Four persons, on Wednesday, fell into a 40-feet-deep septic tank of an under-construction building in Mumbai's Malad area. According to the officials, the incident was first reported to the Mumbai Fire Brigade around 3.50 pm and it happened in Malad's Pimpripada area. According to the officials, upon reaching the scene, it was discovered that several individuals had fallen into the building's drainage system. Firefighters quickly initiated a rescue effort, plunging into the tank with ropes and breathing apparatus. As of 4:30 pm, three people had been safely retrieved from the septic tank and taken to Trauma Care Hospital for treatment, said officials. However, one person remains unaccounted for, and rescue attempts are underway to find them. The officials said that they're yet to receive an update on the health condition of the rescued persons. It is yet to be ascertained as to how they fell into the septic tank. This is breaking news, more details awaited
24 April,2024 05:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Enforcement Directorate, on Wednesday, said it has attached land parcels worth over Rs 73 crore of Pravin Raut, an alleged associate of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, pertaining to a money laundering investigation linked to purported Patra Chawl scam case. As per a report in PTI, the immovable properties are located in and around Palghar, Dapoli, Raigad and Thane. Reportedly, both Sanjay Raut and Pravin Raut were arrested in the Patra Chawl scam case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate; the case stemmed from the Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) FIR. According to the PTI report, a company named Guru Asish Construction Pvt Ltd was given the work to redevelop the Patra Chawl in the Goregaon area of Mumbai for the rehabilitation of 672 tenants; the construction firm's director is Pravin Raut. Reportedly, the federal agency said in a statement that there had been "significant financial misconduct" while carrying out the Patra Chawl redevelopment. The PTI report stated that a tripartite agreement was signed between the society, Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA) and GAPCL wherein the developer was supposed to provide flats to as many as 672 tenants, develop flats for MHADA and thereafter sell the remaining land area. According to the report, ED accused the directors of GAPCL of misleading MHADA and managed to sell the Floor Space Index (FSI) fraudulently to nine developers and took an amount of Rs 901.79 crore without fulfilling their obligations to the tenants and MHADA. The report further stated that a part of the proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 95 crore was diverted to the personal bank accounts of GAPCL's director Pravin Raut. The probe agency further claimed that part of these proceeds were used in acquiring multiple land parcels directly from farmers or land aggregators in either Pravin's name or in the name of his firm Prathamesh Developers. Additionally, the probe agency said that part of the proceeds of the crime were with associated persons and Pravin Raut gifted some of the acquired properties to his family members, the PTI report stated. The ED filed a charge sheet in the Patra Chawl scam case in March 2022.
24 April,2024 03:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing has given Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, clean chit in the Rs 25,000 crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB)'scam' case. She was recently announced as the ruling NDA's candidate for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. Per an ANI report, the EOW's closure report noted that there was no evidence of criminality or misconduct in the matter and that the bank had suffered no losses during the loan or sale of the Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill. The Opposition INDIA bloc criticised the development and doubled down with their 'washing machine' charge against the BJP and accused the saffron party of pushing investigation agencies to ease on the leaders who switch sides and join the ruling party, ANI report added. The report cited that EOW, in its closure report, stated that Sunetra Pawar, who will be taking on sitting MP and NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule in Baramati, stepped down as Jai Agrotech's director in 2008, two years before the company gave Rs 20.25 crore to Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill. The report further added that the mill was later leased to Jarandeshwar, whose director Rajendra Ghadge has ties with Ajit Pawar. According to the closure report, Jarandeshwar paid Guru Commodity Rs 65.53 crore as rent. Reportedly, responding to Sunetra Pawar's clearance, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey criticised the BJP stating that leaders accused of wrongdoing often receive clean chits after joining the party. He accused the BJP of harassing dissenting leaders and rewarding those who join them with ministerial positions or election tickets. Dubey, per the agency report, described this behaviour as dictatorial, highlighting the disparity in treatment between BJP allies and opponents. Anand Dubey told ANI, "Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, has got a clean chit from the EOW in the Rs 25,000 crore MSCB bank scam case. PM Modi once called them a corrupt family but today, she received a clean chit. The closure report says the EOW did not find any criminal wrongdoing in the case. All Opposition leaders, accused of some wrongdoing or the other, get clean chits after joining the BJP. They make allegations against Opposition leaders, only to get them on their side thereafter and ensure they get a clean chit." He further said, "However, those who are not with the BJP and dare to stand up to them are being harassed and raided by central investigating agencies. Cases are registered against them and they are thrown behind bars. Even chief ministers (of Opposition-ruled states) aren't being spared. And if dissident leaders decide to go with the BJP, they are made ministers and deputy chief minister or are rewarded with tickets to contest the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. If this isn't a dictatorship, then what is?"
24 April,2024 03:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFive women have been rescued from flesh trade in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI. A 27-year-old woman, hailing from Parbhani, was arrested on Monday for allegedly running the prostitution racket, they said Acting on a tip, a team of the police's anti-human trafficking cell kept a vigil on Monday and spotted the accused with five women at a spot on Kalwa Vitava road, reported PTI. The police sent a decoy customer to trap the woman and caught her, an official said. The accused was booked under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, he said, reported PTI. The five rescued women, in the age group of 22 to 33 years and hailing from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, were sent to a shelter home, the official said. In another case, police have registered a case against a man on charges of negligence while bursting firecrackers which led to a blaze in a house located near his residence in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Wednesday, reported PTI. The incident took place on Monday evening during a wedding celebration at the man's residence located in a building in Ambernath area. The accused allegedly burst firecrackers in the compound of his building. One of the lit crackers fell in the balcony of a house located opposite to the building, leading to a fire in the balcony, the official from Ambernath police station said, reported PTI. The fire damaged grilles and some other materials in that house, he said. Based on a complaint by a resident of the fire-affected house, the police on Tuesday registered an FIR against the man under Indian Penal Code section 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage), the official said, adding that a probe was on into the case, reported PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
24 April,2024 12:35 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentPolice have registered a case against a man on charges of negligence while bursting firecrackers which led to a blaze in a house located near his residence in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI. The incident took place on Monday evening during a wedding celebration at the man's residence located in a building in Ambernath area. The accused allegedly burst firecrackers in the compound of his building. One of the lit crackers fell in the balcony of a house located opposite to the building, leading to a fire in the balcony, the official from Ambernath police station said, reported PTI. The fire damaged grilles and some other materials in that house, he said. Based on a complaint by a resident of the fire-affected house, the police on Tuesday registered an FIR against the man under Indian Penal Code section 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage), the official said, adding that a probe was on into the case, reported PTI. In another case, a 61-year-old murder accused who had been on the run for 34 years was arrested from Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Tuesday, reported PTI. Based on a tip-off, the police laid a trap and apprehended the accused, Jahangir Dinmohammad Sheikh, from the western suburb of Andheri in neighbouring Mumbai on Monday evening, an official said, reported PTI. The accused was involved in a murder that took place in a residential building in Mira Road in December 1990, assistant commissioner of police (Crime) Madan Ballal of the MBVV police said. Sheikh is one of the six accused involved in stabbing and killing the victim, Gabrial alias Sudhakar Kristan Amanna (22), during a party, he said, reported PTI. The police had earlier arrested five accused in the case while Sheikh had remained absconding since, the official said. Meanwhile, two men have been arrested here with several firearms and ammunition, police said on Tuesday, reported PTI. Vigilance has been stepped up in the city in view of the Lok Sabha elections, said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Shivraj Patil. On April 18, Shambu Suresh Mahato (35), a resident of Bihar, was intercepted in Saket Road area and four pistols, two country-made revolvers, a magazine and 18 live cartridges were seized from his possession, the DCP said, reported PTI. Mahato had been sentenced to imprisonment in a murder case in Rabale area in 2011 and got into arms trafficking after serving the sentence, the official said. On Monday, police arrested Shebahadur Navbahadur Kharki, a resident of Chandigarh, in Wagle Estate area here and seized two country-made pistols and four live cartridges from his possession, reported PTI. Both were booked under relevant provisions of the Arms Act and IPC. Police were probing the purpose for which the firearms were meant, the DCP said. (With inputs from PTI)
24 April,2024 12:10 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentIn the Salman Khan firing case, Mumbai Crime Branch has recovered strong evidence against gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi, and hence, both are the main conspirators and have been made the most wanted accused, reported news agency ANI. Mumbai Police has registered a case against four people in the firing case at Salman Khan's house, in which Anmol Bishnoi and Lawrence Bishnoi are also accused. Salman Khan firing case update: Before the firing incident, the shooters had done recce of Salman's house According to the information received from the Mumbai Crime Branch, before the firing incident, the shooters had done recce of Salman Khan's house four times. The shooters had also once recceed Khan's farm house. However, Salman had not gone to his farm house for many weeks, and hence they planned to fire at the house, reported ANI. Mumbai Crime Branch officials informed that when the accused were arrested, a broken mobile phone was recovered from them. The Crime Branch said that the accused had more than one phone and now the Crime Branch is searching for the remaining phones as well, reported ANI. A day earlier, the Mumbai Crime Branch also informed about the recovery of the second pistol from the Tapi river in Surat. Mumbai Crime Branch revealed that they had not only recovered the second pistol but also four magazines and 17 rounds, reported ANI. Salman Khan firing case update: Mumbai Crime Branch recovers pistol In this case, on April 22 the crime branch had recovered one pistol from the river. Shooter Vicky Gupta's footprints were found while going from Mumbai to Bhuj in Gujarat, the shooters had thrown the gun and magazine in the Tapi river near Surat. The police are searching for the phones of the accused in the river as the accused had transferred money to the bank several times. The two men, who came on motorbike, fired four rounds outside the Galaxy Apartments, where the actor resides, around 5:00 am on April 14 and fled. CCTV footage showed that both the accused sported caps and carried backpacks. Earlier, Kutch Police arrested the two accused persons and handed them to the Mumbai Crime Branch. Later, a city court sent the two accused to the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch until April 25 in connection with the Salman Khan firing case, reported ANI. The sections under IPC 506(2) (threatening), 115 (abetment), and 201 (tampering with evidence) have been added in the Salman Khan firing case. Mumbai Crime Branch officials disclosed that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi have been declared wanted accused in connection with the Salman Khan firing case, reported ANI. Anmol Bishnoi, younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, claimed responsibility for the firing outside Salman Khan's house through a Facebook post following the attack. (With inputs from ANI)
24 April,2024 10:30 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert for Maharashtra's Thane, Raigad districts and parts of Mumbai from April 27 to 29. Maharashtra heatwave alert: Anti-cyclonic circulation will lead to a rise in temperature IMD scientist Sushma Nair on Wednesday told PTI that there is an anti-cyclonic circulation over Thane, Raigad and parts of Mumbai which will lead to a rise in temperature. The temperatures are likely to peak on April 27 and 28, reported PTI. This is the second heatwave alert issued for Mumbai and neighbouring region this month. Maharashtra heatwave alert: Navi Mumbai reached 41 degrees Celsius on April 15 and 16 On April 15 and 16, Mumbai and its neighbouring areas had witnessed severe hot weather and temperatures in parts of Navi Mumbai reached 41 degrees Celsius. The IMD had advised people to avoid prolonged heat exposure, drink sufficient water and stay hydrated, wear light coloured, loose and cotton clothes, cover head or use wet cloth or hat or umbrella while going out during afternoon hours, and schedule strenuous jobs during cooler times of the day. Maharashtra heatwave alert: Intense heatwave Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday said that the intense heatwave scorching large parts of east India will continue for another five days. The ongoing spell of heat wave, the second this month, is broiling parts of West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar. Heatwave conditions have been prevailing in Odisha since April 15 and the Gangetic West Bengal since April 17, according to the MeT department. In a statement, the MD said heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are expected in parts of West Bengal, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand during the next five days. High humidity could add to people's inconvenience in coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, West Bengal and Bihar, it said. Substantially high night temperatures are likely in east Madhya Pradesh on April 22 and April 23. High night temperatures are considered dangerous because the body doesn't get the chance to cool down. Increasing nighttime heat is even more common in cities because of the urban heat island effect, in which metro areas are significantly hotter than their surroundings. The threshold for a heat wave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas and 30 degrees in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 notches. A severe heat wave is declared if the departure from normal temperature exceeds 6.4 notches. Amid the prevailing but weakening El Nino conditions, the IMD had earlier warned of extreme heat during the April-June period when around a billion people are expected to exercise their franchise during the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, heightening concerns about vulnerability to heat waves. Voting for the first phase of elections took place on April 19. The second phase of polling is scheduled for April 26. The Met office has said four to eight heatwave days are expected in different parts of the country in April against a normal of one to three days. Ten to 20 days of heatwave days are expected against a normal of four to eight in the entire April-June period. The areas and regions predicted to witness a higher number of heatwave days are Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Bihar and Jharkhand. Some places may record more than 20 heatwave days. The intense heat could strain power grids and result in water shortages in parts of India.Global weather agencies, including the IMD, are also expecting La Nina conditions to develop later in the year. El Nino conditions -- periodic warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean -- are associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India. La Nina conditions -- the antithesis of El Nino -- lead to plentiful rainfall during the monsoon season. (With inputs from PTI)
24 April,2024 10:20 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndependent MLA Bacchu Kadu on Tuesday held a protest at a ground in Maharashtra's Amravati district after permission given to him to hold an Lok Sabha elections 2024 rally there on Wednesday was revoked as the BJP has chosen the same venue for a public meeting to be addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, reported news agency PTI. The development has put the MLA from Achalpur in Amravati district in a confrontation with the ruling 'Mahayuti' alliance though Chief Minister Eknath Shinde sought to downplay the issue, saying priority is given to rallies of "big leaders". The venue in question is Science Core Ground in Amravati, where Shah is scheduled to address a campaign rally at around 2 pm on Wednesday in support of BJP candidate Navneet Rana. In view of Shah's meeting, the Amravati Zilla Parishad (ZP), which controls the ground, revoked its earlier nod given to Kadu to hold his rally at the same venue on Wednesday (April 24) citing security reasons, reported PTI. Kadu is the founder of the Prahar Janshakti Party, which supports the Shinde-led government, but has fielded its own candidate from the Amravati Lok Sabha seat. On Tuesday, Kadu, along with his supporters, held an agitation at the venue and blamed the Shinde government for revocation of the permission given to his party to use the site, reported PTI. The legislator created a ruckus and vented his anger at the police administration and sought to know why his party is not being allowed to use the ground to campaign for its candidate, reported PTI. In Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said priority is given to rallies of "big leaders" and sought to pacify Kadu after speaking to him, reported PTI. "There should be sportsmanship. Such incidents take place several times, but priority is given to rallies of big leaders. There will be a respectable solution. Talks with him (Kadu) were positive," Shinde said, reported PTI. BJP nominee Rana, a bete noire of Kadu, is pitted against Congress candidate Balwant Wankhede and Dinesh Bub of the Prahar Janshakti Party in the seat, which she won in 2019 as an independent candidate. Voting in Amravati will take place on April 26 in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. (With inputs from PTI)
24 April,2024 09:42 AM IST | Amravati/Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAs many as 258 candidates are left in the fray in the 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra going to polls in the third phase on May 7 and all eyes will be on Baramati, where two members of the powerful Sharad Pawar family are facing each other, reported news agency PTI. Monday (April 22) was the last date for withdrawal of nominations for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024. According to PTI report, Baramati in Pune district has the highest number of candidates at 38 followed by Madha (32), Osmanabad (31), Latur (28), Hatkanangale (27), Kolhapur (23), Solapur (21), Sangli (20), Satara (16), Raigad (13) and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg (9), election officials said. In Baramati, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) candidate Supriya Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar, is pitted against her sister-in-law and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra, the nominee of the ruling NCP. For the Lok Sabha elections 2024, two royal scions are also in the fray from different seats -- Shahu Chhatrapati in Kolhapur as the Congress candidate and Udayanraje Bhosale in Satara as the BJP nominee. Union minister Narayan Rane is contesting on a BJP ticket from Sindhudurg-Ratnagiri. Congress rebel Vishal Patil stuck to his decision to contest the Sangli Lok Sabha poll as an independent candidate after the seat was allotted to the party's ally Shiv Sena (UBT). Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the symbol of a trumpet-like instrument allotted to an independent candidate contesting from its stronghold, Baramati, in Maharashtra's Pune district, reported PTI. The NCP (SP) has claimed the ECI has allotted a trumpet-like symbol to independent candidate Shaikh Soyalshah Yunusshah and has identified it as "tutari". The ECI has allotted "a man blowing turha" (a traditional trumpet) as the poll symbol for the NCP (SP), reported PTI. The complaint filed by Laxmikant Khabiya, the poll representative of the party's candidate, Supriya Sule, stated that there is a similarity in both names, which can cause confusion among voters. Khabiya submitted the complaint to the returning officer on April 20. "The symbol given to the independent candidate is a trumpet. In Marathi, it cannot be called 'tutari'. We have requested the ECI to call the symbol 'trumpet' instead of 'tutari'," he stated in the complaint, reported PTI. The "turha" in the NCP (SP) symbol is also called "tutari" in Marathi. It is sounded to mark the entry of important persons, ranging from kings earlier to political leaders now. Baramati, which will go to polls in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 on May 7, is the home turf of the Pawar family, and Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar, is seeking a straight fourth term from the constituency. (With inputs from PTI)
24 April,2024 09:34 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentShiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Tuesday took a jibe at BJP after it won its first seat in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 unopposed from Surat, reported news agency ANI. She alleged that the BJP is working to finish off democracy and compared it with the "Russian style of democracy." "One thing we have been saying repeatedly this is the work to finish off democracy; it is called Russian style of democracy," said Chaturvedi, reported ANI. Drawing parallels with recent elections in Russia where opposition voices have been stifled, she pointed out the absence of any significant challengers to President Vladimir Putin, alleging that dissenters face imprisonment or worse. "This is Putin's style of democracy where the opposition is vanished completely. A few days ago there were elections in Russia, and there was no one standing against him because whoever opposes him, lands up in jail, gets the punishment of 'Kaala Pani' and dies and he becomes President after receiving 85 per cent votes. PM Modi is trying to adopt the same model," she added. Ahead of upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024, Chaturvedi pointed out the rejection of the main Congress candidate and the subsequent withdrawal of all independent candidates in the Surat Lok Sabha constituency. She argued that such actions undermine the fundamental principles of democracy. "In Surat, the main candidate of the Congress party was rejected, then the substitute candidate was also rejected and all independent candidates withdrew the forms...This will be their democracy, without casting votes, BJP people get elected and PM Modi will keep the government," she said. The election officer, on Sunday, cancelled the nomination papers of the Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani from Surat Lok Sabha constituency over alleged "fake signatures of people who signed as witnesses." While cancelling the nomination, the Collector wrote in the order that the signatures of the people who have signed as witnesses in the nomination form of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani and his dummy candidate Suresh Padshala are fake, reported ANI. Following this, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was elected 'unopposed' from the Surat Lok Sabha constituency after all other candidates in the fray including independents and candidates from smaller parties also withdrew their nomination papers on the last day. The party now remains with no opposition candidate in the battle for the Lok Sabha seat. All 26 seats of Gujarat will go to the polls in a single phase on May 7. (With inputs from ANI)
24 April,2024 09:04 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe city of Mathura holds a profound spiritual aura, with its deep-rooted devotion to Radha-Krishna and the countless temples that dot its landscape. Vrindavan, nestled within Mathura, further amplifies this spiritual essence with its numerous temples and the constant influx of devotees seeking blessings. Vrindavan, spread across a 20 km stretch having around 5,884 temples, with 30 to 40 big temples including the ISKON temple and Premnagar temple, see maximum tourist visits in the region. mid-day visited the bylanes, interacting with locals, shopkeepers, auto-rickshaw drivers and tourists to know what issues they face. Devotees queue up to visit a temple, one of several in the city, where thousands visit daily Several locals highlighted two major issues including the cleanliness of the Yamuna River as it is heavily polluted by industrial waste and untreated sewage discharge. The second issue is the development of the Banke Bihari Temple Corridor, along the lines of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, which will offer devotees three convenient routes to reach the Krishna temple. Rohit Rajput, a hotel manager who moved from Agra to Vrindavan for work, said, “More than 60 per cent of the people staying in Vrindavan are from Madhya Pradesh, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and other parts. Devotion to the lord brings them here and they usually find work locally and continue to stay. Many have been staying here for decades. Even foreigners come to stay here.” Amit Bajpai and Ashish Bajpai who had come for darshan from Kanpur According to Rajput, there is a lack of planning and crowd management by the local administration and police who have put up barricades around 3 km before temples areas. “If barricades are being installed 3 km ahead, proper arrangements need to be made so that people can reach the temple without hassles. There should be government-run e-rickshaws plying. This will bring in revenue and also prevent people from being cheated by local e-rickshaw drivers who charge exorbitant amounts. There should also be fines imposed on rule violators. Also, there has to be public transport like Metro rail or other options to reach the temples,” he said. Pushkar Upadyay, an e-rickshaw driver who is also from another state and came to Vrindavan over his devotion, said, “Vrindavan has seen many changes and developments after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took charge. He used up a lot of funds in developing and beautifying the region.” Regarding actor Hema Malini being given a ticket to contest, Upadyay said, “A ticket should be only given to a local who has an idea about the city and is known to people in the city and villages. Giving celebrities a ticket is just to gain traction. Are they really on the ground, meeting people to know their problems or just campaigning during elections? Also, at times it is a major task to meet a celebrity and so, often locals can’t take up issues with them. The government must develop skills of the people and increase the number of jobs available. Also, the corridor issue has to be resolved to ease the movement of people.” Pushkar Upadyay, an-e-rickshaw driver who visited Vrindavan and decided to stay there with his family Mansi Arora from Haryana moved to Vrindavan five years ago. She says there are thousands who visit daily, and the crowd swells to lakhs of people during festivals. “There should be a queue system at temples here as many times senior citizens and kids get stuck in the crowd. Also, the authorities need to regularly clean the Yamuna River. This will enable local use the water and people would also be able to perform rituals,” she said. Yogita Boche from Maharashtra’s Akola runs a snack and lunch centre in Vrindavan, close to Hema Malini’s house. “Malini-madam has been seen here since Holi and is campaigning regularly. Usually, she visits the area once or twice a week. Many people feel that she is working for betterment,” said Boche. According to Boche, cleanliness is a major issue in Mathura. “Several areas are littered with garbage. The authorities should conduct more cleanliness drives. Visitors should be careful to not litter… to maintain the hygiene and take in the spiritually,” she added. Meanwhile, Advocate Ashish Kumar Bajpai, 42, a visitor from Kanpur, told mid-day that local transport is a major issue. “The complete Parikrama Puri in Vrindavan is almost 21 km long. We have come 2-3 times for darshan in Mathura and always found local transport to be an issue. The e-rickshaw drivers charge too much. There is also a lack of proper toilets and refreshment centres. Metro rail connectivity is essential and due to the daily footfall, It will also be a good revenue generator,” Ashish said. Amit Bajpai, a teacher accompanying Ashish, said he had been coming to Mathura for darshan for decades. “There is an increase in the number of devotees and tourism and many things should have changed accordingly. In the last few years, a major problem is that the Rs 10 coin isn’t accepted here. It is accepted all over India but no one accepts it here. Is it banned in Mathura or is there some other reason?” 5,884Approx no of temples in Vrindavan
24 April,2024 07:15 AM IST | Mathura | Faisal TandelADVERTISEMENT
