1. CM Uddhav Thackeray Pays Tribute to Ambedkar, Becomes First Thackeray to Visit Chaityabhoomi
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday paid floral tribute to the chief architect of the Constitution B R Ambedkar on his death anniversary at Chaityabhoomi. He visited Chaityabhoomi, the site where Ambedkar was cremated after his death in 1956, this morning and paid floral tribute to the Dalit icon. Chaityabhoomi, located in Dadar, Central Mumbai, attracts lakhs of Ambedkar followers every year on his death anniversary, which is observed as Mahaparinirvan Diwas.
(Source: mid-day)
2. Day After Uddhav Thackeray's Visit, BMC's Additional Commissioner, Ashwini Joshi, Transferred
A day after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's visit to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Ashwini Joshi has been transferred as the director of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan within eight months of taking charge as additional municipal commissioner (AMC) of the BMC. Insiders said the CM might have transferred the high-profile bureaucrat, supposedly close to the earlier dispensation in Mantralaya, because the Sena corporators had planned to move a no-confidence motion against Joshi.
(Source: mid-day)
3. House Where Ambedkar Lived for 22 Yrs to Become National Memorial: Uddhav Thackeray
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced Friday that the government would develop the Bombay Improvement Trust (BIT) chawl in Parel, where Dr B R Ambedkar lived for 22 years, into a national memorial.
Thackeray, who paid a floral tribute to Ambedkar on his death anniversary at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar, the site where Amebadkar was cremated after his death in 1956, said, “Ambedkar’s thoughts will inspire many generations. He fought for the common people, to give them the right to live as human beings.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. Mother Throws Newborn Girl to Her Death From 17th Floor Flat in Kandivali
A just-born baby girl was allegedly flung to death by her mother from a 17th floor flat in Kandivali West on Thursday Evening. While the police are trying to find the exact reason why she committed the act, prima facie, they say she acted out of anger as she was on bitter terms with her husband. The police have requested not to identify the woman as she is under trauma and is currently being treated in hospital. The husband was not home at the time of the incident, said police sources.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
5. ₹500-Cr Road Contracts: Cag Pulls up BMC Over Clearing Bills Sans 3rd-Party Audit
The comptroller and auditor general of India (CAG) has questioned the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over clearing bills of contracts worth nearly ₹500 crore for road projects, without carrying out third-party audits. These works were awarded to contractors who have since been either blacklisted by BMC or have show-cause notices against them.
CAG carried out test checks on the records of BMC’s road and traffic department for a period of one month, between July and August 2019. It inspected transactions carried out between April 2015 and March 2019. The test-check report was submitted by CAG to municipal commissioner Praveen Pardeshi in October.
In the report, CAG questioned how BMC had cleared bills for blacklisted contractors without conducting third-party audits of the completed works, which is mandatory according to tender conditions.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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