Mumbai: A proposal to lease for 30 years 23,822 square metres of land in the Century Mills’ Lower Parel plot for redevelopment to Peddar Realty Ltd, the highest bidder at Rs 1,351 crore, will come up for final approval before BMC improvement committee on Wednesday, Aug 12.BMC had set a reserve price of Rs 1,348 crore for the plot, and four developers — Peddar Realty, K Raheja Corp, Keystone Realtors and Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate — had submitted their bids in March.According to the civic body, Peddar Realty had submitted a bid of Rs 1,351 crore, which was 0.22% more than the base price. The plot currently has 23 buildings comprising 476 tenements occupied by eligible mill workers’ families and 10 shops.Families of workers of the mill, which shut in 2006, will be permanently rehabilitated as part of the redevelopment.The plot was originally leased to Century Spinning and Manufacturing Ltd (now Century Textiles & Industries Ltd) for 28 years from April 1, 1927, to house employees from the poorer class. The lease deed expired in 1955. According to the civic body’s terms, the lease rent for the first 30 years will be Re 1 per square metre per annum for open land and Re 1 per square metre per annum for buildings under construction (BUA). The lease rent for the next 30 years, which is renewable, will be as per the prevailing policy at the time.The concerned plot will be leased on an ‘as is where is’ basis, and the bidder will have to rehabilitate all eligible residents of the said plot at its own cost. They will be provided flats with a minimum carpet area of 405 square feet. The municipal commissioner reserves the right to take back possession of the concerned land after the expiry of the lease period. If the lease is not renewed further, the lessee shall have to return peaceful possession of the land as well as the developed portion.Meanwhile, Shiv Sena’s (UBT) Aaditya Thackeray had earlier written to the municipal commissioner, stating that BMC should not proceed with the redevelopment proposal without determining the eligibility of local residents and fulfilling their demands.

Mumbai: A proposal to lease for 30 years 23,822 square metres of land in that the Century Mills’ Lower Parel plot for redevelopment to Peddar Realty Ltd, the highest bidder at Rs 1,351 crore, will come up for final approval before the BMC Improvement Committee on Wednesday, Aug 12.The BMC had set a reserve price of Rs 1,348 crore for the plot, and four developers–Peddar Realty, K Raheja Corp, Keystone Realtors and Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate — had submitted their bids in March.After the civic body opened the C packet in May this year, it found that Peddar Realty had submitted a bid of Rs 1,351 crore, which was 0.22% more than the base price. The plot currently has 23 buildings comprising 476 tenements occupied by eligible mill workers’ families and 10 shops. The six-acre plot houses 23 buildings, 476 rooms occupied by mill-worker families and 10 shops.Families of workers of the mill, which shut in 2006, will be permanently rehabilitated as part of the redevelopment. While flats will be allotted to mill-worker families, the remaining apartments will be sold in the open market.The plot was originally leased to Century Spinning and Manufacturing Ltd (now Century Textiles & Industries Ltd) for 28 years from April 1, 1927, to house employees from the poorer class. The lease deed expired in 1955. According to the civic body’s terms, the lease rent for the first 30 years will be Rs 1 per square metre per annum for open land and Rs 1 per square metre per annum for buildings under construction (BUA). The lease rent for the next 30 years, which is renewable, will be as per the prevailing policy at the time.The concerned plot will be leased on an ‘as is where is’ basis, and the bidder will have to rehabilitate all eligible residents of the said plot at his own cost. They will be provided flats with a minimum carpet area of 405 square feet. The municipal commissioner reserves the right to take back possession of the concerned land after the expiry of the lease period. If the lease is not renewed further, the lessee shall have to return peaceful possession of the land as well as the developed portion.Meanwhile, Shiv Sena’s (UBT) Aaditya Thackeray had earlier written to the municipal commissioner, stating that the BMC should not proceed with the redevelopment proposal without determining the eligibility of local residents and fulfilling their demands.

Mumbai authorities are intensifying food safety inspections across various establishments.

MUMBAI: On Monday, August 10, food safety inspections, disruption to the city’s transport network, preparations for Ganesh Chaturthi and public safety concerns are among the issues hogging the limelight in Mumbai. Stories ranging from restaurant hygiene to plaster of paris and clay idols are shaping conversations across the city.Crackdown on food safetyFood safety has become one of the biggest stories in Mumbai, with authorities in Maharashtra increasing their inspections of restaurants and other food outlets. The crackdown has unveiled violations ranging from poor hygiene and improper food storage to licensing issues and food reportedly unfit for consumption. The move is part of a larger enforcement drive that has also targeted establishments in Bengaluru.The focus on food hygiene comes as restaurants, hotels and other food businesses are under increasing scrutiny over how they handle raw materials, cooking oil and cooked food. The issue is likely to continue to be a big consumer-interest story as inspections go on.Railway food outlets too have come under the scanner. Earlier this month, an IRCTC-run food outlet at Mumbai Central was shut after an inspection found poor cleanliness, uncovered cooked food, dirty utensils and other hygiene violations. The operator was also fined about Rs 1 lakh.Local trains are still a commuter worryThe suburban railway network of Mumbai continues to be a daily headache for the city, especially during the monsoon. Technical issues and disruptions can quickly affect thousands of commuters travelling across the Central, Western and Harbour lines, while heavy rain can add to the problems.Mumbai’s local train network continues to be one of the city’s most vital lifelines, and therefore even relatively short disruptions make for a major city story. Commuters are watching delays and service changes very carefully, particularly during peak hours.The debate on Ganesh idols: PoP vs clay heats upWith Ganesh Chaturthi just around the corner, Mumbai’s idol makers and devotees are again caught between traditional plaster of paris idols and their more environmentally friendly clay alternatives.Despite efforts to promote clay idols, PoP still dominates the market. Artisans say making idols out of clay takes more time, space and money, whereas PoP is comparatively easier to mould and allows intricate designs.But environmental concerns keep pushing authorities and citizen groups towards clay and other eco-friendly alternatives. The debate underscores the challenge of reconciling Mumbai’s cultural customs with the need for pollution control during the festival.Security remains a priority ahead of August 15Security preparations are also underway ahead of Independence Day. Earlier, a bomb threat had been received by the Mumbai Metro, the Bombay Stock Exchange and the Mayor’s office, prompting authorities to take the warnings seriously and increase vigilance. The threat investigation continues to be a major security-related development for the city.Fuel and daily searches in Mumbai, goldApart from the major civic stories, daily consumer searches continue to be for gold prices, petrol and diesel rates, rainfall, traffic and public transport. These issues are perennial interests of the residents of Mumbai, especially during the monsoon and in the run-up to important festivals.So the big themes for Mumbai today are clear — food safety, commuter disruption, monsoon preparedness, Ganesh festival preparations and heightened security — issues that hit home for the city.

The SC granted bail to Abhijeet Ganesh Kadu after over seven years in custody (Representative image)

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has granted bail to Abhijeet Ganesh Kadu, a MCOCA gangster in the 2019 murder of Pune gangster Nilesh Wadkar, noting that he had spent over seven years and six months in custody and co-accused with similar roles had already secured bail.The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the order on August 5, 2026, while hearing Kadu’s Special Leave Petition challenging the Bombay High Court’s March 12 order rejecting his bail plea.The case relates to 2019 registered at Dattawadi Police Station, Pune City, concerning Wadkar’s murder on January 13, 2019, at Janata Colony in Pune’s Parvati area.Wadkar was walking with his associates when they were intercepted near Yallama Mandir by a group including Kadu, Dokephode and others.The accused allegedly formed an unlawful assembly and were armed with firearms, knives, iron rods and stones. Wadkar suffered multiple injuries and died, while several others were injured.According to the prosecution, there was a longstanding rivalry between two criminal gangs operating in Janata Vasahat. One gang was allegedly led by Sunil Dokephode alias “Chocolate Sunya”, while the other was associated with Wadkar.The rivalry allegedly dated back to 2007 and had resulted in earlier violent clashes. The accused were charged under Sections IPC of 143, 147, 148, 149, 302, 307, 324, 201 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, besides provisions of the Arms Act, Maharashtra Police Act and MCOCA.Appearing for Kadu, advocate Sana Raees Khan argued that there was no specific evidence establishing his involvement in the murder.The defence disputed the allegation that Kadu had assaulted Wadkar with a koyta, pointing to differing witness statements and noting that injured witnesses’ statements recorded under Section 164 CrPC did not name him.Khan argued before the Supreme Court that he had been behind bars for over seven years and that there was no specific evidence establishing his involvement in the murder.The defence also submitted that Kadu was not produced before the trial court on 115 hearing dates, contributing to his prolonged incarceration.The Supreme Court held that the period already spent in custody and parity with similarly placed co-accused justified bail.The court directed Kadu’s release on conditions imposed by the trial court and ordered him to continue cooperating with the trial.

Thane’s rapid shift from a low-rise, green ‘City of Lakes’ to a dense real estate and infrastructure hotspot has outpaced the ability of civic systems to keep up. A massive infrastructure programme valued at about Rs 55,000 crore is now underway to address problems created by years of fast growth, but residents and experts say the cure is generating fresh disruption. With multiple big-ticket projects running simultaneously, many fear the city’s original character is being replaced by an increasingly concrete-heavy landscape that further strains daily life.For decades, Thane’s urban footprint and social geography were clearly defined. The city limits largely ended near the Eastern Express Highway, with middle-income settlements within the traditional municipal belt. Beyond that lay large industrial zones and labour settlements, while the Ghodbunder stretch remained home to native community clusters and pockets of older, semi-rural life. That balance began to change sharply in the early 2000s after the Ghodbunder Road upgrade during the tenure of then municipal commissioner T Chandrashekhar. Around the same period, a state policy that opened up substantial industrial land parcels for residential development accelerated construction activity, said a former town development official.Long-time residents recall the speed of the transformation. Former deputy mayor Naresh Manera said clusters of gaothans that once defined the city’s quieter neighbourhoods were quickly overtaken by high-rise projects as developers moved in. “The visual change was dramatic and immediate, with open vistas disappearing as towers filled what used to be open space,” said activist Dr Mahesh Bedekar. “Where the skyline once allowed long views, sightlines have narrowed to a few metres in many areas because of the scale and intensity of building activity.”Real estate professionals attribute Thane’s boom to its location and connectivity. Positioned close to Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Bhiwandi and routes leading towards northern Maharashtra, Thane increasingly became an alternative for buyers priced out of Mumbai or seeking more space and comparatively affordable options. Realtors said that as commuting networks improved and new residential stock entered the market, the city began attracting investors and end users from farther suburbs, gradually shedding its earlier reputation as merely a dormitory town.But experts and residents argue that the city expanded vertically and outward without the parallel development of essential civic infrastructure. Saket resident Dayanand Nene said traffic jams, bottlenecks and shrinking road space are routine. BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar said Thane’s infrastructure has not been upgraded to match what he described as a nearly five-fold jump in population. “In Ghodbunder, among the city’s more affluent and highest tax-paying areas, some residents spend lakhs each year on tanker water despite also paying EMIs and property taxes. It highlights how basic utilities have lagged behind real estate expansion.”Facing criticism, the state govt and the Thane Municipal Corporation have cleared and pushed a sweeping list of infrastructure works over recent years. These include metro corridors, flyovers, elevated roads, coastal road links and allied projects, collectively estimated at Rs 55,000 crore. Yet residents and opposition political leaders say the scale and simultaneity of execution has created a second wave of stress. “The irony is that infrastructure meant to reduce congestion is itself intensifying congestion during construction,” said NCP-SP Thane president Manoj Pradhan. Commuters echo the frustration. Frequent motorist Satyajit Shah said the city feels perpetually under construction. “Several projects, like the long-pending Kapurbawdi flyover extension, have been delayed and have not produced noticeable relief.”Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, widely credited with pushing and approving many of the ongoing projects, has defended the works as necessary to address accumulated pressure and prepare Thane for future demand.But project pace and execution have attracted scrutiny from the judiciary and urban planning specialists. Former Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay Oka recently questioned why residents were being excluded from decision-making and consultation when large infrastructure works were planned and implemented. Urban town planner Sulakshana Mahajan said, “Road widening and flyovers alone cannot solve systemic mobility problems. Thane needs a long-term mobility strategy that integrates land use… and environmental safeguards, rather than relying primarily on road-expansion solutions.”Green activist Rohit Joshi said Thane’s ‘City of Lakes’ label was not just a slogan but a defining feature that differentiated it from neighbouring urban centres. He said the city has already lost significant natural assets during its expansion and called for urgent conservation of what remains.