QMumbai: 45% Desilting of R Central Ward Nullahs Done & More

BMC completes 45% desilting of R Central Ward nullahs; 17,000 hawkers still to get pitches in city & other stories.

The BMC office.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Oat YoungMan)

1. 45% Of Desilting Work Of Nallahs In R Central Ward Completed, Says BMC

In order to prevent flooding of the Dahisar river and other water bodies in the R Central Ward, the BMC has begun desilting of major and minor nallahs in the area as part of its pre-Monsoon preparations.

In August 2017, several cars of residents along the banks of the river were swept away after heavy flooding during Monsoon.

Assistant Commissioner of the ward, Ramakant Biradar, said nearly 45 per cent of desilting work of major and minor nallahs in the area has been completed and they have set May 30 as the deadline to complete all work.

Source: The Indian Express

2. Five Years On, 17,000 Hawkers Still To Get Pitches In City

A hawker sells her blanket covers outside the railway station. (Representative Image)(Photo: The Quint)

Almost five years since the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted a survey of hawkers in the city, it is yet to allot hawking pitches to around 17 ,000 eligible hawkers, even as the date for the new survey, to be held in July, inches closer. While activists and hawker unions blamed the delay on the administration’s lack of will and said the town vending committees “don’t have vendors’ representation”, BMC officials pointed to the shortage of staff owing to the polls.

Source: Hindustan Times

3. AG Begins Audit Of PWD Office Incharge Of Shivaji Memorial

The Maharashtra government has spent Rs 15 crore on its plan to construct a grand memorial for the legendary Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji. (Photo courtesy: Twitter/@airnewsalerts)

The state Accountants General (AG)’s office has started an audit of the Shivaji Memorial project following a letter from the Public Works Department (PWD) seeking a special audit into “serious irregularities” in the project.

Sources in the AG office, however, said that no special audit of the project was being done as requested by PWD engineers but the audit covered the PWD’s entire Mumbai region, in which the Shivaji Memorial project falls.

Source: The Indian Express

4. 700 Auto Drivers Lose Licences For Refusing To Ply Short Distances

Autos in Mumbai. (Photo: iStock)

Addressing one of the biggest concerns of the suburban commuter, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) has cancelled the licences of over 700 auto drivers who refused to ply short distances. A drive was conducted from February 28 to May 2 to crack down on errant auto drivers. RTO officials posed as passengers to catch such drivers redhanded while refusing fares.

Source: Mumbai Mirror

5. Navy Officer Loses Rs 11 Lakh To ‘Lucky Draw’

A 27-year-old Navy officer from the city lost Rs 11.11 lakh to cyber fraudsters, who told him he had won a lucky draw and had to pay money to claim the prize.

The accused posed as executives from an online shopping website and a private bank.

Jaygeet Jayprakash Jaiswal, the complainant, resides in Navy Nagar, Colaba. Jaiswal was scheduled to get married this year and was busy planning for his marriage when he received a phone call from fraudsters.

Source: Hindustan Times