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Maharashtra: Fire breaks out on luxury yacht near Alibaug seashore; two injured
Two persons were injured after a fire erupted on a luxury yacht near the seashore at Mandwa anchorage in Raigad district of Maharashtra on Saturday afternoon, the police said, reported the PTI. The incident occurred at around 3 pm after the cabin cruiser yacht 'Belvedere' dropped the passengers it had picked up from Mumbai at Mandwa in Raigad, 18 km from coastal Alibaug, and was heading to the parking area, an official said, as per the PTI. Yachtmaster Dilshad Marne and Mozin Kurai, both natives of Ratnagiri district, sustained burn injuries, and are undergoing treatment at the civil hospital in Alibag in Maharashtra, he said. Another boat was engaged to douse the fire on 'Belvedere' which had 200 litres of petrol in its fuel tank. The yacht was brought near the shore where fire brigade personnel put out the flames, he said. The cause of the blaze is not known. Further investigations in the matter are underway, the officials said. The incident is being probed by Mandava Sagari police station, the official said. Meanwhile, in an another incident, earlier this week, a fire broke out in a 21-storey residential building close to the Agripada police station in Mumbai on Monday morning, according to a fire official. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, the official further told PTI. According to a PTI report, most people were rescued safely using staircases from different floors. The fire had broken out at 8.07 am in the building located on Jahangir Boman Behram Marg in the Mumbai Central area of the city. The official told the news agency that it was a "level-one" blaze, limited to the electric wiring and installations within an electric duct from the fifth to the seventh floor, as per the PTI. Emergency services, including the Mumbai Fire Brigade, police, and civic officials, promptly responded along with water tankers and ambulances. The official confirmed no injuries had been reported, and the fire was contained. To control the blaze, two small hose lines connected to five motor pumps were utilized. At present, the cause of the fire remains unknown, the officials further told. (with PTI inputs)
02 December,2023 08:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Snakes infestation strikes fear among medical staff at Agashi PHC in Virar
The discovery of two non-poisonous snakes inside a toilet at the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Agashi, Virar (West) in Maharashtra, shocked medical staffers who had gathered for a meeting on Thursday afternoon. A panic-like situation erupted after a nurse heard a constant hissing sound originating from near a toilet. The next day, they again saw a snake slithering on the hospital premises, leaving the medical staff in a state of terror. Nearly 40 medical staff members, who had gathered for a monthly meeting at the PHC, dispersed, and the meeting was delayed by nearly two hours. On Friday, a medical staff member spotted a large snake slithering inside a pipe on the PHC premises, but it could not be caught by a snake rescuer. The medical staffers, including doctors, nurses, and health assistants at the PHC, have been living in constant fear of snake bites, as the premises have not been kept clean by the Gram Panchayat. “About 40 medical staffers had gathered for a meeting at the PHC on Thursday when a nurse heard a constant hissing sound while using the toilet. She got scared as the hissing sound continued to terrify her inside the toilet. She rushed out and informed us,” a medical staff member told mid-day. “We have been dealing with snake bite cases almost every day in Agashi. It is really scary to work in this atmosphere as we conduct family planning operations and deliveries at this PHC. If snakes continue to come due to filthy grounds, we can't perform surgeries. We request the concerned department to provide us with a proper working atmosphere to treat the patients,” said a doctor. “All the medical staff got scared after hearing the news. We had to delay the meeting called to plan for our monthly work,” a nurse said. The panic-stricken medical staffers had to call a private snake catcher, Swarandeep Wankhede, and his team from Agashi. “After more than an hour of struggle, two non-poisonous dhaman snakes were rescued. They were hiding on the parapet of the toilet,” said a medical staff member. The snake catcher, Wankhede, said, “We rescued two snakes on Thursday from the PHC. We catch the snake and release it in a forested area. Earlier, we used to give them to the Fire and Forest Departments of the municipal corporation, but now they have stopped taking the snakes from us. So, we catch the snakes and release them in the forest area.” “Every week our team catches nearly 10 snakes in Virar. We voluntarily help people by catching snakes found in their residential or office premises. We don’t charge anything from people,” said the 27-year-old Wankhede, who learned snake catching tricks from a rescuer. Another medical staff member told mid-day that the area needs to be regularly cleaned by the Gram Panchayat, but the premises are lying in an absolute messy condition, and grass has grown in the field. “There was a meeting of Zila Parishad officials with medical staff at the PHC. In the meeting, the Sarpanch has been told that all the medical staff members are living in constant fear of snake bites because every day we have been noticing snakes in the premises. We can't work like this if snake hissing sounds continue to terrorize our staff,” said a medical staff member. When contacted, the Sarpanch of Agashi, Vijay Patil, said, “The area of this PHC is really huge, and there is a khaki on the back side. Also, the old quarters have been demolished, and debris needs to be cleaned. Just because of the monsoon, grass in the premises has grown long and needs to be trimmed.” “I have also requested the municipal corporation to assist us in cleaning the premises. Hopefully, from Monday or Tuesday, the grass trimming procedure will start at the PHC. A few pipes, kept on the PHC premises, are meant for supplying water, and the project is underway,” Patil added. Meanwhile, another snake created panic at a Vada Pav shop in Vasai. A local snake rescuer was called and rescued the snake from the shop. “It was a dhaman snake hidden inside the shop. It took us three hours to rescue the snake, and my business was hampered,” said Anil Gupta, the shop owner.
02 December,2023 05:56 PM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar Sharma
Pune: MNS unit chief, workers charged for damaging shops over Marathi signage
A police official revealed on Saturday that the local Maharashtra Navnirman Sena unit (MNS) president and party members are facing charges by the police for allegedly causing damage to shops that do not have Marathi signboards. The MNS protested on Friday in several locations in Pune, including Tilak Road and JM Road, to draw attention to the lack of Marathi signs in several stores. Social media was flooded with videos of the protests. The English signage of numerous stores, including those that carried international brands, was vandalised and stones were thrown by supporters of Raj Thackeray's party during the demonstrations. According to the official statement, nine people—including the head of the city unit, Sainath Babar—are mentioned in the case under section 143 for unlawful assembly, in addition to other pertinent provisions of the Mumbai Police Act and the Indian Penal Code. MNS leader Ajay Shinde, had previously told PTI that they agitated and damaged nameplates which were not in Marathi and added that MNS chief Raj Thackeray had asked the Maharashtra government to take action against non-complying entities. Since, they did not, MNS staged a protest, he further said. Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray, the leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), spoke with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday about issues pertaining to toll collecting and the existence of Marathi signboards at businesses throughout the state, stated a report in the PTI. The report cited a statement issued by the chief minister's office (CMO) saying that the meeting took place at Varsha, the chief minister's official residence. Thackeray had recently criticised the state government for allegedly disobeying a Supreme Court order requiring Marathi signboards to be displayed in stores and other facilities. He said that the ruling coalition was only making token gestures towards Hindutva and Marathi issues. The Supreme Court had already given store owners two months, ending on November 25, to install Marathi signboards. If they didn't, they would have to pay a daily fine of Rs 2,000. The MNS had previously expressed concerns with the state's toll-collection policies.
02 December,2023 02:43 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Raj Thackeray meets CM Shinde to discuss Marathi signboards, toll collection
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray held talks with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde regarding the concerns surrounding toll collection and the presence of Marathi signboards at shops across the state, as reported on Saturday, stated a PTI report. According to the report, a statement released by the chief minister's office (CMO) stated that the meeting took place at Varsha, the official residence of the chief minister. "Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray came to Varsha's residence today and met me. In this meeting, the issue of toll booths in the state and the implementation and punitive action of the decision of the Supreme Court regarding the installation of Marathi boards on the shops were mainly discussed," CM Shinde posted on X (formerly Twitter). महाराष्ट्र नवनिर्माण सेनेचे अध्यक्ष राज ठाकरे यांनी आज वर्षा या निवासस्थानी येऊन माझी भेट घेतली. या भेटीत राज्यातील टोल नाक्यांचा प्रश्न आणि दुकानांवरील मराठी पाट्या लावण्याबाबत सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाने दिलेल्या निर्णयाची अंमलबजावणी आणि दंडात्मक कारवाईबाबत प्रामुख्याने चर्चा… pic.twitter.com/kKSeRMXc0n — Eknath Shinde - एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) December 2, 2023 The PTI report further stated that Thackeray had recently voiced criticism towards the state government and alleged that there was a lack of adherence to a Supreme Court directive mandating the display of Marathi signboards in shops and establishments. He accused the ruling Mahayuti coalition of merely paying lip service to Marathi and Hindutva matters. The party had also warned that they would protest if all shops and establishments did not put up Marathi signboards. Reportedly, earlier, the Supreme Court had set a two-month deadline (concluding on November 25) for shop owners to install Marathi signboards, imposing a daily penalty of Rs 2,000 for non-compliance. Raj Thackeray and his party had previously raised concerns about toll-collection practices in the state as well. Meanwhile, the Pune police have filed a case against the president of the local MNS unit and party members for allegedly causing damage to shops lacking Marathi signboards, an official told PTI on Saturday. The party had reportedly staged protests on Friday across various parts of Pune like Tilak Road, and JM Road and pointed out the absence of Marathi signage in multiple shops and videos of the protest were circulated on social media. According to the report, during the protests, members of the Raj Thackeray-led party threw stones and vandalised the English signboards of several shops, including those retailing multinational brands. Nine individuals, among them the city unit president Sainath Babar, are named in the case under section 143 for unlawful assembly, along with other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Mumbai Police Act, as per the official statement. With PTI inputs
02 December,2023 02:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Prez Murmu warns against misuse of technology at Nagpur University convocation
President Droupadi Murmu spoke at the 111th convocation of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU), warning against the exploitation of technology and emphasising the threat posed by deepfakes developed using artificial intelligence, stated a report in PTI. According to the report, while appreciating the benefits of technology, President Murmu emphasised that its misuse, particularly in the development of deepfakes, might hurt society. She emphasised the importance of ethical education in guiding correct technology use. "Now every youth understands technology as well as uses it. Any resource can be put to good use and misused as well. The same is true with technology as well. If it is used properly, it will benefit society and the country, but if misused it will affect humanity. Today, the use of artificial intelligence is making our lives easier, but the use of technology for deepfake is a threat to society. In this regard, moral value-based education can show us the way," she said. President Murmu further stated, "Now every youth understands technology as well as uses it. Any resource can be put to good use and misused as well. The same is true with technology as well. If it is used properly, it will benefit society and the country, but if misused it will affect humanity. Today, the use of artificial intelligence is making our lives easier, but the use of technology for deepfake is a threat to society. In this regard, moral value-based education can show us the way." Deepfake films, a type of synthetic media in which people's likenesses are replaced in existing photographs or videos, were identified as a disturbing trend. President Murmu praised the appearance of a large number of female degree holders at the convocation, emphasising the importance of investing in girls' education for the country's progress, the report added. "Similarly, around 4 lakh students are pursuing their education from RTMNU and its affiliated colleges, and 40 per cent of the total students are girls, which is a very satisfying factor. I believe that investing in girls' education is the most valuable investment in the progress of the country," she said. She added, "There is a need to continuously learn given the huge changes taking place in the field of technology today. Students should always be curious and strive to learn throughout life." Recognising the rapid technological advancements, she urged pupils to embrace continual learning. The goal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to incorporate Indian values and provide high-quality education was also emphasised. For general academic progress, President Murmu emphasised multidisciplinary studies, international collaborations, research, and innovation. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who were also in attendance, emphasised the importance of universities in developing competent human resources and transferring knowledge into riches for India's development. With PTI inputs
02 December,2023 02:01 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondent
Mumbai welcomes the New Year amidst price rise and inflation
As the countdown to the New Year begins, Mumbaikars find themselves facing the dual challenges of price rise and inflation. The economic landscape has prompted individuals and communities to rethink their celebratory plans, seeking innovative and budget-friendly ways to welcome the upcoming year. In this Maximum City, where festivities are ingrained in the spirit of its people, Mumbaikars are finding creative ways to celebrate without breaking the bank. Homebound Festivities Many Mumbaikars are opting for intimate celebrations within the comfort of their homes. House parties have gained popularity as people choose to create warm, welcoming environments for close friends and family. By doing so, they not only save on exorbitant restaurant prices but also enjoy a more personalised and relaxed atmosphere. Neha Singh, a Mumbai resident, said that she prefers to celebrate with her friends at her place. "As of now, I do not have any plans for the New Year’s Eve celebration. I mostly prefer house parties with my friends," the 22-year-old shared. "Due to this price rise and inflation, I would prefer watching web series and chill over clubbing or fancy parties.” When asked how New Year’s Eve celebrations have changed over time, Singh added, “For me, it has changed a lot over time. Earlier, I used to celebrate with my family members and go to nice restaurants to dine out and enjoy. Now, I prefer staying indoors with my close friends. Price rise and inflation is definitely affecting people. It mostly affects the middle-class. Everything is rising except our income!” Echoing similar sentiments, 22-year-old Chandni Shah said, "I don't have any New Year's Eve plan specifically, but all I want is to start the New Year with inner peace and positivity so that 2024 arrives with prosperity and happiness. One of the reasons I'm not celebrating the New Year in a grand way is inflation… It definitely affects our monthly budget. Thus, it's better to be in your personal space with your limited budget source." For Shah, celebrating New Year's Eve with near and dear ones is better than a grand party with unknown people. "I always wanted a huge celebration due to the influence of the outside world, but over time I realised that celebrating New Year with your close ones is much better than having a grand huge party with unknown people," Shah said. Budget-conscious outings Girgaon-based event manager says conscious outing is the flavour of the season. "Many are exploring local parks, beaches, and public spaces to welcome the New Year. This not only reduces expenses but also highlights the city's vibrant public spaces as ideal venues for celebration," the Girgaon resident said. Mumbaikars are approaching the New Year with a heightened awareness of their spending habits. ”Prioritising essential purchases and cutting back on non-essential items, people are adopting a more frugal mindset. Financial planning discussions have become commonplace, emphasising the importance of fiscal responsibility during these challenging economic times," the resident added. DIY decorations and gifts Creativity is taking centre stage as individuals embrace do-it-yourself (DIY) decorations and gifts. "Homemade crafts not only add a personal touch to the celebrations but also offer a cost-effective alternative to store-bought decorations. This shift towards handmade elements embodies the spirit of resourcefulness and individual expression," the event manager added. Online Shopping Strategies With the rise of e-commerce, Mumbaikars are capitalising on online shopping deals and discounts. "From party supplies to festive attire, online platforms are offering a plethora of options at competitive prices. This enables residents to make cost-effective choices without compromising on the celebratory spirit," the event manager said. Conclusion In the face of price rise and inflation, Mumbaikars are demonstrating resilience and adaptability as they gear up for New Year's Eve. Through innovative celebrations, community engagement, and a conscious approach to spending, residents are proving that the spirit of festivity can thrive even in challenging economic times. As Mumbai prepares to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, the city's residents exemplify the strength of community, creativity, and the enduring joy that comes from shared celebrations.
02 December,2023 11:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Ronak Mastakar
Mumbai: BMC wants solutions from you on how to fix Malabar Hill reservoir
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation formed an expert committee to suggest solutions for repairing the Malabar Hill reservoir, but the committee hasn't met or visited the site in the past month. The century-old reservoir, located under Phiroj Shah Mehata Udyan, also known as Hanging Garden, needs repair and expansion. To execute this, around 389 trees might need cutting, sparking strong opposition from locals who advocate for preserving Hanging Gardens. Civic chief I S Chahal assembled a committee with IIT Bombay professors Ashok Goyal, R S Jangid, Jothi Prakash and Daksha Murthy and local representatives, with a December 1, 2023 deadline for their report. However, an extension was granted after discussions led by Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha. The committee also comprised local representative architect Rahul Kadri, civil engineer Dr Vasudev Nori, and A Seth. Speaking with mid-day, Rahul Kadri said, "I received a letter from BMC regarding my appointment to the committee. However, since then, there hasn't been a single meeting or site visit in a month." Meanwhile, the BMC has decided to invite suggestions from citizens and experts. They can submit their recommendations within the next 15 days to mhriit.suggestion@gmail.com. Officials claim that these suggestions will be incorporated into the final expert report. “The process of the committee will take another 45 days at least,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velrasu. According to a BMC official, the Malabar Hill reservoir is 137 years old and urgently needs repairs. This reservoir supplies 147 million litres of water, primarily to South Mumbai. A hanging garden has been established atop this reservoir. BMC documents propose cutting 189 trees while transplanting 200 others. Construction of the new tank will commence only after BMC obtains permission to fell the trees. According to the documents, BMC approved the proposal in February 2022, with a project cost of R698.50 crore. The work will be carried out in phases over the next seven years and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2029. BMC officials stated that the project aims to boost the reservoir's capacity from 147.78 million litres to 191 million litres. Dec 1Deadline to submit the report 389No. of trees that will be cut for repair work
02 December,2023 07:59 AM IST | Mumbai | Sameer Surve
Central Railway’s new top boss boosts hopes of a smoother commute
Hopes for further seamless commutes on the Central Railway (CR) revived on Friday as the original planner of multi-modal integration of CR stations, Ram Karan Yadav, took charge as its General Manager. Yadav is a senior officer of the Indian Railways Service of Engineers (IRSE) from the 1986 batch. Yadav was instrumental in building Dadar station’s widest footover bridge (FOB), integrating Ghatkopar station with the Mumbai Metro station, and remodelling Thane, Kalyan and CSMT. “As chief project director (station development) on CR, Yadav was involved in the development of the inter-modal station at Ajni, Nagpur, the integration of Metro station at Ghatkopar, remodelling of Thane, Kalyan and CSMT and monetisation of Railway land at Matunga station,” a CR spokesperson said. Yadav received the General Manager’s award in 1999 for excellent planning and execution of the 12-meter-wide FOB with PSC girders at Dadar station. Earlier, as general manager of Urban Transport at Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), Yadav carried out a feasibility study of the Elevated Corridor along WR suburban line and also worked as an independent safety officer in the execution of the Mumbai Metro One. As chief administrative officer (construction) on WR, he was responsible for the highest-ever commissioning of new lines, gauge conversions and doubling on WR in a year. Work on the sixth line between Khar and Borivli picked up pace during his tenure and work on station development at Udhna, Sabarmati and Bhuj also commenced. While working as divisional railway manager at Bhusawal, he conducted one of the biggest encroachment removal drives on Indian Railways in 2018 with 17,000 multidisciplinary staff, removing over 3,000 houses (hutment/pucca houses) and approximately 350 shops, reclaiming over 120 acres of Railway land. 1999Year Yadav received General Manager’s award for Dadar FOB General Manager’s first-day tasks On his first day as the general manager, Yadav visited certain sections at CSMT, reviewed installation proposals of major routes, and met department heads and divisional railway managers of Mumbai, Bhusawal, Nagpur, Pune, and Solapur divisions. He emphasised certain factors, including train operation safety, maintenance, field inspections, and increasing sectional speeds up to 130 kmph. With regard to commuters, he stressed meeting their demands, providing amenities, controlling crime, and effectively interacting with them and public representatives. Concerning staff, Yadav recommended focusing on their welfare, promotions, and medical facilities.
02 December,2023 07:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Mumbai: Work starts on bigger, faster Western line
The decades-long-awaited upgrade of Western Railway (WR) Mumbai is finally taking shape with work beginning on the ground from December. The idea is to have six parallel lines till Virar and four ones till Dahanu within the next four years. While work on the Virar-Dahanu line is 21 per cent complete with a targeted deadline of 2025, work on Borivli-Virar has also been processed and work began on December 1, with a targeted deadline of 2027. At present, there are just two lines for up and down trains between Virar and Dahanu, four lines between Borivali and Virar, and six lines between Goregaon and Khar. Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) officials said that both the projects were on track with stage one in-principle approvals for mangrove forest land for the Borivali-Virar project also in hand. “Work on the Borivli-Virar fifth and sixth line project has now started. The sanctioned cost of the project is R2,184.02 crore with a target date of completion of December 2027,” a senior official said. Work is carried out at Western Railway’s Vaitarna station in Palghar district. Pic/Saurabh Raut A number of station buildings, offices and godowns need to be relocated for the purpose at seven stations between Borivali and Virar. All preparations for the project such as submitting of tree-cutting proposals to the municipal authorities and handing over those related to land acquisition to collectors of Thane and Palghar have been done. A forest-clearance proposal for 12.78 hectares of land has also been cleared on two conditions: that the state forest department and MRVC prepare a wildlife management plan and a detailed note on vulnerability and mitigation measures for soil erosion. The tenders for relocation of buildings have been awarded and the one for footover bridges and platforms is under evaluation,” he added. “The Virar-Dahanu quadrupling project at a cost of R3,578 crore is at an advanced stage with 21 per cent physical progress, with all land acquired. Construction of station buildings at Virar, Vaitarna, Saphale, Kelve Road, Dahanu Road and Umroli stations as well as on bridges is currently on,” the official said. “As a part of the quadrupling plan, new platforms and alignments are also being made at certain stations and bridges widened and strengthened, which will allow for faster trains. Once the quadrupling is over, the capacity constraints will end and one will be able to segregate mail express and suburban traffic, add more trains and increase frequency. The deadline for this project is December 2025,” he added. Rs 3,578crCost of Virar-Dahanu four-lining
02 December,2023 07:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
IIT-Bombay begins placements, 40 firms interview students
The Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) began the first phase of campus placement season on Friday. Although there are concerns over a global economic slowdown, the premier institute is expecting a good placement season. Around 40 companies interviewed candidates on Friday. Compared to last year, 80 per cent of the regular recruiters have participated this year. As per the statement shared by the institute on Friday evening, over 350 companies are expected to participate in the first phase of placement season which is to continue till December 15. “The placement drive at the institute has started on a positive note with over 200 pre-placement offers (PPO) accepted. Three Public Sector Undertakings (PSU)— Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)—have recruited students before day one,” the statement from IIT-B read. Past trends IIT-B’s phase one of placement season 2022-23 began on December 1 and ended on December 16, 2022. The first day of that season saw 46 companies interviewing candidates in person and online, 250 job offers, and 300 pre-placement offers. Participating companies this year, for domestic profiles, include Google India, Apple, and Microsoft India, Procter & Gamble, Sony Japan, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Tata Group, etc. Participating companies on day one last year were Accenture Solutions, Airbus India, Microsoft India, Morgan Stanley, McKinsey & Company, Procter & Gamble, Qualcomm, Shell India, Texas Instruments, and Tata Steel. According to data provided by IIT-B, there were fewer offers in phase one of placement season 2022-23 (1,648) than the phase one of 2021-22 (1,723). However, after factoring in accepted offers, including PPOs, accepted job offers were at an all-time high in phase one of placement season 2022-23. Following phase one last year, 63 international offers were accepted by students, with 25 offers exceeding Rs 1 crore per annum. The highest annual salaries on a cost-to-company (CTC) basis for domestic and international offers were R3.67 crore and R1.31 crore, respectively. Taking into account all accepted offers in last year’s phase one, the average annual salary stood at Rs 23.26 lakh (CTC basis). Last year’s phase one marked a significant achievement in the placement of IIT-B’s PhD scholars, with 36 offers accepted, boasting an average CTC package of Rs 16 lakh per annum. The highest salary package reached Rs 29 lakh per year. Considering the trends observed in IIT-B’s placement seasons in the past two years, it would be intriguing to see how placement season unfolds this year. 350Companies expected to participate in ongoing phase one
02 December,2023 07:43 AM IST | Mumbai | Dipti Singh
Sun Beach Resort case: BMC denies pending regularisation proposal
A fresh development unfolds in the Sun Beach Resort, Gorai case, now spotlighting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Despite the resort owner securing a stay on demolition from the Supreme Court (SC) pending a decision on regularisation, a September BMC letter reveals no pending application from the owner. The uncertainty prompts questions about BMC’s next moves and the resort’s operational status. Following the Bombay High Court’s April 26 order for demolition due to Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations, BMC’s actions remained subdued for six months. In October, the resort owner approached the Supreme Court seeking relief against BMC’s demolition. Abdul Hamid Maphkhan Shah, the resort owner, sought a stay on BMC’s action until the Building Proposal (BP) department decided on his regularisation plea. The Apex court granted relief, staying the demolition until the BP department decided. However, a BP department letter addressed to the R Central ward office obtained by mid-day contradicts this, stating there is no pending regularisation proposal with them. The proposal was rejected due to missing CRZ remarks, approved plans, plot demarcation, the Chief Fire Officer’s NOC, and parking details. A September 4, 2023, BP department letter explicitly denies any pending Sun Beach Resort regularisation proposal. The letter was issued a month before the petitioner’s Supreme Court application. When questioned, Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal redirected the query to Sudhakar Shinde, the additional municipal commissioner, who didn’t respond. The Supreme Court had set a November 30 deadline for BMC’s decision on the Sun Beach Resort matter. The next hearing is scheduled for December 4. Ironically, instead of informing BMC or the court, the BP department sent a fresh letter to the resort owner on November 20, demanding documents within 15 days before the final rejection. Repeated attempts to reach resort owner Abdul Hamid Maphkhan Shah remained unanswered. Apr 26Day Bombay HC passed order for demolition
02 December,2023 07:40 AM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev Shivadekar