Mumbai : Considering the heavy rush at Charni Road station for devotees coming to Girgaon Chowpatty for Ganapati immersion on September 17/18, 2024, Mumbai Central Division of Western Railway has made several arrangements for crowd management and passenger convenience.

According to the press release issued by Shri Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer, Western Railway, Mumbai Central Division will install additional CCTV cameras to monitor the crowd at Charni Road station and ensure proper management. Exclusive one-way routes are being created for more convenient movement of commuters on different routes without any hindrance. Apart from this, apart from the main entrance, another entrance will be opened at Bal Bhawan, so that the passengers coming from Girgaon Chowpatty can easily reach platform number 1 to catch the local train.

Shri Vineet further informed that, Western Railway will run 8 additional services between Churchgate and Virar on the intervening night of 17th and 18th September, 2024. Down slow train services of these additional 8 services will be given additional stoppage at Charni Road station, so that passengers can board comfortably without any hassle and maximum passengers can reach their homes at night. On September 17, 2024, 38 fast up local train services will stop at all stations between Churchgate and Mumbai Central station from 17.00 hrs to 20.30 hrs. To avoid crowding of passengers coming and going on platform no. 2 and 3, approx. 88 UP slow local train services will not be halted at Platform No. 2 of Charni Road station from 17.00 hrs to 22.00 hrs on 17th September, 2024. Apart from the regular ticket counters, additional ATVM machines and facilitators are being arranged at the station and on the way to Bal Bhawan, so that passengers do not face any inconvenience in purchasing tickets. All necessary information and announcements will be made regularly. Signage and electronic display units displaying important information are being installed at the station for the convenience of passengers.

Shri Vineet said that apart from these arrangements, Western Railway will also ensure sale of water bottles and snacks in sufficient quantity at the station and on the way to and from Bal Bhawan. Ambulance facility has been provided by BMC and Western Railway at Charni Road station and arrangements for doctors, paramedical staff etc. are being made in the emergency medical room. Adequate arrangements for lighting and fans are being made at Charni Road station. There will also be one-way movement on the escalators of Platform 1.

From the security point of view, around 400 RPF and GRP personnel will be deployed to control the influx of passengers at Charni Road station. Help desks of RPF and GRP will also be set up to assist the passengers in case of any inconvenience or problem. Western Railway will make adequate arrangements for RPF barricading and queue managers, as well as make regular announcements through megaphone. A fire brigade will also be arranged at the station. Western Railway RPF is coordinating with State Police and GRP for deployment of maximum police force.

Shri Vineet informed that additional railway officers and staff will be on duty round the clock at Charni Road station on the intervening night of 17th and 18th September, 2024, while the Control and Command Center will be functioning at both the station and the control room. Recently Shri Neeraj Verma, Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai Central Division, also inspected the station along with the officers and staff to ensure that efforts are being made to improve the necessary facilities. Western Railway is committed to ensure passenger convenience and smooth crowd management for thousands of devotees arriving at Girgaum Chowpatty for Ganpati Visarjan.

Mumbai Coastal Road’s southbound arm, the ‘bowstring arch’ bridge connecting to the Bandra-Worli sea link was inaugurated by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday afternoon. The bridge will connect Marine drive to Bandra and will provide signal-free ride to motorists.

The Coastal Road’s first arm was inaugurated in March this year. It is even inaugurated in stages. The section inaugurated today is one part of the southbound arm, and next the last part is expected to be completed in next 3 to 4 months.

The event which took place at Bindu Mandhav Thackeray chowk in Worli was also attended by Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis, BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and Iqbal Singh Chahal, former BMC chief and now the Additional Chief Secretary to the CM office.

‘This is a game changing project for Mumbai. Motorists can now cover the distance from Marine Drive to Bandra in 10 minutes. Further when the Bandra-Versova arm will be completed, the motorists will reach Versova from south Mumbai in 40 minutes, which otherwise takes 2 to 3 hours,” said CM Shinde at the inauguration event.

“It will save motorists time, they can spend more time with family and in return it will increase their work productivity. The decreased travel time will also save petrol consumption and fuel emission. It will also help in decreasing pollution in the city,” Shinde added.

The CM also highlighted the fishermen community’s demand have been addressed and the navigation span from 50 mts is increased to 150 mts.

Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that it is Mahayuti’s project. “As a CM I had taken all the permissions from the central government during the previous government. I gave that project to Uddhav Thackeray’s government. CM Eknath Shinde was also part of the government, so it is a Mahayuti project.”

“The project was planned from 25 long years, but we took required clearances from central government under the leadership of PM Modi and ensured the Coastal Road is completed on time,” Fadnavis added.

Both CM and Dy CM added that the government’s priority has always been Mumbai’s infrastructure development. The BMC has planted 1.5 lakh trees which will control pollution in Mumbai, CM Shinde said.

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday registered a case against an assistant commissioner, a superintendent and an inspector of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), Belapur Commissionerate, for allegedly demanding a bribe to complete the assessment process and dropping of demand (regarding service tax/penalties) of a transport firm, M/s Global Technology Services.

The accused officials have been identified as assistant commissioner Suhas Bhalerao, superintendent Rajesh Kumar and inspector Shubham Das Mahapatra.

About The Case

According to the agency sources, Bhalerao and Mahapatra, both from Belapur CGST, were arrested on March 15 while taking a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh from one Jitendra S Pawar, in lieu of dropping the proceedings against M/s Shree Sainath Transport Company (regarding service tax/penalties).

“While the proceedings were in progress, Mahapatra disclosed that Bhalerao gave him Rs2 lakh, in the matter of M/s Global Technology Services on March 12 for further distribution between him (Mahapatra) and superintendent Kumar. Further, Mahapatra disclosed that Kumar accepted Rs1 lakh out of the said Rs 2 lakh,” a CBI source said.

He added that Anurag Jain, a chartered accountant, on behalf of M/s Global Technology Services, had lodged a written complaint on March 15 to the CBI. It is alleged in the complaint that Bhalerao demanded Rs 15 lakh and settled to accept Rs 6 lakh to complete the assessment process and as well as for dropping of tax demand on Global Technology Services.

A CBI official said that Jain allegedly discussed the matter with the proprietor of Global Technology and paid Rs 6 lakh cash to Bhalerao on March 12 in his office. It is further alleged that Bhalerao told Jain that he will pass the order on March 13. That day when Jain contacted Mahapatra, he was informed that the order will be passed a day later. Thereafter, Jain visited the CGST office in Belapur and collected the revised order.