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Maharashtra to set up four circular economy parks for major industries
Maharashtra will set up four circular economy parks for major industries and an enabling policy for the same will be ready by March and implemented from April, a senior state government official has said. These circular economy parks will primarily focus on recycling scrap and other wastes. The proposed parks will come up in Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, near Pune and Nagpur, the state's Principal Secretary for Steel and Mines Harshadeep Kamble said. Kamble was speaking to PTI here over the weekend on the sidelines of an international conference on material recycling organised by the Material Recycling Association of India. Also read: Experts delve into single shaming, and why Indian women are choosing to be single He said the government is planning a shipbreaking unit at Ratnagiri on the Konkan coast, an e-waste and auto parts unit near Pune, a steel scrap unit at Jalna near Aurangabad and a multipurpose multi- product unit in Nagpur given its geographical centrality. The Nagpur facility will cater to all major industries that generate waste and will function like a hub and spoke model for the rest of the country, he added. Each unit will be spread across at least 500 acres and maximum of 1,000 acres. The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has land banks in all these areas. Besides, land acquisition will not be a problem even though there are some concerns about pollution issues which will be resolved before the policy is finalised by next month, he noted. The government is ready to offer lots of incentives to early birds in the form of lower GST rates, lower power and water tariffs along with fully developed land at much cheaper rates. These incentives will be for the first comers who can set up such large units. They will also be offered common scrapyards/breaking units, storage and effluent treatment facilities, he added. He also said the Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI) will act as the knowledge partner with the government for policy drafting and implementation. Earlier, addressing the event on Friday, union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said increased use of recycled steel can lead to cost reduction to the tune of 30 per cent for auto components. Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had on Saturday said his ministry will ask primary steel makers to increase the use of recycled steel to 50 per cent from the present 15 per cent by 2047 as the country plans to become a net zero economy by 2070. Kamble said the domestic recycling industry is currently worth USD 50 billion while the global industry is over USD 4.5 trillion. The domestic industry should touch USD 200 billion by 2030 and USD 600 billion by 2050, he added. With this, Maharashtra will become the first state to have a special policy for circular economy -- which means full adoption of recycling and reuse of materials. The proposed circular economy parks will support economic development and attract more investment in the state, Kamble said. The objective is to make these industries world-class, while it will create an additional 4-5 million direct jobs, he 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.
05 February,2023 04:29 PM IST | Kochi | PTI
Maharashtra: Body of man found in creek in Thane
The body of a 45-year-old man was found floating in a creek in Maharashtra's Thane city on Sunday, a civic official said. The fire brigade received a call around 8.30 am about the body in Gaikukh Chowpatty on Ghodbunder Road, said Avinash Sawant, chief of the regional disaster management cell said. Also Read: Thane: Man held with 108 bottles of banned cough syrup The local firemen and the team of RDMC fished out the body and sent it for post-mortem, he said. According to the police, a case of accidental death has been registered and a probe has been initiated. 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.
05 February,2023 01:51 PM IST | Mumbai | PTI
Rs 9.4 lakh worth 'counterfeit' coins seized from car in Mumbai, one arrested
Delhi and Mumbai police, in a joint operation, seized coins worth Rs 9.4 lakh from a car owned by a Malad resident and arrested one person. The accused person has been identified as Jignesh Gala and was arrested in connection with distributing the coins. According to the police, the Government Mint will verify if the coins are authentic which are suspected to be counterfeit. The special cell of Delhi Police had been investigating a case of counterfeit currency and had arrested five accused persons. During technical analysis, the Delhi police got leads that a person connected to their case was in Malad (E). Delhi Police came down to Mumbai and on February 1, they approached Mumbai's Dindoshi Police for assistance. After a green signal from senior officers, the teams picked up Gala. Police have learnt that Gala worked for a commission. Also Read: Bigg Boss 6' winner Urvashi Dholakia meets with car accident in Mumbai "During interrogation, accused Jignesh Gala disclosed that he has been involved in the procuring and supplying of Indian currency coins for the last 7-8 years. Initially, he used to collect currency coins from Banks in Surat, local businessmen, and traders of old currency. However, while working in the sector, he started collecting FICCs even from unknown persons and met mastermind Naresh Kumar, who offered a regular supply of FICCs to him," the police said. The police further said that Naresh Kumar used to deliver consignments of Indian currency coins from Jaipur to Mumbai in various traveller buses. "Later, he started sending such consignments through travel agents also. Every such consignment contained FICCs with face value worth Rs 8-10 lacs. In a period of around 2 years, he obtained around 15-16 such consignments and circulated them in the open market,' the police said. Gala's custody was handed over to Delhi police. 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
05 February,2023 09:41 AM IST | Mumbai | ANI
'Bigg Boss 6' winner Urvashi Dholakia meets with car accident in Mumbai
Indian television actor and 'Bigg Boss' season 6 winner Urvashi Dholakia met with a car accident in Mumbai on Saturday. The unfortunate incident happened when Urvashi was going to Mira Road Film Studio for shooting and on her way, a school bus carrying children in Kashimira hit Urvashi's car from behind. However, Urvashi escaped unhurt in the accident. Also Read: Mumbai: Police lathi charges young women in city for fire brigade recruitment She did not register any case against the school bus driver at the police station and just called it an accident. The Kashimira Police has recorded the statement of the actress's driver. Urvashi Dholakia is best known for playing the role of Komolika in the popular television show 'Kasautii Zindagi Kay'. 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.
05 February,2023 08:37 AM IST | Mumbai | ANI
Mumbai: BMC's Health, education budget have little new to offer city
Health infra projects will be the focus of the BMC in the coming year with most of its resources being directed to building of multi-specialty hospitals, maternity homes, and hostels, as per Saturday’s budget. The BMC’s public health budget has dropped by nine per cent this year. The budget estimate for 2023-24 stands at Rs 6,309 crore from Rs 6,933 in 2022-23. Of the total budget, 13 per cent—as opposed to 15 per cent last year—has been allocated to health. BMC Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjiv Kumar said, “Previously, we had allocated more money for COVID-related expenses. However, this year the threat of COVID-19 is almost gone, due to which there is a difference of Rs 600-Rs 500 crore.” Some of the new schemes include Arogyam Kutumbam (Rs 12 crore). Under this scheme, people of 30-plus age will be screened for diabetes and hypertension in the first phase, while people aged between 15 and 30 will be screened in the second phase. To lower the burden of tertiary-care hospitals, BMC had opened 106 HBT clinics and polyclinics last year. By March 2024, the civic body plans to have 270-such clinics and polyclinics across Mumbai. It has also proposed to buy three Tesla MRI machines costing Rs 25 crore each and three CT-scan machines costing Rs 15 crore each for civic hospitals. Also Read: Shinde-Fadnavis stamp clear in BMC budget In order to keep an eye on future outbreaks of communicable diseases, the BMC is going to set up a Metropolitan Surveillance Unit at Kasturba Hospital. Funds for this will come from the Centre. Meanwhile, the civic body on Saturday presented a Rs 3,347-crore education budget, recording a marginal drop from last year’s Rs 3,370 crore. Calling it a student-centric education budget, BMC’s Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, said, “Measures have been taken for accessibility of primary education, upgrading the quality of education, safety, security and health and hygiene of students. Emphasis has been given to entrepreneurship and vocational skills for secondary students too this year.” A majority of the initiatives and schemes mentioned in the budget documents have been carried forward from last year. The BMC has paid Rs 4.44 lakh as a “candidacy programme fee” to join the International Baccalaureate (IB) board. It is the first civic body in India to provide education under boards other than state boards. The civic body has also identified 316 children of migrant labourers and enrolled them into mainstream schools under the Right To Education Act, of 2009. A budgetary provision of Rs 10 lakh has been made for the same. Apart from this, the BMC has also announced a digital classroom programme, under which a systematic database of education curricula will be created, and classes and curricular activities will be carried out through LED intelligent boards. Under the new National Education Policy 2020, students from select BMC schools will be given skill development training in their field of interest. Courses like electronics, apparel, fashion designing, health and hygiene will be available in secondary schools.
05 February,2023 08:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Dipti Singh
Mumbai: Police lathi charges young women in city for fire brigade recruitment
The Mumbai police lathi-charged women candidates during the fire brigade recruitment in Dahisar on Saturday afternoon. The recruitment drive has sparked outrage and protests among several young women candidates, who were allegedly disqualified for not being tall enough, even though they say they were taller than the minimum height limit prescribed by the Municipal Corporation. Due to such a situation, the recruitment process got interrupted by the local police, who expelled the protesters with a lathi charge. Women candidates claimed that had come from different parts of the state and had camped in Mumbai for two days for the recruitment but were unfairly disqualified despite being taller than the minimum height requirement of 162 cm. They also said that when they raised their voice, the police hit them badly. Also Read: Shinde-Fadnavis stamp clear in BMC budget The police says that the women who were eligible according to their height, were allowed to enter at 5 am, but some weren’t, and they were protesting. These same women are now demanding the officials to retest their height, added police.
05 February,2023 08:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
Shinde-Fadnavis stamp clear in BMC budget
Civic Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal presented his third civic budget—for the financial year (FY) 2023-24—on Saturday, albeit with visible stamps of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on it. This was evident not only through new allocations made but also in the civic chief’s speech. The BMC budget 2023-24 document includes seven projects suggested by Shinde and Fadnavis. As per suggestions made by Shinde , BMC has planned to install air purifiers at five most crowded areas in the city—Dahisar Toll Naka, Mulund Check Naka, Mankhurd, Kala Nagar Junction and Haji Ali Junction—Chahal confirmed in his speech. Speaking about other projects, Chahal said, “Under the guidance and directions of the chief minister and deputy chief minister, BMC has initiated various beautification works in Mumbai city. Works like resurfacing of roads, re-pavement and beautification of footpaths, traffic islands, dividers, bridges and spaces under bridges, etc, are being undertaken under this programme at an estimated cost of R1,729 crore.” Also Read: BMC proposes property tax hike... again Chahal added, “As per the chief minister’s instructions, all roads will be constructed using cement concrete to make Mumbai pothole-free.” Another suggestion is addressing the rising threat of hypertension, diabetes and other lifestyle diseases. Other suggestions by Shinde and Fadnavis included in the budget are starting skill development programmes for students of civic-run schools. BMC has made a provision of Rs 28.45 crore. The proposal is to train 41,774 students of Stds IX and X in 249 BMC-run schools. No mention of Thackerays Chahal mentioned Shinde’s and Fadnavis’s names at least eight times in his speech, while mentioning PM Narendra Modi twice. He, however, omitted all mention of the Thackerays.
05 February,2023 07:59 AM IST | Mumbai | Sameer Surve
BMC proposes property tax hike... again
For the fourth budget in a row, BMC has proposed a 16 per cent hike in property tax with a cautionary note that it will be the new elected body that will make the final decision. While the administration has been proposing the hike, the state governments (former MVA and now Eknath Shinde) have been rejecting it every year since 2020-21. The BMC budget estimates for 2023-24 increased to Rs 52,619 crore with the help of fixed deposits. Rs 27,257-crore projects have been proposed of which 75 per cent will come from FDs as there has been no new source of income in a while. Though the civic body has Rs 88,000 crore in FDs, it needs Rs 1.25 lakh crore for infra projects and Rs 37,156 crore for pension. The corporation estimated Rs 6,000 crore from property tax in 2023-24 on the assumption of a 16 per cent hike. “We have estimated the income considering revision of property tax,” said Iqbal Singh Chahal, municipal commissioner. FD share in budget hiked In 2020-21, of the total Rs 33,441-crore budget, the administration proposed use of Rs 4,380 crore from FDs, which is 13 per cent of total amount. Now, four years later, the share of FDs has risen to 36 per cent, underlining dependency on reserve funds as there has not been any new, steady source of income. The BMC proposed Rs 27,247 crore for infrastructure projects out of which 75 per cent will come from FDs. Also Read: BMC budget: All roads to be concretised, but where’s the money for it? No concrete source of income The commissioner said in his budget speech, “It is absolutely necessary for BMC to augment revenue from existing resources, to search for new sources of revenue and to observe strict control on expenditure.” But there is no concrete new income source mentioned in the budget. BMC has planned to appoint agencies for search reports, valuation of property and conducting e-auction of defaulters’ properties. Officials feel that after implementation, compliance by habitual defaulters will improve. Ads on BMC properties BMC plans to identify suitable spots for advertisements on its immovable properties and give them out to advertisers to hike revenue. Octroi compensation BMC is receiving grant-in-aid on account of compensation in lieu of octroi. In 2023-24, income on account of compensation is estimated to be Rs 12,344 crore. Outstanding from state govt Total outstanding dues from the state government on account of grant-in-aid, property tax etc. amounts to Rs 7,223.42 crore as on December 31, 2022. Need Rs 1.25 lakh crore for infra, Rs 37,156 crore for pension The BMC has Rs 88.304 crore fixed deposits. Of this, Rs 37,156 crore is reserved for provident fund, pension of employees and deposits of contractors. This means BMC has Rs 51,147 reserve available for infrastructure works. But as per BMC’s estimation of existing, proposed project cost, it will need at least Rs 1,24,129 crore, which is 250 per cent more than the current funds. A major sum will be required for Sewage Disposal Project (Rs 27,309 crore), Pinjal dam project (Rs 14,390 crore), Goregaon Mulund Link Road (Rs 10,100 crore), Ashray Yojana (Rs 4,038 crore), Waste to Energy project (R3,888 crore) along with 32 other projects. How the budget reached Rs 52,619 crore(All figures in Rs crore) 33,290 Revenue income 18,746 Internal loan/special fund 312 Sale proceeds/premium of land etc. 271 Grants and other receipts 52,619 Total Sources of income (in crore) 12,344 Grant-in-aid on account of compensation in lieu of Octroi 6,000 Property Tax 4,400 Receipts from Development Plan Department1,966 Water & Sewerage Charges 1,707 Income from investments 1,555 Supervision Charges 1,180 Grant-in-Aid from Government 465 Receipts from Roads & Bridges262 Receipts from Licence Department 303 Receipts from Hospitals & Medical Colleges 4,269 Other Receipts 34,451 Total Revenue Capital Expenditure (in crore) 3,545 Coastal Road Project 2,825 Traffic and Roads 2,795 Sewerage Treatment Plant2,570 Storm Water Drains2,156 Water Supply2,100 Bridges 1,680 Health 1,434 Sewerage disposal1,250 Development plan1,125 Staff quarters 1,060 GMLR 550 Repair of civic properties418 Solid Waste Management320 Repairs of schools3,420 Others27,248 Total
05 February,2023 07:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Prajakta Kasale
BMC budget: Party in power next can do reappropriation, says Civic chief
The BMC hasn’t been drawing a constant source of income from its fixed deposits. Isn’t this a matter of concern?We cannot levy tax on citizens if we have money in fixed deposits. There is a reserve fund for big projects, which stands at Rs 15,600 crore, which can be used by us. Besides, each and every revenue will be calculated. The BMC is not lacking funds. The compensation for Octroi will come every year from the state government. Revenue from property tax and development plan along with interest on FDs are other sources. There is a multilevel plan. The budget has been prepared by an administration without an electoral body. How does that change things?I cannot comment on it. But the citizens are at the core. Any political party that comes to power can do a reappropriation. It is a legal option available to them. They can cut down provision on one sector and add to another. In the absence of an electoral body who will approve the budget?As an administrator I have the power of seven committees in the BMC. The budget will be sanctioned after changes, which will need to be made before March 31, 2023. The river rejuvenation project has been pending for years. When will it be completed?The sewerage treatment plants will not only solve sewer problems in the city, but will also solve the water pollution of rivers. Mithi has more than 550 inlets, where sewerage water flow into the river. All the sewer will be diverted to Dharavi, which will solve 80 per cent of the issue. Simultaneously, other centres will cater to other rivers like Poisar, Oshiwra-Valbhat. You have said the focus is on health and education. But the provision is less than last year.There is hardly a Rs 20 crore difference in the education budget and a Rs 600 crore difference in the health budget. We made [extra] provisions for COVID, but don’t need them anymore.
05 February,2023 07:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Prajakta Kasale
BMC Budget wakes up to city’s poor air quality levels
The BMC addressed Mumbai’s depleting air quality levels in Saturday’s budget, with an elaborate seven-step plan to combat air pollution issues. In a first, it has allotted Rs 25 crore specifically towards improving air quality. Introducing the plan in his budget speech, BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal suggested a slew of measures, including power sweepers for dust cleaning; sprinklers to settle the dust on roads and footpaths; deployment of vehicle-mounted misting equipments and vehicle-mounted air purification units; and ionic air purification system for dust mitigation. The BMC has decided to set up air purifiers in five crowded locations in the city. “We will not replicate Delhi’s air purifier models, but the Lucknow model. It is good to do something rather than nothing to curb pollution,” he said. Chahal acknowledged that construction and demolition waste account for a significant portion of the city’s total emissions. “We will be providing construction guidelines for departments and agencies to reduce dust from public infrastructure projects,” he added. Also Read: BMC budget: All roads to be concretised, but where’s the money for it? As part of Budget 2023-24, BMC has carried forward its pending plans of setting up a Climate Action Plan Cell in the civic body, as well as the Construction and waste processing centre it had promised in the 2022-23 budget speech. Former environment minister Aaditya Thackeray said the environment budget was “80 per cent copy-paste of last year’s. The remaining 20 per cent has been printed from Varsha Bungalow for the contractor and builder. This is moral, legal and financial corruption.” Dr Harshal Salve, Additional Professor, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said, “Smog towers or air purification units have significant limitations. The primary one is that they are expensive and fail to have any real impact on air pollution exposure.” Debi Goenka, executive trustee, Conservation Action Trust called the smog towers “a waste of money that could have been better utilised for setting up a real-time air monitoring network with real-time alerts”. Seven-step plan >> Sustainable and clean construction/demolition>> Road dust reduction measures>> Sustainable and clean transport measures>> Sustainable waste management measures>> Ecologically sustainable urban greening projects>> Effective monitoring>> Communication and Awareness Campaigns
05 February,2023 07:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Sameer Surve | Dipti Singh
BMC budget: All roads to be concretised, but where’s the money for it?
Mumbai will have to suffer monsoon potholes for a while longer. Despite claiming that all roads will be concretised in two years, the budget estimates don’t have much provision for it. There is a Rs 2,825 crore provision for roads and traffic department including footpaths, beautification of the Gateway, charging stations at public parking areas, multi-level mechanical parking and the Mumbai parking authority. Last year, the provision was Rs 2,100 crore. There is a 2,050-km network of roads in the city, out of which 990 km are already concretised. The BMC started concretisation of 210 km of roads in January 2022 and completed a tender process of concretisation of 397 km more in 2023 at a cost of Rs 6,080 crore, excluding 18 per cent GST. The BMC claimed it will float another tender for the rest of roads (approximately 450 km ) till May 2023. On September 30, 2022, Civic Commissioner I S Chahal assured the high court that all roads in the city would be concretised in the next two-and-a-half years. Given the cost of the recent tender, the rest of the work may cost more than Rs 7,000 crore, which is far higher than the budget provision. Also Read: BMC budget pro-contractor, will spell Mumbai's financial bankruptcy: Aaditya Thackeray “We have made sufficient provision for roads. The funds will last for two years,” said Chahal. He added that new CC footpaths with international surface designs will be fast-tracked. “This is a first-of-its-kind initiative taken after suggestions from citizens. All nine-metre roads will have footpaths on both sides.” A token provision of Rs 200 crore has been set aside for this work.
05 February,2023 07:42 AM IST | Mumbai | Prajakta Kasale