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At last, State to reward police who investigated 26/11 attacks

Five years after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, State Government clears proposal to reward investigating police team for their efforts.
by the Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It’s almost like a belated Christmas spirit has taken over the highest offices in Mantralaya. While the Government made the news yesterday for awarding Rs 1 crore each to three women kabaddi players who clinched the World Cup for the country last year, the State has also passed a Government Resolution (GR) to reward a contingent of 46 police officers, mid-level officials and constables, who investigated the horrific 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

In a GR issued on March 25, 2013 by the Home Department, it is learnt that the Government is setting aside Rs 6,58,000 to be awarded in lieu of cash rewards to 43 of the 46 police personnel investigating the 26/11 attacks. Three officers – Rakesh Maria, Deven Bharati and Ashok Durafe – are to received commendatory letters, the GR said.

It may be remembered that after the terror attacks on November 26, 2008, in which timely and courageous police action helped nab a terrorist alive – probably a first in a terror operation of this kind anywhere in the world – and helped conclusively prove Pakistan’s hand in the strikes, a police crack team got to work to investigate the case. Headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria, and supported by Additional CP (Crime) Deven Bharati and ACP Ashok Durafe, the team probed the attacks and prepared a mammoth 11, 750-page chargesheet in three months after the attacks. Thereafter, a 1,500-page supplementary chargesheet was filed.

A few months after the attacks, the State Government had announced that it was mulling a cash prize for the police personnel investigating the case. However, the final amount and how much each of the 43 officials will receive, has been decided only now.

Of the awardees, the highest cash prize goes to Ramesh Mahale, the chief investigating officer who was in the Crime Branch (and who has resigned from his post a few months ago) – he gets Rs 1,00,000. Five others get Rs 25,000 each, while constables get Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000.

About the case:

– The reward comes in recognition of successful investigation into the attacks, and the capture of a live terrorist, Ajmal Amir Kasab.

– The attacks took place over a period of 62 hours, and resulted in the death of 170 people.

– The trial in the case started on May 8, 2009. The State examined 649 witnesses during the trial.

– Kasab was held guilty on 31 counts, and awarded the death penalty on five counts.

– Kasab filed an appeal against the lower court’s verdict in the Bombay HC, which upheld his death sentence on February 21, 2011.

– Kasab was hanged to death at Pune’s Yerawada Jail on November 21, 2012.

 (Picture courtesy outlook.com)

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Paani cut!

The BMC cuts 745 water connections in 22 municipal wards during a special drive conducted to assess non-payment of dues.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The State of Maharashtra is grappling with the worst water crisis in years, and in Mumbai, 22 wards have a different water crisis of their own. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Hydraulic Engineer’s department, during a special drive in Mumbai starting March 15, 2013, found that several wards in the city had not paid its dues.

As a result, the department has cut as many as 745 water connections in 22 wards in Mumbai for non-payment of outstanding dues. So if your house taps have been running drier than usual, this could be the reason.

The ward-wise cut connections are:

Ward A: 10

Ward B: 1

Ward C: 14

Ward E: 7

Ward F/North: 15

Ward F/South: 12

Ward G/North: 20

Ward H/East: 49

Ward H/West: 28

Ward K/East: 33

Ward K/West: 43

Ward L: 50

Ward M/East: 124

Ward M/West: 145

Ward P/North: 10

Ward P/South: 27

Ward R/Centre: 10

Ward R/North: 21

Ward R/South: 24

Ward N: 31

Ward S: 23

Ward T: 48

(Source: Hydraulic Engineer’s department, the BMC)

(Picture courtesy thesquaredfactor.wordpress.com)

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Mumbai’s suburbs have better sex ratio than island city

This, and other important Mumbai-specific snapshots, emerged from the Economic Survey 2012-2013, released in ongoing Maharashtra State Legislature Session today.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

At a time when crimes against women rise in Mumbai, and the question of how we treat our girls and women becomes increasingly significant – especially in the context of how many girls are allowed to be born – the Maharashtra State Economic Survey 2012-2013 throws light on the subject of sex ratios recorded for Mumbai.

As per the Survey, released today while the State Legislature continues to be in session, and prior to the presentation of the State’s Budget tomorrow, the sex ratio recorded for the Mumbai suburban region is a robust 910 (that is, 910 girls to every 1,000 boys born). However, the sex ratio for Mumbai city is 874; this means that the suburbs exhibit a healthier sex ratio as compared to the island city. The figures arise from Census 2011.

Meanwhile, the Survey points out other statistics for Mumbai:

– 67 per cent people in Mumbai city have latrines within their houses, while only 54.7 per cent of the suburbs have latrines inside their homes.

– Also, 90 per cent of city homes have bathrooms inside the house. The figure is 87.2 per cent for the suburbs.

– The Mumbai/Thane rationing area has the largest numbers for rationing cards issued in the State, at 40,76,000. A total of 7,31,413 are White Ration Card holders in Mumbai, also the highest number in the State

– Phase I of the Mumbai Metro Rail Project (Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar), a total of 14 km, will be completed this year. 95 per cent of this phase is already complete.

– 85 per cent of Phase I of the Mumbai Monorail Project (Wadala-Chembur) is complete.

– A multimodal corridor from Virar to Alibaug will be completed in 2016. This corridor consists of freeways having eight lanes for vehicles besides dedicated lanes (spanning 140 km) for buses.

– Of all the vehicles in the State, about 21.60 lakh vehicles (10.4 per cent) are in the Brihanmumbai region.

– 210.44 lakh domestic passengers travelled by the Mumbai domestic airport in 2012, while the figures for the international airport are 94.93 lakh passengers.

– There are 61.2 per cent houses in Mumbai city with mobile-only phone connectivity, while for the suburbs, this number is 63.6 per cent.

– The most pollution in Maharashtra was seen in Mumbai, at Sion. The measured levels of Respirable Soluble Particulate Matter (RSPM) at Sion recorded from December 2011 to January 2012 were 124.49 µg/m3; the permitted level is 100 µg/m3.

(Picture courtesy indianmuslimobserver.com)

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Student stabbed for mistakenly kicking co-passenger

Simmering city is increasingly ready to fight back and pull out its weapons and attack, sometimes at the slightest provocation.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Call it the stress of living and struggling to get through the day in a city becoming increasingly unfriendly to its citizens. Or call it plain intolerance. Whatever the reason, we’re sure not able to keep our tempers under check as much as we need to.

Yesterday, a student was stabbed and grievously injured when he happened to kick a person by mistake. The incident occurred in broad daylight, with several people present.

16-year-old student, Sushil Nihal Maurya, was travelling to his home in Powai in BEST bus no 195 at about 5 pm. Alighting from the crowded bus, and being slightly jostled by those behind him, Sushil inadvertently kicked his co-passenger, Dinesh Soni (20), who was alighting before him.

Dinesh was enraged and swung around to confront Sushil. The latter is said to have told cops that he tried to reason with the man, telling him that he had kicked him by mistake. However, Dinesh pulled out a knife he was carrying and stabbed Sushil just below his ribs, seriously injuring him. Even as shocked passengers rallied around to save Sushil and drag Dinesh away from the boy, the latter reportedly kept issuing threats to him.

The attacker, a mechanic and a resident of Vakola, was later arrested by cops from Andheri police station. Sushil is recuperating at Cooper Hospital.

In recent times, incidents of stabbing have gone up dramatically in Mumbai, the most famous one being the attack on Keenan Santos and Rueben Fernandez, two youths who were stabbed to death after they protested against a boy misbehaving with their female friend.

(Picture courtesy mid-day.com. Image used for representational purpose only)

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No nightly load shedding in Maharashtra till end of March

State Government decides not to enforce load shedding in the night hours anywhere in Maharashtra till Board exams are complete.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

In its weekly Cabinet meeting convened for its ministers at the Mantralaya today, the State Government took the decision to spare students across the State the ultimate torture during study hours: load shedding in the night hours for a little over a month’s time.

This decision will indeed prove to be a boon for the millions of students appearing for their Board exams across the State of Maharashtra. Class 12 exams commence tomorrow, February 21 and end in the last week of March 2013, while SSC exams start on March 2, 2013 and end on March 25.

As per the Government’s decision, there will be no load shedding in the night hours till March 31, 2013, keeping the Board exams in mind. Regular load shedding schedules will be followed across Maharashtra after this date.

Additionally, all the ministers of the State Cabinet donated a month’s wages towards the drought relief efforts in the State.

(Picture courtesy ilmkiduniya.com)

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New metro systems for Mumbai, courtesy Britian

London firm specialising in metro infrastructure signs MoU with MMRDA for 150 km metro network in Mumbai and surrounding areas.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It is the run-up to the General Elections in 2014, and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan is seemingly playing several cards right. This is the year to get big business investment into Maharashtra, and Chavan has just pulled in a big player for Mumbai and the State.

Capitalising on Britain PM David Cameron’s visit to Mumbai yesterday, Chavan pushed for investment in Maharashtra, and what’s more, got the Britain-based Transport For London firm to ink and MoU with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), for a 150 kilometre metro rail network for Mumbai and surrounding areas.

As per a study conducted by a transport body, Mumbai needs a 300 km metro rail network to serve its burgeoning population. Of this, it is possible for the State to construct a 146 km-long metro line comprising nine lines; again, three lines admeasuring 33 km will be underground. The MMRDA does not possess the know-how to construct an underground line, but Transport For London does. In all, the MoU will help MMRDA execute its plans for the setting up of a 150 km metro rail network for Mumbai, plus a 300 km network in the MMR region.

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