A court here has sentenced two vendors to 10 years in jail for dealing in illicit liquor in the district in 2015.
Additional District and Sessions Judge, Baburam, also imposed a fine of Rs 11,000 each on Sunderpal and Mobin after holding them guilty under various sections of the Excise Act.

According to Additional District Government counsel, Pradeep Kumar Sharma, illicit liquor was recovered from the two vendors on September 10, 2015.

Carries two toilets on handcarts in Dadar East, says that the BMC and Shiv Sena remain apathetic to the lived reality of Mumbaikars*

The Aam Aadmi Party today, staged a protest at Dadar East against the BMC’s utter failure to improve Mumbai’s public conveniences and toilets, develop sanitation infrastructure accomodating the needs of our growing population, and provide even the most rudimentary facilities required for Mumbaikars to live a safe, healthy, and dignified life. AAP Mumbai Working Presidents Ruben Mascarenhas, Sumitra Shrivastava, and Dwijendra Tiwari led the protest, entitled “Flush Them Away!” in which two toilets were carried on handcarts by party volunteers and supporters – representing the struggle of Mumbaikars, who have to run from pillar to post for access to clean and safe public & community toilets in the city.

The BMC and the Shiv Sena had not built a single community toilet for more than a year in 2020. In 2019, the BMC had promised that 22,770 toilets would be constructed within a year – a hefty claim which did not achieve even 25% completion till 2021. While the Government proudly claims that Mumbai is open defecation free, 78% of community toilets in Mumbai’s slums lack access to a reliable water supply, and most BMC run toilets are dilapidated, at the brink of collapse, or in an extremely filthy condition due to lack of maintenance. “Without even completing 25% of past toilet projects, new construction proposals with budgets exceeding 340 Crore were passed in 2021 – another case of public funds being spent with no tangible outcome to show for it – something that has become a norm under the current BMC regime.” said Ruben Mascarenhas, AAP Mumbai Working President.

“The BMC passes proposals, siphons off the money, and nothing happens on the ground. There is no sense of responsibility to policy outcomes or output. There is less incentive to work on toilet projects, as the outlays are relatively smaller, leaving lesser scope to siphon public funds. While the BMC remains apathetic to the lived reality of Mumbaikars, in several parts of Mumbai, one toilet is still being shared between more than 150-200 residents. In a Tier 1 city like Mumbai, it is a shame if access to clean and safe toilets is still such a prevalent concern.” said Dwijendra Tiwari, AAP Mumbai Working President.

“The problem of sanitation disproportionately affects slum areas, and women in particular, as the number of public or community toilets available for women are sizably lesser. The lack of access not only discourages women’s participation in the workforce, but also renders them extremely vulnerable to infectious diseases and restricts their capability to move freely in and around Mumbai.” said Sumitra Shrivastava, AAP Mumbai Working President.

Says that the BMC spends more than INR 1,08,000 per municipal student with nothing to show for it, Demands major reforms in education policy across all levels of governance

The Aam Aadmi Party Mumbai today, welcomed Maharashtra Minister of State & NCP Leader Shri Sanjay Bansode’s decision to replicate Delhi’s Education Model for schools in Maharashtra. Yesterday, Minister Sanjay Bansode visited Delhi’s government schools, and was introduced to the novel academic methods, curriculum and administrative practices that have been implemented in Delhi by the AAP. Upon being taken through the newly developed ‘Schools of Specialized Excellence’ (SoSE) model, the newly constructed laboratories & playgrounds, and the Entrepreneurship and the Deshbhakti curriculum, the Minister went on to attest that Delhi’s Education Model is the need of the hour when it comes to a model educational policy reform, for Maharashtra, and for India at large.

It is a well-known fact that Maharashtra & Mumbai are faced with an alarming need for transformative educational reform. As compared to more than 16 lakh students studying in Delhi’s 1000 government schools; there are only 2.72 lakh students in the existing 1,145 BMC schools in Mumbai – a number that has been ominously falling over the last six years. In 2019, Praja warned Mumbai’s ruling parties that, if the trend follows, the BMC will have no new student enrollments by 2028. This is despite the BMC spending an astonishing INR 1,08,000 annually on each student, with nothing to show for it; as compared to INR 1,02,000 spent per student annually under the Delhi government. If the outcomes of such a financial outlay were actually realised, one would expect that students would opt away from expensive private schooling – as in Delhi, where more than 2.4 lakh private school students applied to shift to Delhi’s public schools – which now supersede most private schools in terms of infrastructure and pedagogy.

Unfortunately, the situation is far too grim in Mumbai’s schools for this to even be a remote possibility, as the Shiv Sena & the MVA continue to abdicate their responsibility towards public education. In the face of comparable student budget outlays, the difference in the lived realities of our cities’ students forces us to ask – In Mumbai, why have we failed to provide our children with bare minimum standards of quality education for so long, and why is it that education in Mumbai is fast becoming an increasingly private, and subsequently, a privileged institution? While the AAP in Delhi has emphasized on outcome-oriented policy measures to reduce dependence on private facilities; while the BMC has shut down, or leased, more than 220 schools to private entities between 2009-2019, disastrously inhibiting access to education for the poor in Mumbai.

While we welcome Maharashtra Minister of State & NCP Leader Shri Sanjay Bansode’s decision to replicate the Delhi Education Model in Maharashtra, we are afraid that this may become one more empty promise under a PR-driven MVA government, and another case of showmanship with no underlying substance. If public education is to be transformed, it must be backed, at levels of governance, by an honest intent of public welfare, as demonstrated by the AAPs work in Delhi. What separates the AAP is that our policy claims are backed by tangible outcomes and results.” said Sumitra Shrivastav, AAP Mumbai Working President.

“When voted to power, this is the revolutionary change that AAP Mumbai seeks to bring to BMC schools, through it’s education policy vision. We hope that this is a wake-up call for the Shiv Sena & the BMC administration, which has slowly driven public education in Mumbai to its demise, and must alter its course of action on a war-footing if it wants to steer away from a complete collapse of municipal schools.” said Dwijendra Tiwari, AAP Mumbai Working President.

Ref: AAP MEDIA TEAM

Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Tuesday accused NCB official Sameer Wankhede of illegal phone tapping and announced that he will hand over a letter on the official’s misdeeds’ to the agency head.

Sameer Wankhede through two persons in Mumbai and Thane is illegally intercepting the mobile phones of some people, said Malik, who has been targeting Wankhede after his son-in-law’s arrest.

Malik also claimed that Wankhede had sought the call detail record (CDR) of his family member from the police.

Wankhede in his affidavit submitted to a Mumbai court on Monday claimed he was under a “lurking threat of arrest as it does not suit some vested interests for conducting an honest and impartial investigation”.

The official had also claimed that he was being personally targeted by a well-known political figure (Malik), and the only reason he can fathom is that the NCB had arrested “this person’s son-in-law Sameer Khan”.

Malik said he is forwarding a letter written by someone in NCB about the various illegal activities of Wankhede’ to the agency’s DG S N Pradhan.

The NCP minister said the NCB should investigate the 26 allegations in the letter claiming an extortion racket’ being run within the anti-drugs agency.

As a responsible citizen I will be forwarding this letter to DG Narcotics requesting him to include this letter in the investigation being conducted on Sameer Wankhede, the minister tweeted.

Malik said he has also submitted a copy of the letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, state Home department and to the sitting and former heads of the Congress, which is an ally of the NCP and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

I am going to share the same letter with top NCB officials and ask them to look into the matter. I am not against any particular agency. One bad fish brings down the reputation of an entire agency, he said.

The NCP leader also alleged that Wankhede has sought the CDR of his daughter.

On what grounds Wankhede is seeking the CDR report of my daughter. I think Wankhede is crossing the limits. I will expose those people involved in phone tapping with proof, he said.

Malik on Monday claimed that Sameer Wankhede is a Muslim by birth and his real name is ‘Sameer Dawood Wankhede’.

The minister had released what he claimed the birth certificate of Sameer Wankhede and alleged that the latter had forged documents.

However, the NCB official’s father later said his name is Dnyandev and not Dawood, as claimed by Malik.

On Tuesday, speaking to reporters here, Malik said, “I have all the authentic documents to prove that Sameer Wankhede was born into a Muslim family, but he forged his identity and sought a job under the Scheduled Caste category. As per the law, Dalits who are converted to Islam do not get the quota privilege, thus Sameer Wankhede has denied the job opportunity to a genuine person from the Schedule Caste.

A legal probe into the matter will be initiated soon, the minister said.

On Sameer Wankhede’s father saying his name is not Dawood, Malik said it is true that the NCB official’s father Dnyandev Wankhede was born into a Dalit family in Washim district (earlier Akola) and he later joined state Excise department.

“But, he married a Muslim woman here in Mumbai by converting himself to Islam and accepted the name Dawood. He has two children. However, Dnyandev Wankhede had an afterthought and he used his father’s certificate to obtain all the documents in the name of Dnyandev Wankhede so that his children would benefit,” the minister claimed.

Malik said if he has produced fake documents, Dnyandev Wankhede should show the birth certificate of Sameer Wankhede and prove his side.

“I am challenging Dnyandev Wankhede to produce the caste certificate of his son, he said.

Malik further stated that after 26 January 1950, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had said although he was born as Hindu, he would not die as a Hindu.

“The then Union government immediately issued a presidential order stating that reservation benefits in government jobs would be applicable to Dalits from Hindu religion only,” he said.

“Subsequently, the Kabir and Sikh sects got exempted from the order. The last change was brought in by late PM V P Singh, who exempted Dalits converted to Buddhism. However, the Indian law does not offer similar quota benefits to the SC persons converted to Islam or Christianity, the minister said.

Thus, Dnyandev Wankhede, who “became Dawood by accepting Islam” cannot seek the quota benefits, Malik said.

“It is the sole reason why I am calling his documents bogus, he said.

He alleged that Sameer Wankhede and some of his colleagues were involved into some “extortion racket”.

“Their recent visit to Maldives was for the same reason. I believe the amount was as high as Rs 1,000 crore, the minister claimed.

Asked how Sameer Wankhede could get away with the alleged ‘bogus’ caste certificate while joining a central agency, Malik said there have been multiple complaints by many activists and social organisations working to protect the rights of the SC/ST categories on the use of bogus caste certificates to get benefits or government jobs.

The Maharashtra government later made it mandatory to obtain a caste certificate by a state-appointed committee for caste validation. It prevents forging of documents, he said.

“However, in case of jobs in agencies coming under the Union government, a mere certificate from district collector is sufficient. In case of Sameer Wankhede, who was born in Mumbai, a certificate was issued by the then Mumbai district collector,” the minister said.

Asked about the possible legal repercussions of his allegations, Malik said, I urge them to file a defamation case under IPC 499 and 500. I want them to go to a magistrate’s court and take action against me.”

Let them seek a compensation of Rs 100 crore or Rs 200 crore. They should not forget that the complainant has to deposit 10 per cent of the compensation amount first as stamp duty with the court, he said.

“Although Dnyandev Wankhede was born in a Scheduled Caste family, after joining the state excise department, he was transferred to Mumbai. He married late Zaheeda in Mumbai in mid-1970s. The marriage took place at Ghagara building located on 10 Bunder road in Mazagaon area here. Dnyandev converted to Islam and they lived as a Muslim family and have two children. No one can deny this fact, as there are enough proofs to establish it, he said.

Malik said the birth certificates of people born in Mumbai were available online, but he was surprised that he could not find Sameer Wankhede’s certificate.

“It took me more than a month-and-a-half to find a digitised copy of Sameer Wankhede’s birth certificate in the state government archives. But, the birth certificate of his sister Yasmeen Wankhede was found online, he added.

‘Pustak Chor’ – Illegalities in the functioning of Mumbai Marathi Grantha Sangrahalay exposed by AAP Mumbai

The Mumbai Marathi Grantha Sangrahalay is over a 100 year old institution. Prominent personalities and freedom fighters like Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Justice Ranade and Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak have graced it’s membership. The institution is replete with history such as the inauguration of Sharda Cinema, on the premises of the Sangrahalay by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru.

The Orgranization has 27 Branches and over 7000 members. The Mumbai Marathi Grantha Sangrahalay is not just a library but has been a refuge of generations of countless young people who have used its reading rooms to study, while they didn’t have adequate space at home.

Sharad Pawar and Dr Bhalchandra Mungekar, got involved in the functioning of this institution in 1980s. Ever since people like Sharad Pawar and Dr Mungekar got involved in the affairs of the Sangrahalay, all rules and procedures have gone for a toss. Gross illegalities include-

*1.Constitution*

There is a an approved constitution of 1984 and an unapproved constitution of 1989 but the work that is going on is not as per either of the approved or the unapproved constitution, though the management claims to work as per the the 1989 constitution.

*2. Extended term*

The 1989 constitution grants them a 3 year term, but the management commitee has been working for over five years.

*3.Appointment of trustees*

The Constitution stipulates that the trustees must be appointed in a general body meeting, but this has still not been done till date. But they were just appointed in the meeting of the governing body and not the general body meeting.

Trustees were just appointed at the whim of Sharad Pawar. He wrote a letter in the morning and they were appointed as trustees in the evening. Here is a letter which says make them trustees- ANNEXURE 1.

These are-
1. Supriya Sule
2. Anil Desai
3. Pratap Asabe.

Lastly, the election that was conducted on 26th September, was illegal and flouted all norms. As per the constitution, all members elect the managing committee but the electors were restricted to only 36 members. Hence, Anil Galgali didn’t contest the election, as it was against the letter and spirit of constitution’s provision 10.1.

What is the interest of Sharad Pawar in the Mumbai Marathi Grantha Sangrahalay? He has historically, always been allegedly accused of land grabing but in this case it is not just land grabbing but something as petty as a ‘Pustak Chor’, for that is what he is.

AAP has written to the Charity Commissioner against the above mentioned blatant illegalities. We demand that the body be suspended and an adminstrator be appointed and further pending elections be conducted per constitutional provisions..

Vuln!! Path it now!!