Shiv Sena Mumbai Dussehra Rallies: Amid the ongoing festivities, all eyes are glued to Mumbai as the city is set to witness two Dussehra rallies for the first time since the Shiv Sena’s inception 56 years ago. The rallies are being billed as a show of strength by both Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray camps. Predicting huge turnouts at the rallies, the Mumbai Police have tightened security at the Shivaji Park and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). While the Shinde camp is holding its rally at the MMRDA ground in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), the group headed by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray is organising its Dussehra event at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai. Reports claimed that more than 5,000 buses, a number of small tourist vehicles and cars, and a special train have been roped in to ferry supporters of the two rival Shiv Sena factions for their respective Dussehra rallies.Also Read - Mumbai Traffic Advisory: Special Arrangements Made Due To Dussehra Rallies At Shivaji Park, MMRDA Ground | Check Routes To AvoidMaharashtra | Buses carrying supporters of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) arrive at the MMRDA ground in Mumbai for the #Dussehra rally pic.twitter.com/JzSqsmxNsY— ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022The following parking arrangements have been made for the vehicles of citizens attending the Dussehra Mela organized on 5th October at MMRDA Ground, BKC, Bandra (E).#MTPUpdates #MumbaiTrafficUpdates pic.twitter.com/H8ioifSneH— Mumbai Traffic Police (@MTPHereToHelp) October 4, 2022There shall be no parking on following roads:-In view of Dussehra Mela to be held at Shivaji Park, Dadar on October 5, 2022, to avoid traffic congestion on the nearby roads, following temporary provisions have been made to the traffic management from 9 AM to 12 PM. pic.twitter.com/7g67ICRIIO— Mumbai Traffic Police (@MTPHereToHelp) October 4, 2022Siddhivinayak Junction S.K.Bole Road-Agar Bazar- Portuguese Church and Gokhale Rood.No Entry from Raja Badhe chowk Junction up to Keluskar Marg (North) Junction DadarLJ Road- Gokhale Road- Steel Man Junction then proceed through Gokhale Road.
Mumbai: The political scene in Mumbai, in a first, will see two Dussehra Rallies taking place in the financial capital. Party’s rival factions -led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray – in what is being billed as a show of strength by both camps after a change in government in June. This will first such move since the inception of Shiv Sena 56 years ago. Owing to thes big rallies,Mumbai Traffic Police has issued advisory stating routes that will closed during the course of event.Also Read - 5 Places In India Where Dussehra Is Celebrated Without RavanWhile the Uddhav Thackeray faction will hold its rally at the historic Shivaji Park in Dadar in central Mumbai, while group led by Shinde has organised their event at the MMRDA ground at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in the suburbs. Also Read - Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav to Virender Sehwag; How Cricketers Wished Fans on Auspicious DayThe following parking arrangements have been made for the vehicles of citizens attending the Dussehra Mela organized on 5th October at MMRDA Ground, BKC, Bandra (E).#MTPUpdates #MumbaiTrafficUpdates pic.twitter.com/H8ioifSneH— Mumbai Traffic Police (@MTPHereToHelp) October 4, 2022 Also Read - Sena vs Sena in Mumbai: 5,000 Buses, Special Trains For Dussehra Rallies at Shivaji Park; Traffic Restrictions Imposed | 10 PointsIn view of Dussehra Mela to be held at Shivaji Park, Dadar on October 5, 2022, to avoid traffic congestion on the nearby roads, following temporary provisions have been made to the traffic management from 9 AM to 12 PM. pic.twitter.com/7g67ICRIIO— Mumbai Traffic Police (@MTPHereToHelp) October 4, 2022The rallies have generated intense interest in political circles and also among common citizens and there will be more than just speeches by the two friends-turns-foes as the rival factions will seek to present themselves as the ‘real’ Shiv Sena and try to claim the legacy of party founder the late Bal Thackeray.
PUNE/MUMBAI: A total of 1,800 ST buses from across Maharashtra have been booked for ferrying supporters of Uddhav Thackeray and chief minister Eknath Shinde to Mumbai for the parallel Dussehra rallies to be held on Wednesday. A road transport official said buses were booked by various individuals and paid for in cash. However, the Congress alleged that up to Rs 10 crore has been spent by the CM-led Shiv Sena faction on transport and food expenses for the BKC rally. The party demanded a probe by central agencies into the expenditure. Congress claims Rs 10 crore spent for buses to rally, MSRTC denies centralised paymentMaharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has diverted buses plying in rural areas, apart from those engaged in school transport services, to carry supporters of the rival Sena factions to their rallies in the city on Wednesday. However, MSRTC general manager (traffic) Shivaji Jagtap denied any impact on regular operations. "Our usual operations have not been affected. In many areas, Navami and Dashmi (Dasara) are collector-declared holidays. We see a 45% dip in passenger traffic on both days each year. Many buses will be used only after their day's schedule is complete," Jagtap told TOI on Tuesday. While 450 ST buses were booked from Aurangabad and Beed districts in Marathwada, another 686 buses were from the north Maharashtra region. At Sillod in Aurangabad, state agriculture minister Abdul Sattar was seen personally monitoring the departure of ST buses decked with the CM's posters. MSRTC's Aurangabad divisional controller Sachin Kshirsagar said, "Buses plying in the rural areas and those engaged in school transportation were mostly diverted for these bookings as they see negligible occupancy on Dussehra day." The Pune and Kolhapur divisions did not report bookings. At Nashik, a MSRTC officer said, "We received bookings of 686 buses from our central office." Some 100 private buses from Nashik have also been booked. A MSRTC official said no favours were done to the Shinde faction. "Buses have been booked in the name of individuals across the state. They were booked on casual contract. As per convention, fare has been collected in cash. It is not that one person has booked 1,600 buses and paid a fare of Rs 10 crore," he said. However, the Congress has demanded a probe by the Enforcement Directorate and income tax department on expenditure incurred by the Shinde faction for the rally at BKC. MPCC spokesperson Atul Londhe said Rs 10 crore has been spent to engage buses. "If Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut can be jailed on charges of laundering Rs 50 lakh, then what about the Rs 10 crore spent by the Shinde faction?" he asked. He said Sena leaders are transporting thousands to BKC. "Central agencies must probe the source of the cash. This amounts to money laundering and offences should be registered under Prevention of Money Laundering Act," Londhe said. "In addition, from the statement of a rebel Shiv Sena leader, two lakh food packets will be given to people attending the rally," he alleged.
MUMBAI: The two Dussehra rallies in the city, five kilometres apart, are expected to produce a blistering duel between Shiv Sena party president Uddhav Thackeray and chief minister Eknath Shinde, dwelling on the themes of Hindutva, betrayal, dynastic succession and governance. While Uddhav is likely to take on Shinde and BJP for its role in bringing down his government, the CM is expected to make a hard pitch for his right to claim Bal Thackeray's legacy and at the same time, remind his audience about key decisions taken by him in the last three months. Both may speak for over an hour each, starting their speeches around 8.45pm and going on till the close at 10pm. By convention, Sena rallies start around 7pm with other seniors on the dais saying their bit for an hour and half. Around 8.15pm, the key speakers are expected to arrive. Thackeray and Shinde will be the last to address and will hold forth till 10pm. There was speculation that Aaditya will also talk at Shivaji Park, but Sena leaders denied such a move. The Shinde faction on Tuesday released their latest promotional video for the rally. "...to take forward Hindutva's chariot, to teach a lesson to those who have forgotten our ideology, not of one family but a Dussehra rally of Balasaheb's ideology," reads the script emblazoned on the visuals with Shinde in the background. The CM may devote time to decisions taken by his government to compensate for "shortcomings" under the previous regime. Apart from emphasising on the effort to speed up key projects such as the underground metro in Mumbai, the bullet train and a beautification plan for the metropolis, he is expected to speak on relief measures for the agriculture sector. A Shinde faction leader said the CM is also likely to make some revelations on events in June and July leading up to the collapse of the MVA government following his revolt along with 40 Sena MLAs. Saamna, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, on Tuesday suggested that Thackeray will come out all guns blazing at the rally. "Bogus and fake people will be exposed...Uddhav Thackeray's cannon will fire hard. It will fire at bogus Hindutva," said a party statement in the Saamna. The Thackeray faction may also release a new theme song targeting "the traitors" and harping on loyalty to Balasaheb's Shiv Sena. Sena leader Anil Parab described the rally as "a cultural gathering". "We have been hosting this since 1966. We used to come here to listen to the thoughts of Balasaheb and now we listen to Uddhavji. It will be a grand rally," Parab said. As at a group heads meeting earlier this month at Goregaon's Nesco grounds, a chair is likely to be symbolically kept vacant for Sena MP Sanjay Raut who is in jail in an alleged money laundering case. Leaders from both factions are trying to ensure a full house. Officials said while around 60,000 people can fill up Shivaji Park, the MMRDA grounds are bigger. To welcome guests, the CM's camp has organised food packets for every attendee with ladoo and savouries.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced the date for the bye-elections to the Andheri (East) Assembly constituency in Mumbai, the first election in the city after the split in the Shiv Sena.The EC on Monday released the schedule for bypolls to seven Assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. The elections will be held on November 3 and the last date for filing nominations is October 14, the EC said.In Maharashtra, the election will take place in Andheri East, the constituency of Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke, who died in May this year in Dubai after a heart attack. While the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has fielded Latke’s wife Rutuja in the election, the BJP is fielding former Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) corporator Murji Patel.The Andheri bypoll will take place before the BMC elections and will be a litmus test for the Shiv Sena, which has faced a vertical split after a rebellion spearheaded by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other MLAs.he Shiv Sena has been insisting that the elections should be fought unopposed as Latke’s wife herself is contesting.
KALYAN: Railway Protection Force personnel attached to Titwala RPF detained a jeweller travelling with cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 1.75 crore without any valid records on Pushpak Express train. The RPF have seized valuables to Income Tax Department to further probe the case. The jeweler identified as G P Mandal. He is resident of Kalamboli area in Navi Mumbai. Mandal runs jewellery shop in Zaveri bazar in Mumbai. Anjali Babar, RPF personnel, said Mandal on Sunday was traveling into Pushpak Express train from Lucknow to Mumbai. On Sunday night, when train slow down at Titwala railway station which did not have stop Mandal alighted from train carrying huge bag. Anjali Babar, senior police inspector of Kalyan RPF said, "Looking at man alighting from train with huge bag on suspicion basis our two RPF lady personal LB Baug and Subham Khare took him to the RPF office where when we thoroughly interrogated person and checked his bag found huge cash and gold ornaments". Babar further said, "When we asked Mandal to produce documents regarding valuables but he failed resulting we informed the Income Tax Department and handed them seized items who is further investigating the matter."
Income Tax officials were informed about the seizure, a RPF official said.(Representational)Thane: Unaccounted cash and two gold biscuits collectively worth Rs 1.71 crore were found in the backpack of a passenger at Titwala railway station in Thane district of Maharashtra, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) official said on Monday.The cash and gold biscuits were handed over to the Income Tax department for further investigation.A team of Railway Protection Force (RPF) detained Ganesh Mondal, who was moving suspiciously on the railway station platform, on October 1.The search of his backpack revealed he was carrying Rs 56 lakh cash and two gold biscuits worth Rs 1,15,16,903, the official said, adding that Mondal cannot give a satisfactory reply about the source of the money and gold.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comMondal told RPF officials that he was coming from Lucknow and travelled in Pushpak Express.Income Tax officials were informed about the seizure and the case was handed over to them, he said.
MUMBAI: In a serious incident, a local train jumped the red signal before entering Thane station on Friday, thus disrupting Central Railway services for nearly an hour during evening peak hours. A Thane-bound local was about to pull into platform number 3 around 6.40pm, but was given the red signal as the controller wanted to allow a Kalyan-bound train to cross over from the fast track to the slow one, said sources. However, the motorman of the Thane-bound local ignored the red signal and entered the station. Fortunately, the Kalyan-bound train was not crossing the track when the other local jumped the signal. Sources said Thane station authorities then decided to manually operate the signals as the automatic signalling system stopped working due to the incident. The trains were gradually moved out of the station from 7.25pm onwards. The incident led to bunching of trains with commuters stuck inside coaches for 40 minutes to one hour. Central Railway chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said, "We are ascertaining the reasons for the hold-up of trains at Thane." In railway terminology, signal-jumping incidents are called Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD) in which a motorman or loco pilot forgets to halt a train despite the red signal. The standard procedure for a SPAD is to de-train the driver, conduct his blood test to ascertain whether he is under the influence of alcohol or drugs and to question him about the cause for not halting the train at the signal.
MUMBAI: Central Railway services were badly affected during the evening peak hour after a suburban train allegedly jumped the red signal before entering Thane station around 6.40 pm on Friday. One Kalyan-Thane local was scheduled to arrive at Thane’s platform number 3. However, this train had been given a red signal , which is located before the train enters the platform. The motorman of this train ignored the red signal which led to major disruption in train services. Signal functioning issue led to the local train delay for more than forty five minutes causing overcrowding at… https://t.co/zdWXfdooUK— TOI Navi Mumbai (@TOINaviMumbai) 1664552018000Sources said that the Kalyan-Thane train had been given the red signal before it enters the platform as the controller was planning to provide a signal to Kalyan-bound train to enter the slow track from fast track. Fortunately, this train was not crossing the track when the Thane terminating train jumped the red signal. Sources further said that station authorities then decided to take a call to manually operate the signals at Thane as this incident meant that automatic signalling system could not work. The trains were then gradually began movement from 7.25 pm onwards This led to major bunching and commuters complained to getting stuck in the train for almost 40 minutes to one hour. Signal jumping are called Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD) incident, in which the the motorman forgets to halt the train despite the red signal.The standard procedure for a SPAD is to detrain the driver, conduct his blood test to ascertain whether he is under the influence of alcohol or drugs and to question him about the cause. CR’s chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said, “We are ascertaining the reasons for the held up of trains at Thane.”
Pune: Attempt a full-fledged comeack or not?Heena Sidhu has faced many tricky situations in her 16-year-long career, but the challenge the pistol shooter is facing these days is way more complicated.The mother of a 10-month-old girl is back to competitive shooting, and it isn’t easy.The World-Cup gold winning pistol shooter has made her way to the Mahrashtra shooting team for the National Games to be held in Gujarat and is looking forward to getting back into India team. But there is no desperation.“It is a good feeling to participate in the National Games. I represented Punjab in the last edition (2015), this time I am going to participate for Maharashtra,” said Heena after putting her daughter Reyah to sleep, at her residence here.Heena, 33, has been away from shooting for almost three years and got back to the range only in January this year. “In 2019, I thought of taking a break for a couple of months, but before the break could end, Covid pandemic began and then we decided to have a baby. The break got extended to almost three years,” she laughed.After deciding to train again, Heena participated in the trials and managed a place in the top-16 shooters for the National Games. However, things are not the same for her.“I am working at a basic level right now. Physically, a lot has changed after the delivery. I lost the muscle memory, my body doesn’t listen to me anymore, so there is some frustration. But I am trying to get back to normal, slowly. I am at a stage where I know what mistakes I am making, but I am not able to rectify them,” she said.No matter how difficult physically it is for Heena, her concerns are more mental. She is training to be in the Indian squad but is apprehensive of reaching the top.“I want to be in the team, but I am scared too. I know that once I come to the team, I will have to be there in the camps, travel without my daughter and that is a discomforting thought. Every time there is a camp, the shooter has to attend it since there is no provision of training at our base location. I understand that the idea is to train with the team, but it becomes difficult for a mother like me. I cannot take my daughter to the camp but I feel the authorities should at least consider exempting mothers and allow them to train at a range of their choice,” said Heena.The London and Rio Olympics participant, however, knows she will eventually have to face the reality as the quotas for the 2024 Paris Games will be up for grabs.“Due to the Covid situation, the Olympics cycle this time has become short. Since I have less time (to come back to the team), I will have to play all the matches to be in the team and keep my scores updated. I wouldn’t have shot in all of them if I had time. As an athlete, I feel forced to participate in the matches, but this is what it is,” she said.
PUNE: Heena Sidhu has faced many tricky situations in her 16-year-long career, but the dilemma the pistol shooter is facing these days, is beyond complicated. The mother of a 10-month-old girl is back to competitive shooting, and it isn't easy. The World-Cup gold winning pistol shooter has made her way to the shooting team for the National Games to be held in Gujarat and is looking forward to getting back into the national team, but with a little caution. "I think it is a good feeling to participate in the National Games. I represented Punjab in the last edition, this time I am going to participate for Maharashtra," Heena says. Heena has been away from shooting for almost three years and got back to the range only in January this year. "In 2019, I thought of taking a break for a couple of months, but before the break could end, Covid pandemic began and then we decided to have a baby. The break got extended to almost three years," she laughs. After coming back to train, Heena participated in the trials and managed a place in the top-16 shooters for the National Games. However, things are not the same for Heena. "I am working at a basic level right now. Physically, a lot has changed after the delivery. I lost the muscle memory, my body doesn't listen to me anymore, so there i s some frustration. But I am trying to get back to normal, slowly. I am at a stage where I know what mistakes I am making, but I am notable to rectify them," she says. No matter how difficult physically it is for Heena, her concerns are more mental in nature. It is natural that Heena is training to be in the Indian squad, but she is apprehensive of reaching to the top. "I want to be in the team, but I am scared too. I know that once I come to the team, I will have to be there in the camps, travel without my daughter and that scares me," she says.
India has told Japan that tenders for electrical and signalling systems, as well as the rolling stock, for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor should be floated without delay as land issues faced by the project appear to have been resolved.Sources said that Japan and India have agreed to put a cap on the cost of the systems and rolling stock, and that if the prices for these quoted by Japanese companies go beyond that cap, the balance will be footed by the Japanese side, outside the scope of the loan agreement for the project.This puts to rest a longstanding impasse that the project has faced, with prices for many of the critical items to be supplied by Japanese companies indicated to be up to 90 per cent higher than project consultants’ estimates.The Japanese government’s Japan International Cooperation Agency is covering 80 per cent of the cost of the bullet train project with a soft loan to India that compels the project to source critical components only from Japanese suppliers. The project is expected to cost Rs 1.6 lakh crore.Officials estimate that the Gujarat portion of the corridor will be fully operational by 2027, followed by the Maharashtra portion by 2029.“Since there is a cap agreed by both parties, and since civil works are now being executed at a fast pace, there is no roadblock to floating the systems tenders for the Japanese firms,” a source said.In the sixth meeting of the Joint Working Group for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Project, the Indian side communicated to their Japanese counterparts that the tenders for the systems, especially the electricals and signalling, should be awarded by December-March, it was learnt.The meeting, held earlier this month, was co-chaired by V K Tripathi, the chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, and Satoshi Suzuki, the Japanese ambassador.In a major sign that the project may finally be able to put its land-related troubles in Maharashtra behind it, the National High Speed Rail Corporation, the implementing agency of the project, on Friday floated the tender for the 21-km tunnel in the state. Seven kilometres of the tunnel will be under the sea.Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inboxThe Indian Express had last month reported that the project was getting its land-acquisition issues sorted out under the new government in Maharashtra.The tunnel is the most complex piece of civil engineering work in the 502-km corridor. The tender for the tunnel is open to global competition, with both Japanese and Indian companies allowed to tie up with other international players to make bids.Another area of concern for the project was the procurement of the rolling stock — the actual train sets. As per Japan, only Kawasaki and Hitachi are eligible to supply the rolling stock. Sources said the Indian side had wanted to avoid a situation where both the companies jointly submit a bid, which could raise the price.However, with a price cap being agreed by both sides, this concern has been alleviated.
The National High Speed Rail Corporation invited bids Friday for the construction of a 21-km underground tunnel in Maharashtra for the bullet train project, an official statement said, in a signal that the marquee project has crossed land acquisition hurdles in the state.The tunnel is the biggest and most complex piece of civil engineering work for the 502-km Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train corridor. A 7-km stretch of the tunnel will be under the sea.Non-availability of land in Maharashtra was a major reason the tender was cancelled in 2021.As reported by The Indian Express earlier this month, the work on the project has picked up pace after the change in government in Maharashtra, with tenders which were previously floated and withdrawn being renewed again. This is the third attempt to get this tender off the block. The first time the tender was floated was in 2019, but it did not find any takers. The second time was in November 2021.To be built over an estimated period of five years, the tunnel will run between the underground station at Bandra-Kurla Complex — the Mumbai station — and Shilphata in Thane district. It will be built using a boring machine and“the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM)”, according to the tender document.The tender is open to Indian as well as Japanese firms. Indian firms may also tie up with international companies and vie for the contract, officials said.The 7-km undersea tunnel at Thane creek will be the first such tunnel to come up in the country. It will be a single-tube tunnel that accommodates twin tracks. The section will include the construction of 39 equipment rooms at 37 locations adjoining the tunnel location.This tunnel will be about 25 to 65 metres deep from the ground level and the deepest construction point will be 114 metres below the Parsik hill near Shilphata.The last date for bid submission is January 19 next year.With the change in government, officials claim that nearly 96 per cent of the land for the project has been acquired in the state.
New Delhi: The National High Speed Railway Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has invited bids for the construction of a 21-kilometre-long tunnel, seven km of which will be under the sea, for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor, reported news agency PTI. The work on the corridor has gained momentum after the change in government in Maharashtra, with tenders, which were previously floated and withdrawn, being renewed again, sources said.Also Read - India's First Bullet Train Between Mumbai-Ahmedabad Progressing at Pace. SEE PICSNHSRCL had first invited tenders for the project in 2019, but didn’t attract any bidder forcing it to again float tenders in November 2021. Land acquisition for the project in Maharashtra, including at Bandra-Kurla Complex, had also been a festering issue during the previous state government, sources said. However, now with the change in government, officials claim that nearly 96 per cent of the land for the project has been acquired in Maharashtra. Also Read - Delhi-Varanasi Bullet Train To Have 2 Stops In Noida. Train To Cover 800+ Kms In 4 Hours. Deets Inside(Based on PTI inputs) Also Read - Good News: Bullet Train Trials Soon, At 350 kmph Speed To Match Aeroplane's Takeoff
