The Maharashtra government's newly-established Special Patients' Help Cell's close monitoring of the Indigent Patient Fund (IPF) scheme has resulted in 105 individuals from the city and 258 across the state availing of the benefit, as opposed to earlier when there were only a handful of bed allotments at charitable hospitals, according to the official heading the cell established in January. The data provided by the department suggests that a total of Rs 11.76 crore was spent by charitable hospitals across the state in treating indigent patients. According to the Bombay Public Trusts (BPT) Act, 1950, charitable trusts operating hospitals, nursing homes, or maternity homes are required to contribute 2 per cent of their income to IPF. Additionally, 10 per cent of a charitable hospital's total operational beds are reserved for indigent patients for free treatment. Another 10 per cent of such a hospital's total operational beds are provided at a concessional rate for other economically weaker sections. “A comparative study of the various schemes of the central government as well as the state government shows that this particular initiative has no limit on the cost of treatment. Expensive surgeries such as for cancer, liver transplants, and heart transplants can be provided to poor patients through this scheme,” said Rameshwar Naik, who heads the cell. He added, “The problem is that the hospitals are notorious for flouting the norm.” This has been the case since the scheme's establishment in 2006. In January, a week prior to the formation of the special cell, mid-day had flagged how hospitals attempt to evade extending the benefits under this scheme to patients. As a result, families turn to local politicians for help, who in turn market this scheme as their own. One only needs a ration card or a tehsildar's certificate to avail of this scheme. However, patients have earlier told mid-day how hospitals take a heavy-handed approach where people are quizzed for hours in times of emergencies despite furnishing the required documents. “We are working on raising awareness among citizens as well, and a helpline number will be created within a week. Hospital staff have been freshly trained in the last few months and there is more vigilance from our side,” Naik said.
17 June,2024 07:25 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentThe Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has urged residential buildings, commercial establishments, and government offices to participate in tree planting within their premises. MMRCL will handle the provisions for planting, and maintenance of trees for the next three years. This initiative aligns with the high court directive requiring MMRCL to plant 2,600 trees along Metro Line 3. To date, approximately 500 trees have been planted from Colaba to Aarey, with additional land needed to meet the target. MMRCL has issued a call to plant trees along the alignment of Metro Line 3 within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) area, as mandated by their affidavit to the high court. MMRCL has invited various establishments, including government and private offices, residential complexes, educational institutions, and hospitals (with full occupancy certificates), to participate in this tree-planting initiative. Applications should be submitted by July 15. Premises within 500 meters on either side of the MML-3 corridor will be prioritised for the plantation efforts. A concerned official of MMRCL said, “As per the affidavit submitted by the MMRCL to the high court committee, we have to plant around 2,600 trees on either side of MML-3 corridor. We have already started planting near Cuffe Parade, Churchgate, and Mahalaxmi areas. We planted around 500 trees and can plant a few more in the remaining places. But to complete the target, we appealed to the establishments and residential complexes in the periphery of 500 metres to join the plantation.” He also added that the responsibility and maintenance of these trees will remain with the MMRCL for the next three years. The Bombay High Court Metro 3 Committee expressed displeasure in April 2024 against the slow speed of restoring tree cover that was destroyed for the construction of Metro Line 3 by the MMRCL. In May 2017, the high court directed the MMRCL to give an undertaking that it would replant the trees and take care of them till the completion of the project. It has asked MMRCL to dig and keep ready 75 per cent of tree beds on the pavement above every underground station by June 9. Large-sized trees are to be planted in these tree beds. Application form for tree plantation can be downloaded from the website.
17 June,2024 07:23 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentThe Bangur Nagar police have arrested three men from Ahmedabad and Surat for helping cyber criminals who scammed people from Cambodia by providing bank accounts. The accused identified as Uttam Sakhia, Pritesh Waghalia, and Sahil Kashadiya were paid for their role. A resident of Goregaon in Mumbai filed a complaint. In February, he saw an ad on his phone about making money from home. After clicking on it, he received messages offering payment for watching ads and joined a VIP Telegram group. After watching four ads, he received Rs 120. He was then asked to deposit money, which he thought was legitimate. He invested Rs 5,68,000 but could not withdraw the money and realised he had been scammed. He reported the incident to the Bangur Nagar police. Deputy Commissioner of Police Anand Bhoite, along with Assistant Inspectors Vivek Tambe and Kishore Tawde and Senior Inspector Pratod Tawde, led the investigation. They traced the money to Uttam’s account, leading to his arrest in Ahmedabad. During questioning, they learned about Pritesh, who was also arrested, followed by Sahil in Surat. The three men, all graduates, worked under Sahil Kashadiya, an IT graduate who set up bank accounts for the fraudulent deposits, earning a 1 per cent commission for each transaction. Uttam managed the deposits, while Pritesh found rental bank accounts for Sahil. They earned Rs 1 lakh in total from their activities. “The trio were arrested in Ahmedabad and Surat a few days ago and brought to Mumbai. They appeared in court yesterday and were remanded to police custody,” said an officer from Bangur Nagar. The investigation is ongoing.
17 June,2024 07:20 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has expanded its terminal entry points from 24 to 68, which is the highest number of kerbside e-gates in India. This move which comes after CISF officials in February recommended the step following a major security lapse will facilitate both DigiYatra and non-DigiYatra passengers. e-gates increased “CSMIA’s digital gateway combines the benefits of technology, process excellence, big data analytics and design thinking to deliver an exemplary passenger experience. Here, the number of terminal entry points has surged from 24 to 68, achieved solely through advanced technology without any need for any major civil works. The digital gateway at T2 now provides for 28 dedicated DigiYatra e-gates alongside 28 dedicated non-DigiYatra e-gates. Additionally, Terminal 1 (T1) features six dedicated DigiYatra e-gates and 6 non-DigiYatra e-gates, further enhancing the airport's overall capacity and passenger experience,” states a media statement from CSMIA. “In an ongoing development, an additional 118 e-gates are being deployed at the pre-embarkation security check (PESC) area at T2 to further simplify passenger movement. With biometric validation, DigiYatra passengers can breeze through the e-gates without needing to show their ticket, boarding pass, or identity verification. The digital gateway solution leverages a variety of IoT sensors and biometric face pods integrated with the DigiYatra foundation to identify and guide passengers efficiently. This technology will further streamline passenger experience and minimise the processing time for non-DigiYatra passengers,” the statement reveals. “Now, Mumbai CSMIA has the highest number of e-gates, when compared to other Indian airports. With this expansion, Terminal 2 will be able to process 7,440 passengers per hour, while Terminal 1 will process 2,160 passengers hourly. This is thrice the current processing capacity.” “At the kerbside, the wait duration has been reduced to less than one minute. This will help the airport to ease congestion, specifically at the entry point. The airport has integrated technology, process excellence, big data analytics, and design thinking to provide an outstanding passenger experience. Without the requirement of major construction work, the additional e-gates were installed through advanced technology,” said a CSMIA spokesperson According to the spokesperson, the airport has expanded its digital gateway platform. “This program is a reflection of our commitment to leading the way in innovative technology developments that improve the passenger experience,” he said, adding that the airport operator is committed to making sure that passenger travel is seamless. Additionally, to assist first-time DigiYatra passengers, ‘Digi Buddies’ have been deployed to guide passengers in using the self-service systems such as DigiYatra, common-use self-service (CUSS), common use passenger processing system (CUPPS), and self bag drop (SBD), informed the spokesperson. The CISF requestIn February, there was a security lapse at Mumbai airport. A passenger without a ticket somehow entered the airport building and passed through multiple checkpoints. He tailgated other passengers to pass through the e-gates and eventually reached the boarding gate, where he was stopped by an airline employee. “The Ministry of Home Affairs had labelled this incident as a major security lapse. CISF took responsibility for this lapse and the officer responsible was suspended,” said a senior CISF official. “As part of some suggestions, we requested the airport operator to increase the number of e-gates at the airport and now, this has been implemented. In addition, the company responsible for manufacturing the e-gates has been asked to ensure that the alarm rings when someone tries to get through tailgating.”
17 June,2024 07:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Prasun ChoudhariIn the incident involving the severed finger discovered in an ice cream, authorities have confiscated a butterscotch-flavoured cone from the company's storage facility in Malad, near Ramchandra Lane. According to reports, there were a total of 12 butterscotch-flavoured cones in inventory, out of which 11 had already been dispatched, including the one with the finger. Additionally, the storage facility had ice creams of various other flavours. The storage unit in Malad Speaking to mid-day a police officer said, “The ice cream shipment left the company's manufacturing unit about a month ago. The police are tracing the transportation and distribution chain to determine how the ice cream reached Malad. This includes identifying the transport used and connecting each link in the chain. Statements from various individuals involved are being recorded, and the investigation is underway.” So far, it has been discovered that the ice cream in question was brought to the Malad godown from the company's warehouse in Bhiwandi. The company's manufacturing unit is located in Indapur. Several police teams have been formed and dispatched to the warehouses and godowns to investigate the case further.
17 June,2024 07:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe Maharashtra police have arrested two people from Uttar Pradesh wanted in connection with cases of theft, drug peddling and attempt to murder, among other crimes, a police officer said on Sunday. A team from the Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar (MBVV) police apprehended Ashish Kumar alias Badhoria Rajkumar Bhatu, 38 and Amit Kumar Pradeep Kumar, 36, from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, an officer said. The duo were involved in chain snatching, drug peddling, attempt to murder, rape and offences under the Arms Act in different parts of the country, senior inspector Pramod Badakh said. The police received a tip-off about the whereabouts of the wanted men while probing into a case of chain snatching registered at Nalasopara police station in Palghar, he said. The suspects had allegedly snatched a woman's chain and fled on a motorcycle. The police have seized the two-wheeler used in the crime, the officer said. The duo were involved in five crimes in the limits of Nalasopara, Arnala Sagri, Boisar of the MBVV police, Vartak Nagar-Thane city, and Civil Line-Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, he said. Investigations have revealed that the accused have allegedly committed crimes in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Uttarakhand, the police officer said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 June,2024 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesJust days after the Air India Express Employee Union (AIXEU) criticised the airline for issuing a charge sheet to protesting cabin crew members, the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Air India Express said that the airline has fully sorted out the concerns of cabin crew members. At the Aviation India 2024 event, he discussed the issues of cabin crew members, along with the expansion plans of the airline. Concerns resolved Ankur Garg is the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Air India Express. He said, “The cabin crew issues are now fully resolved.” In early May, Air India Express was forced to cancel more than 150 flights because of a planned mass sick leave by a section of its cabin crew members. Garg said, “When an airline grows its capacity rapidly, there is some amount of pressure on the staff members. A very small section of cabin crew members went on strike. Out of the 45 base stations the airline operates from, disruptions were caused majorly at two of them.” “The planned strike coincided with the unorganised transition from ARMS to the CAE crew rostering system. As a result of which, the airline lost the data of its pilots and cabin crew members. Because of this, even when all the protesting crew members returned to duty, the disruptions continued,” he added. Garg also said that these two problems made the whole matter complicated. Now, airline operations have been normalised. Operations are expected to remain stabilised from now on. Increased fleet “Since its privatisation, Air India Express has added a fleet of 22 Boeing 737 MAX jets, which were previously destined for Chinese carriers. It is looking to add another 24 aircraft within the next six months. With this, the entire fleet of AIX Connect and Air India Express will cross 100 aircraft by the end of 2024,” said sources from Air India Express. Recently, the Chandigarh unit of NCLT granted merger approval to both AIX Connect and Air India Express. The tribunal has asked both airlines to conclude the merger process within nine months of filing the plea. AIX Connect will be fully dissolved into Air India Express. Following this approval, both airlines can transfer their assets and staff members to each other. Garg said, “The integration of staff members is an easy process. However, when it comes to implementing system changes, expanding aircraft operations, and integrating the Human Resources of both airlines, there will be challenges.” Garg added, “Air India Express is adjusting its schedules according to the long-haul international flights of Air India. The LCC subsidiary is adjusting the timings of busy corporate routes to provide seamless connections to Air India’s international flights originating from Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, the three hubs of Air India.”
17 June,2024 07:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Prasun ChoudhariAs climate change intensifies, the need to protect mangroves and wetlands has never been more urgent. However, in Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s district, near the Ulhas River and alongside the Mumbai-Nashik highway, government agencies appear to be overlooking the issue of extensive illegal dumping on wetlands and mangroves. On Saturday, while this reporter was travelling towards Nashik on the Mumbai-Nashik highway between Thane and Kalyan, a significant amount of illegal dumping was seen next to the Ulhas River along the northbound side of the highway. What is shocking is the fact that the mangroves and the wetlands adjacent to the Ulhas River are vanishing but there has been no action initiated. Time and again environmentalists and nature lovers have been highlighting the destruction of mangroves and wetlands in the Thane district, along with the threat that Ulhas River has been facing. The landfills threaten the mangrove ecosystem We also observed that illegal dumping, including construction materials, was occurring on one side of the river. This dumping could reduce the river’s width in the future and potentially lead to flooding. The debris piled up is equivalent to a two-story building, yet the authorities are allegedly ignoring the issue. Thane-based environmentalist Rohit Joshi has also received complaints about this and has informed government authorities, but no action has been taken. “This is outrageous! Illegal dumping destroys these vital ecosystems and pollutes the Ulhas River directly, affecting India’s only notified Flamingo Sanctuary at Thane creek. I complained about this issue last year to the Wetland Committee but no action has been taken against the culprits. We need stricter enforcement to protect our mangroves and wetlands”, said Rohit Joshi, member of, Wetland & Mangroves Grievance Redressal Committee, Thane. If we take a look at the satellite images from Google Earth between 2021 to 2024, one can see the rampant destruction of mangroves and wetlands that has taken place due to the illegal dumping of construction material debris by the land mafia. In May this year, environmentalist Stalin D also complained about the same to the Thane collector, municipal commissioner of Thane, Mangroves Cell of the forest department, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the Tehsildar office. Stalin D from NGO Vanashakti said, “In Thane district, extensive CRZ violations are occurring. Over 100 hectares of mangroves, wetlands, and CRZ 1 areas are being buried under debris, mud, and garbage. This is happening in broad daylight, right under the noses of the revenue department, police department, forest department, and others. It is a clear case of corruption enabling this massive destruction to continue. The Thane Collector is primarily responsible for allowing this to persist for months despite repeated notifications. No action has been taken. It would not be incorrect to say that vested interests within the government have facilitated this destruction.” The dumping is reportedly happening on Sarkari Khazan lands (salt marshes), creeks all have been landfilled here, and well as the nearby coastal wetland areas. From the Kharegaon side of the creek, one can see a massive tableland created on the opposite side near Dive Anjur. “Every location near and within the creeks is being reclaimed while the government machinery looks the other way. The Thane Collector’s office, Thane Municipal Corporation, the local police station, and the Thane Forest Division of the Mangrove Cell are all jointly responsible for allowing this to happen,” added Stalin. The activist also said that the role of the police station is also circumspect especially when they are also members of the protection committees and alleged that this is a classic case of large-scale corruption and gross negligence by certain officials.
17 June,2024 07:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavA 35-year-old debt-ridden man allegedly died by suicide by jumping into a creek in Maharashtra’s Thane city, the police said on Sunday. Bablu Vishwakarma, a resident of Indira Nagar in Wagle Estate area, jumped into the Kharigaon creek in Kalwa from the Saket bridge at around 7 pm on Saturday, Thane Municipal Corporation’s disaster management regional chief Yasin Tadvi said. Search halted at night After being alerted, fire personnel and the disaster management cell team members launched a search which was halted later at night. The search resumed at around 7 am on Sunday and the body was located and fished out of the waters after four hours, a police officer said. The deceased was under a heavy debt and was depressed and hence resorted to the extreme step, a police official said. The Kalwa police have sent the body for postmortem and as of now registered a case of accidental death, he said. Did two people jump? Earlier, the police received information that two people, including a woman, had jumped into the creek from the Saket bridge. The Kalwa police on Sunday confirmed that only one person jumped into the creek and his body was recovered. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 June,2024 07:05 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesThe Navi Mumbai police have sealed a meat shop after it was alleged that a religious name had been painted on a goat brought there for slaughter, an official said on Sunday. Based on the information by a person, the police on Saturday sealed the shop at CBD Belapur and registered a case against three persons, including its owners and a worker, he said. Quoting the FIR, the official said 22 goats had been brought to the shop for slaughter but one of the animals had a religious name painted on it. The person who informed the police also accused the trio of “ill-treating’ the goat. The three, identified as Mohammad Shafi Sheikh, Sajid Shafi Sheikh, and Kuyyam, have been booked under IPC section 295 (A) read with 34 for hurting religious sentiments and under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, he said. The police have also taken up the matter with the civic corporation and other authorities for cancellation of the shop’s licence, the official added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 June,2024 07:00 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesWhile the Mumbai Crime Branch is initiating the process of obtaining gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s custody from Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat in connection with the Salman Khan firing case, the actor has received yet another threat from a YouTuber. The YouTuber, through his channel, claimed to have the support of Bishnoi and Goldy Brar and stated that he intends to kill the actor. The Crime Branch swiftly took action and arrested the YouTuber in Rajasthan. Salman Khan. Pic/Instagram According to the Crime Branch, after the YouTube video was brought to their notice, the cyber cell started working on tracing the location from where the video was uploaded. They also reached out to YouTube to remove the video from their platform and registered an offence under various sections of the IPC and IT Act. “An offence was registered at the South Cyber Police Station under sections 506(2), 504, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 66(d) of the Information Technology (IT) Act. Considering the seriousness of the case, a police team was dispatched to Rajasthan for the investigation, and the accused was arrested and brought to Mumbai,” said DCP Datta Nalawade, Detection. Mumbai Crime Branch team recovered two pistols and four magazines allegedly used in the firing. File pic The accused arrested by the South Cyber Police was identified as Banwarilal Laturlal Gujar, 25, from Bundi district, Rajasthan. Gujar was apprehended for allegedly discussing the Bishnoi Gang and making threats to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan in a video posted on the YouTube channel “Are Chhodo Yar.” Actor Salman Khan Officials have found that the accused shared multiple videos supporting gangsters Bishnoi and Brar. “We are verifying if he is a member of the Bishnoi gang. As of now, we haven’t found any criminal background, but this is being checked with the state concerned,” an officer said. The Crime Branch, already investigating the firing incident outside Khan’s residence on April 14 and has arrested several gang members.
17 June,2024 06:58 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanADVERTISEMENT
