The plan follows the allotment of Toyota Innova Hycross hybrid vehicles to mayor Ritu Tawde (right) and additional municipal commissioners. Currently, the BMC chief Ashwini Bhide uses an EV (left).

MUMBAI: After deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi sought accommodation at the Rani Baug bungalow, citing his long commute from Dahisar to south Mumbai and heavy traffic, the bungalow was instead allotted to Additional Municipal Commissioner Avinash Dhakane. Now, the BMC is preparing to induct brand-new Toyota Innova Crysta vehicles for the Leader of the House, the Leader of the Opposition and chairpersons of statutory committees.The BMC is set to propose replacing Mahindra Scorpio-N SUVs used by key elected office-bearers with six new Toyota Innova Crysta vehicles, citing demands from political leaders for greater comfort during long commutes and official inspections.The Rs 1.5-crore proposal covers the Deputy Mayor, Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition, and chairpersons of the Standing, Improvements and Education Committees. The move follows the allotment of Toyota Innova Hycross Hybrid vehicles to Mayor Ritu Tawde and Additional Municipal Commissioners.Mumbai mayor Ritu Tawde said some committee chairpersons come from far-off suburbs such as Dahisar, Kandivali and Borivali.“There is no separate tender being called for the vehicles and instead, the chairpersons have only asked for another kind of vehicle instead of what has been provided to them,” she said.Opposition party leader in the BMC Kishori Pednekar said she had not made any demand to change her official vehicle.“I was given a Scorpio vehicle since I was appointed leader of the opposition earlier this year. These are new cars and there’s no need to change the same,” she said.However, mayor Tawde hit back at Pednekar, saying that she had earlier agreed to the change of vehicle but had now changed her stance.A BMC official said no additional money was proposed to be spent on the purchase of these cars.“BMC had purchased Scorpio vehicles for a five-year period. In that, some of the cars were given to committee heads and the rest were given to ward officers. However, some ward officers couldn’t get the new cars and had to go back to using the old cars. Hence, the plan is to give the Scorpios that will be changed for the Innova Crysta cars to the ward-level officials who were using the old cars,” the official said.Currently, only the BMC chief uses an electric vehicle.Ganesh Khankar, BJP party leader, said, “We had made a demand to the BMC in the group leaders’ meeting for a change in the cars.”

The commission held that the denial of carriage followed Jain’s failure to comply with baggage and check-in requirements

Mumbai: A district consumer commission has held that an airline’s refusal to allow boarding after a passenger failed to pay excess baggage charges and missed the check-in deadline does not amount to deficiency in service when the airline acts under its contractual conditions of carriage. The consumer commission dismissed a complaint filed by Versova resident Kanti Jain against Brussels Airlines for being denied boarding for a Mumbai-Manchester journey via Brussels scheduled on Sept 12, 2017. The commission considered the plea and documents, including baggage records and the airline’s General Conditions of Carriage. “Consumer Commissions cannot rewrite contractual terms voluntarily accepted by the parties unless such terms are shown to be illegal, arbitrary, unconscionable or contrary to law,” the commission said.The commission held that the airline acted strictly in accordance with the General Conditions of Carriage, the baggage policy and the operational requirements governing international air travel. “No negligence, deficiency in service or unfair trade practice is established,” the commission said on Tuesday.Jain moved the Mumbai Suburban Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in 2026. Jain had booked three confirmed economy-class tickets for travel with two children. Jain alleged that despite confirmed tickets, boarding was denied and fresh tickets had to be purchased from another airline, causing additional expense.Brussels Airlines denied the allegations and said Jain and co-passengers were carrying baggage beyond the permissible free allowance. The airline said applicable excess baggage charges were demanded under its policy, but Jain refused to pay and sought to travel without payment.The commission, however, said Article 8 of the airline’s General Conditions of Carriage permitted the carrier to charge passengers for baggage beyond the free allowance. The order stated, “Thus, the demand made by the Opposite Party requiring payment of excess baggage charges was fully supported by the contractual terms binding upon both parties.”The commission also noted that Jain chose to rearrange the baggage instead of paying the charges and returned to the check-in counter after the stipulated check-in time had expired. “Once the check-in process is closed, the carrier cannot ordinarily accept passengers without disturbing operational schedules, security protocols and aviation safety requirements,” the commission said.Rejecting the allegation of unfair treatment, the commission observed, “The complainant has not produced any evidence to establish that the baggage policy was applied arbitrarily, discriminatorily or contrary to the published conditions.”The commission held that the denial of carriage followed Jain’s failure to comply with baggage and check-in requirements. “Merely because the complainant suffered inconvenience or had to buy fresh tickets from another airline would not by itself establish deficiency in service, when such consequences resulted from his own failure to comply with the contractual requirements.”

The latest I-T data received by the state shows that 94,000 farmers from the beneficiary list pay income tax

Mumbai: The Mahayuti govt had initially estimated that its Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar loan waiver scheme would benefit 56 lakh farmers in the state. However, its exclusion criteria have cut the number down by around 1.4 lakh so far, reducing the number to around 54.6 lakh, according to officials.The waiver does not apply to farmers who pay income tax. The latest I-T data received by the state shows that 94,000 farmers from the beneficiary list pay income tax. Another 47,000 farmers did not fit other criteria listed in the exclusions, sources say. As a result, the number will be reduced by 1.4 lakh.In the scheme, 32 lakh farmers had been shortlisted for the waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh. Another 24 lakh had been shortlisted for the incentive payment, which will be given to farmers who have been repaying their loans regularly.The reduction will take place in the 32 lakh beneficiaries estimated for the loan waiver scheme. The number will now be around 30.6 lakh.So far, the govt has announced a list of 16.9 lakh beneficiaries from the 30.6 lakh beneficiaries for the loan waiver. Of these, 7 lakh farmers have overdue loans from district central cooperative banks and 9.6 lakh from nationalised banks. This amounts to loans worth Rs 13,336 crore. The total funds estimated for the loan waiver scheme are Rs 36,585 crore.The roll-out of the waiver will be done only for those who have Aadhaar-authenticated bank accounts and Farmer IDs. So far, Aadhaar authentication has been concluded for around 6 lakh from the list of 16.9 lakh. Its second list is expected soon. “The delays are mainly caused because of a mismatch between the Aadhaar and bank details and a lack of records in the bank about the overdue crop loan. Once these are resolved, we can announce the next list,” said a senior official.The state had declared the loan waiver on June 2, and it was among the key promises in Mahayuti’s manifesto before the 2024 assembly polls. It covers short-term crop loans taken between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2025. It has three components: a debt waiver, one-time settlement and incentive benefits for those who regularly service their loans.“Farmers who are not on the first list should not panic. The second list will be announced soon,” said state cooperation minister Balasaheb Patil.

In an order issued on Wednesday, BMC said only government and civic programmes and sports-related activities would be permitted on NSCI’s leased land during the 30-day period

Mumbai: BMC has directed the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) in Worli to suspend all commercial events for next 30 days, citing alleged violations of the terms of its land lease and the club’s failure to furnish information sought by the Maharashtra legislature’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).In an order issued on Wednesday, BMC said only government and civic programmes, along with sports-related activities, would be permitted on the leased land during the 30-day period. All other commercial events have been ordered to stop with immediate effect, while authorities have also been directed not to grant fresh permissions for such events and cancel permissions already issued.The action follows observations by the PAC during multiple hearings and a site visit to the NSCI premises in August last year. The committee had sought details on several aspects of the club’s functioning, including revenues from commercial activities, sub-licensing arrangements, membership details and compliance with lease conditions.According to the BMC order, the clarifications submitted by the club were found to be unsatisfactory. The civic body stated that of the 207 programmes organised by NSCI between 2020 and 2025, 194, or 93.72%, were non-sporting events, indicating that the land allotted for promoting sports was being used predominantly for commercial purposes.The order also stated that the club failed to submit complete information despite repeated reminders and a show-cause notice issued in October 2025. Among the information allegedly not furnished were financial details relating to its sub-licence agreement with Cineyug World Wide LLP, audited financial statements of the company and other contractors operating at the premises, year-wise details of non-sports revenue from 2019 onwards, and details of membership fees and membership criteria.The BMC order further alleged breaches of key lease conditions executed in 1993. These include provisions requiring the club to frame rules governing the use of the Olympic Oval, constitute a controlling committee as prescribed under the lease and ensure that the land is used primarily for promoting and supporting sports.“The club has failed to achieve the objective for which the land was granted,” the order stated, adding that the required documents must be submitted within the 30-day period, after which the BMC verify the information and decide on further action.Copies of the order have been sent to the assistant commissioner of G-South ward, the chief fire officer, and deputy commissioners of police concerned, directing them to ensure that no commercial events are held on the premises during the suspension period.When contacted NSCI, a member said that as the managing committee elections are currently underway, they would not want to comment on the issue.

Officers and personnel from the task force will be given a 30% incentive allowance

Mumbai: The state govt has announced a 30% incentive allowance for police officers and personnel serving in Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), citing the hazardous nature of their work and the risks involved in tackling organised drug networks.The state has also created 346 posts for ANTF, which draws officers and personnel from the state police force.According to a govt resolution (GR) issued on Wednesday, the incentive will come into effect on Aug 1 and will be equivalent to 30% of the basic pay under the Seventh Pay Commission. Govt has made a budgetary provision of Rs 5.9 crore for the allowance. It said the incentive is aimed at attracting capable and efficient personnel to the specialised unit and strengthening its ability to take stringent preventive and enforcement action against narcotics trafficking.The incentive, however, will cease once an officer or personnel is repatriated to their parent cadre from ANTF.ANTF carries out intelligence operations, raids and investigations against narcotics trafficking and international and organised criminal gangs. It is also empowered to coordinate with central agencies and investigate cases involving pan-Maharashtra and interstate drug trafficking networks. Govt said those working in the unit frequently risk their lives during intelligence gathering, raids and investigations. Their handling of hazardous narcotic substances also exposes them to the risk of serious physical and mental injury.Through the incentive, govt hopes to induct more talent. “Nowadays, officers are not willing to work in these cells as the timings are very irregular. The work requires round-the-clock surveillance,” said an officer. Officials also pointed to limited funds for intelligence gathering.The demanding nature of narcotics investigations has also contributed to burnout among personnel, officers said. Continuous exposure to hardened criminals, high-pressure operations and prolonged periods of vigilance can affect morale and personal well-being, they said.Legal scrutiny is another major concern for investigators. Cases under stringent provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act require strict adherence to procedures, as even minor lapses can have serious departmental or judicial consequences. “If a case falls flat in court, there are chances that we will be pulled up by senior officers, sometimes without any fault on our part,” said a DCP who has worked in the anti-narcotics cell.Officers said high-profile seizures and sensitive investigations also attract scrutiny from internal authorities and external anti-corruption agencies. Personnel are required to maintain detailed records and ensure the safe custody of seized narcotic substances. Any allegation of loss, tampering, substitution or mishandling of seized material can result in serious questions being raised against the officers concerned.

Mumbai: Nearly 2.17 lakh engineering seats are up for grabs in 380 colleges in Maharashtra this year, with computer engineering accounting for the highest intake of 30,993 seats. The number of seats in computer-related courses such as IT, data science and artificial intelligence, put together, exceeds 50% of the total intake capacity in the state, showing the strong demand for these courses among students.The total number of seats have gone up from last year’s intake capacity of 2.03 lakh, showed data from the state’s CET cell. Around 2.45 lakh students who have registered for this year’s admission process will be given time till Thursday to fill their option forms.The post-Covid surge in demand for computer engineering has plateaued owing to job cuts in the software industry, said principal Hari Vasudevan of DJ Sanghvi College of Engineering, adding that specialised computer-related courses are becoming increasingly popular. “For the last two years, colleges have adopted a more cautious approach, with only modest increases in seats for specialised programmes such as artificial intelligence, data science, machine learning and IoT. Students still want computer-related courses, but with a combination of these emerging areas. Parallelly, demand for core engineering branches such as mechanical and electronics and telecommunication engineering is also slowly picking up among students,” he said.Five courses with the highest intake are computer engineering (30,993), mechanical engineering (24,481), electronics and telecommunication engineering (21,821), computer science and engineering (20,423), and civil engineering (17,500)The last day to fill the option form for students is July 30. Based on the options filled by students, the first allotment list will be released on Aug 2, mentioned a statement issued by the CET cell.This year, allegations of a mismatch between CET and HSC scores resurfaced after the provisional merit list was released, with some students claiming that examination centres could be manipulated. The CET cell has approached the police and cyber cell, seeking a probe into the veracity of claims made in two widely circulated videos. While the cell’s statement was recorded on Tuesday, an FIR is yet to be registered in the matter.