Based on the RTI findings, Kirit Somaiya has alleged that the corrections in the birth certificates were carried out illegally and has demanded that the BMC register an police complaint to investigate the matter and identify those responsible

Mumbai: The M-East ward office in Govandi accounted for 3,132 birth certificate corrections that were made without supporting documents or applications, according to an RTI reply from the BMC received by former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya.The RTI response has also revealed that across the city, 19,753 birth certificates were issued without any supporting documents, while a total 86,020 birth record corrections were carried out in BMC’s SAP system between 2024 and 2026.In its RTI reply, BMC’s public health department stated that based on a revised list received from the information technology department, 86,020 birth record corrections were made in the SAP system. After verification, officials found that 6,109 correction records were duplicate entries, indicating the same birth records had been corrected more than once.The RTI response further stated that 19,753 birth certificates were issued without any supporting documents or applications being available with the civic administration. Of these, 14,194 were issued from the M-East ward office, while the remaining certificates were issued from L, E, and M-West wards.Based on the RTI findings, Somaiya has alleged that the corrections were carried out illegally and has demanded that the BMC retrieve all 86,020 corrected birth certificates and register an police complaint to investigate the matter and identify those responsible.The BMC’s RTI reply, however, does not describe the corrections as illegal. It only states the number of corrected records, notes the duplicate entries, and mentions that supporting documents were unavailable in thousands of cases.

A booth level officer (BLOs) visits a slum with forms for voters as part of the special intensive revision in Karad, Maharashtra, on Wednesday.

Mumbai: With the special intensive revision (SIR) being conducted in Maharashtra till July 30, the state’s chief electoral officer S Chockalingam has said that people should not worry if they do not have the documents required or have been unable to map their own or their parents’ details to the 2002 voter list. What is critical is to fill out personal details on the enumeration form and sign it.This will ensure that they are on the draft electoral roll. “The foremost purpose of the SIR is to verify whether you are continuing to reside in the location listed in the voter list. You should fill at least your personal details like mobile number, Aadhar number (optional), your father and mother’s names and then sign the form,” Chockalingam told ToI.“This will ensure that your name is on the draft roll. After publication of the draft roll, you will be served a notice to submit the documents permitted by the ECI,” he said. The draft roll is to be published on May 8.Chockalingam also clarified that only those who are on the voter list of June 18, 2026, will be part of the SIR. “The SIR is the revision of electoral rolls as on a particular date. That list is frozen on June 18. Only those whose name is on the voter list on that date will be part of the SIR drive,” he said.Owing to the heavy rain earlier this month, the distribution of enumeration forms has been slow, especially in the MMR. Only 35.4% of forms have been distributed to voters in Mumbai suburban and 42% in Mumbai city. In Thane, the figure is 40.5% while in Palghar it is 41%. Across the state, 71.8% of forms have been distributed.“The distribution of forms has been affected because of the heavy rains in the state. But only two weeks of the SIR drive is over and I would advise patience. We have informed the ECI about the heavy rains in the area which affected SIR work,” said Chockalingam.When asked about the problems faced by those who have shifted residence but have their voter ID at the old address, he said, “The legal condition is that the elector should be residing at that location at the point of time of the SIR. The enumeration form will go to the address which is in the current electoral roll. You have two options. You can fill the enumeration form along with Form 8 to show that you have shifted. Or you fill a fresh Form 6 which is a voter registration form with the new address for enrolment in the electoral roll after the publication of the draft roll.”

New Delhi/Pune/Mumbai: Even as NCP (SP) politician Jayant Patil’s late Tuesday night meeting with CM Devendra Fadnavis intensified speculation about whether the Sharad Pawar-led outfit was getting closer to BJP, the party’s MP Supriya Sule said on Wednesday that if the BJP-led NDA govt’s delimitation legislation proposes a uniform 50% jump in Lok Sabha seats in each state, there would be little reason to oppose the bill.Sule’s statement indicated her party’s support to the delimitation legislation, albeit with a caveat, which should be no problem for the govt as it has already committed to an across-the-board 50% increase and Union home minister Amit Shah had declared govt’s stand on the floor of Lok Sabha as he unsuccessfully tried to win over non-Congress parties and get them to support the bill.Sule, however, made it clear that a final decision on the bill will be taken after discussion in the INDI bloc, at whose meeting later this week, she said, she would represent NCP (SP). Sule ruled out her party’s shift towards NDA, saying no such discussions were underway. She said the party had neither held any talks with NDA, nor was it approached on the issue. She said Patil met the CM only to discuss development issues and added there was “nothing political” about the meeting.Patil said on Wednesday that he had met the CM only to discuss disqualification of the Urun-Ishwarpur municipal council president from NCP (SP). He also denied having any meeting with NCP working president Praful Patel and its state president Sunil Tatkare, though the latter also met Fadnavis at his official residence Varsha the same night.This was Patil’s second closed-door meeting with a BJP neta in a week. Last week, he met BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde in Mumbai.Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said repeated meetings between leaders of the governing alliance and NCP (SP) were naturally giving rise to doubts among workers of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). He said allies should remain transparent with each other to avoid confusion and added the opposition alliance expected clarity from its partners.Amid the political churn, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde became the first major constituent of the BJP-led NDA to suggest that the NDA govt is likely to bring the delimitation bill in the session starting Jul 20, asserting it will be passed this time.He ascribed Sule’s comments to the rethink among opposition parties after paying a “political price” in West Bengal, where the TMC lost badly and has since splintered.Speculation about Pawar’s party started soon after six MPs of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) switched over to the Shinde-led Sena.Several opposition speakers, including from the DMK, had in the last Parliament session seized on the fact that the Constitution amendment bill carried no explicit proposal about a uniform 50% jump in LS seats in each state to vote against it, ignoring Shah’s oral assurance. The bill in its new version in the coming session may include this part as govt looks to win over more parties to touch the required two-thirds support for its passage.As many as 26 LS MPs from the opposition camp — 20 from TMC and six from Sena (UBT) — have switched over to NDA since the last session, taking its tally to 324, still much short of 360 needed in the full House of 540 but opening a path for NDA as it looks to revive the bill.Congress MP P Chidambaram hinted at hectic behind-the-doors manoeuvring by BJP, saying it is reportedly wooing DMK and NCP (SP). The DMK, which is no longer part of INDI bloc, has 22 MPs and NCP (SP) has eight in Lok Sabha, while govt is numerically better placed in Rajya Sabha.

Somit Sen & Clara LewisMumbai: In a major relief for Maharashtra’s farmers, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday announced that the state govt will soon waive electricity dues worth Rs 48,000 crore owed by agricultural consumers using up to 7.5 horsepower (HP) pumps, extending support beyond the existing free power scheme and clearing decades-old arrears accumulated by farmers.Fadnavis made the announcement at a BJP-organised felicitation function at the Y B Chavan Centre, where he was being honoured for the state govt’s decision to waive farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh.The latest decision significantly expands the state’s support to the agriculture sector. In the June 2024 budget, the govt had announced that it would bear the burden of electricity bills for farmers using agricultural pump connections up to 7.5 HP and provide them free power under the Mukhyamantri Baliraja Mofat Veej Yojana. A budgetary provision of Rs 14,761 crore was earmarked in 2024 for the subsidy, with the govt committing to pay current electricity bills on behalf of eligible farmers.However, Wednesday’s announcement goes a step further by wiping out past arrears as well.According to senior officials of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), the move effectively clears all outstanding dues accumulated by farmers using agri pumps up to 7.5 HP since the time they obtained their electricity connections.“The arrears on our books have been wiped off. The government has agreed to bear the entire burden and the funds will flow into MSEDCL’s accounts,” a senior official said.MSEDCL managing director Lokesh Chandra described the decision as a “win-win” for both farmers and the utility. While farmers will be freed from a longstanding debt burden, MSEDCL will be able to recover dues that had remained largely unrealisable for years.The waiver also comes against the backdrop of the state’s push to make agricultural power supply self-sustaining through solarisation. Under the Mukhyamantri Saur Krushi Vahini Yojana (MSKVY) 2.0, work is underway on decentralised solar power projects with a capacity of over 15,284 MW, making it one of the largest such initiatives globally. Chandra said the programme is helping shift farm power consumption to daytime hours, with nearly 76% of agricultural consumers now receiving daytime electricity supply.Launched in April 2023, the scheme involves private investment of around Rs 65,000 crore, development of nearly 40,000 acres for solar projects, and is expected to generate about 70,000 jobs in rural areas.An energy department official said the govt has prepared a long-term and sustainable roadmap for agriculture power supply through solar feeders, ensuring reliable and affordable electricity for nearly 44 lakh agricultural consumers covered under the free power scheme.

Navi Mumbai International Airport formally launched its overseas operations on Wednesday

Abu Dhabi: At 2.55am (IST) Wednesday, Air India Express flight IX 207 to Abu Dhabi lifted off from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), becoming the first international commercial flight to depart from the city’s long-awaited second airport and formally launching its overseas operations.The historic departure was marked by a ceremonial send-off. Three “Follow Me” vehicles escorted the eight-month-old Boeing 737 aircraft in an arrowhead formation as it taxied to the runway of the seven-month-old airport. Back at the international terminal, ground staff lined up in a guard of honour, watching the aircraft accelerate into the night sky.Shortly after take-off, Captain Shapoor Irani informed passengers that the aircraft would pass over the Elephanta Caves and south Mumbai before heading across the Arabian Sea. About one hour and 40 minutes into the flight, it entered Muscat airspace before descending into Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport roughly 30 minutes later. The moderately full flight, with only a handful of empty seats, landed at around 4.15am local time.For now, the thrice-weekly Air India Express service will remain NMIA’s only international route. Airport officials said no additional overseas flights are expected before September.“One international carrier has booked slots beginning in September. Other airlines, including IndiGo, have expressed interest, but no additional slots have been confirmed yet,” an airport official said.The launch comes at a time of heightened uncertainty in Middle East aviation after the ceasefire between Iran and the US-backed coalition fell through just days ago, reviving concerns over regional stability and airline operations. “Once the regional situation stabilises, we hope airlines will begin operating more services from this airport,” a senior terminal official said. “Airlines operate on very thin margins, and stability will encourage carriers to expand.”NMIA is banking on a catchment area extending beyond the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. “We expect to draw international passengers all the way from Pune. Since the Missing Link has become operational, travel time between Pune and Navi Mumbai has reduced significantly, making this airport an attractive alternative for overseas travellers,” an airport official said.Inside the terminal, NMIA has commissioned 66 conventional check-in counters and 22 self-service kiosks serving both domestic and international passengers. Some facilities, however, are still awaiting regulatory approvals. “There is presently no smoking area. The smoking lounge is pending security approval,” an airport official said.The passenger processing sequence also differs from Mumbai’s existing international airport. At Navi Mumbai, immigration formalities are completed before security screening. Officials said passengers wishing to leave the airport after clearing immigration— because of an emergency, a delayed flight or any other reason — would have to first cancel their immigration clearance, a process that could take several hours.The terminal’s duty-free outlet also recorded its first customers. An oilfield worker became its inaugural shopper after purchasing chocolates before boarding the flight, while the second customer, a businessman, bought perfumes and souvenirs worth several thousand rupees.NMIA currently has 72 aircraft parking bays, including seven capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Boeing 767 at the cargo terminal, although no scheduled wide-body passenger operations are planned immediately.The airport currently has the capacity to process around 2,500 passengers every hour.