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Wednesday,22-October-2025
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Thane: Major Fire Erupts At Cotton Godown In Bhiwandi; No Casualties Reported, Dramatic Visuals Surface

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Thane: A major fire broke out at a cotton godown in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Wednesday morning, officials said.

There was no report of any casualty so far, they said.

The blaze was reported around 6 am at the godown located at Rahnal village in Bhiwandi town. Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from the warehouse.

Multiple fire engines from the Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation were rushed to the spot and firefighting was currently underway, the civic body’s disaster control cell chief Saquib Kharbe said.

The cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained.

Maharashtra

Mira Road Violence: 65 Booked After Violent Clash Over Parking In Dachkul-Pada, Several Injured & 30 Autos Damaged

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Mira Road: Tensions flared in Mira Road’s Dachkul-Pada area early Tuesday morning after a violent clash broke out over a parking dispute, leading to multiple injuries and extensive property damage.

The Kashigaon police have booked 15 identified individuals and around 50 unidentified others for their involvement in the attack, which left at least three to four people injured and nearly 30 to 35 autorickshaws damaged.

According to officials, the incident occurred around 6 am on Tuesday when a group of locals got into an argument with a few autorickshaw drivers who were washing their vehicles by blocking the road. The situation quickly escalated when one of the complainants, who had objected to the road being blocked, was allegedly attacked. Within minutes, the accused reportedly called in reinforcements from nearby areas, and around 50 men armed with axes, bamboo sticks, and sickles stormed into the lane.

“They attacked the complainant and a few others with sharp weapons and sticks. One of the victims suffered a head injury requiring stitches, while others escaped with bruises and scratches,” a police officer said. The crowd also went on a rampage, damaging several autorickshaws parked in the vicinity.

Locals alleged that the police arrived at the scene nearly an hour after the assault, by which time the attackers had fled. They also claimed that a group of miscreants regularly create nuisance in the area under the pretext of cleaning their autos and have been involved in drug-related activities. Residents have urged for stricter patrolling and police presence in the locality to prevent further incidents.

In response, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and MLA Narendra Mehta visited the site of the clash and assured residents that swift and strict action would be taken against those responsible for the violence.

Senior Police Inspector Mahesh Togarwad of Kashigaon Police Station confirmed that around 65 people have been booked under serious charges, including attempt to murder (Section 307), causing grievous hurt with weapons, rioting, unlawful assembly, and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Police Act for carrying prohibited weapons.

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Air India’s US-bound flight returns to Mumbai due to technical snag

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Mumbai, Oct 22: An Air India flight scheduled from Mumbai to Newark in the United States had to return after take-off, as the crew identified a suspected technical snag, according to a statement issued by the airline on Wednesday.

“The crew of flight AI191 operating from Mumbai to Newark on 22 October, made a precautionary air-return to Mumbai due to a suspected technical issue. The flight landed safely back in Mumbai, and the aircraft is undergoing necessary inspections,” according to an Air India statement.

The total number of passengers on board, along with the time at which the airline departed and returned, was not available in the preliminary statement. As per the usual schedule, the AI1191 flight departs at 01:10 hours (IST) from Mumbai and reaches Newark at 07:55 hours (EDT).

Due to the flight’s cancellation, the return flight from Newark to Mumbai — numbered AI144 — was also cancelled.

The incident comes close on the heels of Delhi-bound Air India plane running into a technical snag at the Milan airport last Friday, stranding over 250 passengers at the foreign airport just ahead of Diwali.

The airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANN) had encountered a technical issue upon landing in Milan, preventing the aircraft from operating the return journey to Delhi.

Air India then scheduled an additional flight from Milan to Delhi on Oct 19 to bring back home 256 passengers who were stranded in Milan since, October 17.

The airline claimed it had extended all immediate assistance to affected passengers, including hotel accommodation and meals. Full refunds or complimentary rescheduling were also offered as per passenger preference.

A similar incident occurred on August 16 this year, when an Air India flight on the same route was cancelled due to a technical issue that was notices during pushback.

According to Air India, a maintenance task was identified just as the aircraft was preparing for departure. The subsequent delay caused the operating crew to exceed mandatory flight duty time limitation norms, making it unsafe and impermissible for them to continue.

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Tejashwi Yadav promises permanent jobs for contractual employees; Rs 30,000 salary for Jivika Didis if voted to power

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Patna, Oct 22: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday made a major poll promise, vowing that all contractual employees and Jivika Didis in Bihar will be given permanent government jobs if the Grand Alliance forms the government after November 14.

Addressing a press conference at his official residence in Patna, Tejashwi Yadav launched a scathing attack on the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led NDA government, accusing it of widespread corruption and exploitation of contractual workers in government departments.

“Various departments make huge payments to outsourcing companies, but these firms don’t even pay half the sanctioned amount to employees. The rest goes as commission to ministers, senior officials, and decision-makers,” Tejashwi Yadav alleged.

“As a result, contractual employees are forced to work for less than half their entitled salary and live under constant job insecurity, as they can be removed anytime without notice,” he added.

Tejashwi said that once his government is formed, all contractual employees will be made permanent and provided full job security.

“During our 17-month Grand Alliance government, we regularised contractual teachers despite criticism from Sushil Kumar Modi, who said it wasn’t possible. We proved it could be done — and we’ll do the same for contractual workers through agencies like BELTRON,” he said.

Tejashwi Yadav also unveiled a detailed plan for Jivika Didis, announcing permanent government status for them with a monthly salary of Rs 30,000, along with Rs 2,000 for additional expenses.

He also promised an interest waiver on existing loans — only the principal amount to be repaid. Apart from that, he promised interest-free loans for two years and insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh for every Jivika Didi.

He added that these measures would empower rural women and strengthen the state’s Self-Help Group (SHG) network.

Tejashwi Yadav also announced two new welfare schemes to be implemented if his party returns to power and announced the MAA Scheme, where M stands for Makan (House), A for Anna (Food), and the other A stands for Aamdani (Earning).

Tejashwi Yadav elaborated upon the BETI Scheme, where B stands for Benefit, E for Education, T for Training, and I for Income.

“These schemes will ensure that every family has a roof over their head, food security, a steady income source, and that every daughter gets education, training, and financial independence,” the RJD leader explained.

Reiterating his earlier commitment, Tejashwi Yadav once again promised one government job per household if his party comes to power in Bihar.

“Our vision is clear — job security, women’s empowerment, and corruption-free governance. We will bring policies that ensure dignity and stability to every family in Bihar,” Tejashwi Yadav concluded.

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