1. Fog Effect: CR Cancels Outstation Trains to Avoid Disruptions on Mumbai's Central Line
In a first, railway authorities have cancelled several outstation trains that depart from Mumbai so as to not disrupt the city’s suburban train services, as dense fog continues to affect visibility in and around the city.
The Central Railway (CR) has cancelled three mail express trains that leave from Mumbai — the CSMT-Manmad Rajya Rani Express, LTT-Madgaon AC double decker and Karjat-Panvel passenger train — from December 12 to 14. These trains have been cancelled to ensure “smooth train operation”, the CR press release states.
The decision came after agitated commuters on the CR’s suburban main line staged a rail roko at Vashind station following the disruption of local train services owing to fog on Saturday. Passengers were upset that the CR had prioritised outstation trains despite the delays and crowds on the main line. Railway officials had denied that long-distance trains had been prioritised.
Source: Hindustan Times
2. Students to Be Shifted out of Decrepit Society
Authorities scurried to do some damage control after a report yesterday on the filthy conditions in which municipal students were made to attend classes at a housing society in Chembur. Students of Ayodhyanagar School have been given holiday until December 18, Monday, when they will be moved to Anik Gaon school.
The students will also be given free BEST rides to the school, which is three km away. Even the road to the school will be given a facelift.
Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray took to Twitter to say that after reading Mirror’s report, he asked Shubhada Gudhekar, president of BMC education committee to visit the school and “make alternate & better classes available”.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
3. Two Years In Jail For Jain Monk Who Molested Woman In 2012
A 65-year-old Jain monk has been sentenced to two years in prison for molesting a 19-year-old woman under the guise of treating her for depression.
The Mulund court magistrate found Manharmuni Desai guilty under section 354 (molestation) of the IPC and has ordered him to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 to the victim as compensation.
The monk had been accused of molesting the woman inside a room while her family waited outside for the ‘treatment’ to end. In lieu of treatment, the Jain priest had groped, hugged and kissed her.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
4. Justify Decision Not to Provide Addl Answer Sheets: HC to MU
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Mumbai University to file a reply justifying its decision to not provide supplements or additional answer sheets to students during exams.
A bench of justices B R Gavai and B P Colabawalla directed the university to file its reply by Thursday. It was hearing a petition filed by a law student from the city challenging the university's decision. The petitioner, Manasi Bhushan, a final year student, had approached the high court earlier last week arguing that the university's decision to prohibit students from using supplements was arbitrary and erroneous.
Her counsel, advocate Vishal Kanade, on Tuesday told the high court that the university’s decision was primarily based on the apprehension that supplementary answer sheets added to the problems faced by the university’s new online assessment system.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
5. Medical Bills Make BMC Staff Sick After Health Insurance Is Suspended
Hospital bills were the last thing on retired BMC teacher Minaxi Desai’s mind when told she needed an open-heart surgery. Desai, 63, had the backup in the form of the health insurance scheme that covers BMC employees, both in active service and those retired in and after 2011. In Desai’s case, Rs 650 are deducted from her pension every month towards policy premium that allows her cashless treatment up to Rs 10 lakh.
“I got admitted to Nanavati Hospital on August 3, reassured that financial worries will not be a concern for my family. A few days after my surgery, I came to know the cashless card issued to me had been rejected as the BMC had discontinued the health insurance for its employees. Nobody from the BMC told us about the development and we had to pay the hospital bill of Rs 10.62 lakh from our pockets,” Desai, a former head teacher at the Malvani Township municipal school, said.
Scores of BMC employees are in a fix after the BMC, without warning, withdrew the health insurance cover in August, despite premium amount being deducted from their salaries and pensions every month. The BMC has said the insurer -- United India Insurance – is demanding Rs 166 crore for the financial year 2017-18, after providing the same services for Rs 96 crore the previous financial year.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
6. 50% of Flats Registered With MahaRERA Unsold
Supply outstrips Mumbai’s demand for new flats and more than 50 per cent of flats registered with the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) have remained unsold, an analysis of all registered projects on MahaRERA website by real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) India revealed on Tuesday.
The study conducted by JLL India on October 4 showed that out of 3,465 residential projects registered under RERA, maximum sales percentage-wise were recorded in Mumbai city, with 24,681 apartments sold out of the 50,329 units available. Thane recorded sales of 86,479 out of 1,80,071 units available, while Mumbai suburbs recorded sales of 87,126 apartments out of 1,81,155 available.
“The supply is double and clearly outstripping demand,” said Ramesh Nair, CEO & Country Head, JLL India.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
7. Man Who Pushed Med Student Out Of Moving Train Nabbed
The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Tuesday nabbed Santosh Kekan who pushed medical student Rituja Bokade out of a moving train near Juinagar station in an attempt to snatch her cell phone on December 2. Bokade, who was injured in the incident, is recuperating at her home in Vashi.
The police, who were acting on a tip-off, nabbed Kekan, 28, from a dhabha at Silphata, in Mumbra. On December 7, when the police raided his home in Kalyan, Kekan assaulted them and escaped. According to the GRP, he spent the last four to five days roaming around the city’s outskirts.
The police made a breakthrough in the case, thanks to CCTV footage from Mansarovar Station, which is where Kekan boarded the Vashibound train in which Bokade, 19, was travelling. (He entered the Ladies’ compartment at Seawoods station. Bokade was the only passenger in the compartment.) The cameras captured Kekan being dropped off at the station by his friend Vipul Patil in his car. Patil put the cops on Kekan’s trail.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
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