remain largely event-driven, with the Union Budget acting as the key domestic trigger, they said.

Cyclical sectors may continue to show relative resilience if supported by policy measures, while IT and export-oriented stocks are likely to remain sensitive to global macro cues, analysts added.

Mumbai: Mumbaikars residing in buildings without an Occupation Certificate (OC) will have to wait longer for the implementation of the new OC amnesty policy, as the BMC administration will now require sanction from the standing committee, which is yet to be formed.

“Citizens can apply once the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are finalised. As the OC amnesty policy will have a financial impact on the corporation, the standing committee’s sanction is necessary,” said a senior officer from the BMC development plan department.

The state Urban Development Department (UDD) on December 11 approved the BMC’s amnesty scheme for the regularisation of non-OC buildings, with revisions. The SOP was awaited from the BMC so that buildings could apply accordingly.

However, with the municipal elections concluded, statutory committees will now be formed with the newly elected corporators. The standing committee, which has the powers to make financial decisions for the corporation, is likely to be constituted by the end of February, after the mayoral election in mid-February.

The BJP-led Mahayuti announced the OC policy before the BMC elections, which was seen as a major factor influencing Mumbaikars to elect the ruling alliance. The policy is expected to benefit more than 20,000 buildings in Mumbai that lack OC due to factors beyond the control of occupants.

However, several housing experts have termed the policy a political move by the ruling parties to woo voters, pointing out that developers—responsible for completing documentation for regularisation while handing over possession—will go scot-free.

The media had reported on December 29, quoting a senior BMC officer, that under the BMC’s original proposal, buildings that had used Floor Space Index (FSI) were to be given a 50 per cent discount on the penalty under the amnesty scheme.

However, the UDD revised this to zero penalty if applications are made within six months, resulting in a loss to the corporation. The revision was introduced to attract more applicants for regularisation.

The revisions will benefit more non-OC buildings, as the UDD has directed the BMC to consider implementing the amnesty scheme for buildings constructed and occupied before November 17, 2016, instead of the earlier cut-off date of January 6, 2012.

Apart from the four-year extension in the cut-off year, the state government has also instructed the BMC not to levy any penalty on buildings that have converted Free FSI features to habitable use, provided they apply under the amnesty scheme within six months of the revised policy’s introduction.

The UDD has also directed the BMC to consider the amnesty scheme for granting OC to hospital and school buildings. However, commercial constructions will not be considered.

Other instructions include directing the BMC to proactively acquire playgrounds, gardens (PG, RG) and other reserved spaces and make them available for public purposes.

As per the revised amnesty scheme, the 50 per cent discount on the premium, as well as the concession regarding non-imposition of penalty for the first six months, will be applicable only to flats having a carpet area of up to 80 sq m.