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Hindustan Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Fadnavis assures inclusive approach to Pandharpur Corridor, welcomes end of VIP darshan
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday reaffirmed the government's commitment to the proposed Pandharpur Corridor, assuring that all stakeholders - residents, traders, shopkeepers, and devotees - will be taken into confidence and no one will face losses due to the redevelopment. Fadnavis also welcomed the Solapur district administration's decision to discontinue the VIP darshan system at the Vitthal temple. (HT) Speaking to the media after performing the Maha Puja at the Vitthal-Rukmini Temple along with his wife Amruta Fadnavis and daughter Divija on the auspicious occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi, Fadnavis addressed concerns surrounding the ambitious project. 'The government will build the Pandharpur Corridor by earning the trust of all. Every citizen, trader, and homeowner will be rehabilitated respectfully and in a better way,' Fadnavis said. 'The district collector has already initiated discussions with local traders, religious leaders, and residents. Many doubts have been cleared, and we will continue this process with full transparency.' Fadnavis assured that the project would not displace anyone. 'No shopkeeper, homeowner, or local resident will suffer due to this development. Business and religious sentiments will be respected,' he added. The corridor project, inspired by the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, aims to revamp the area around the Vitthal-Rukmini temple by widening roads, relocating shops, and improving facilities for the lakhs of devotees who visit Pandharpur. While the state views this as a major step towards modernising the pilgrimage, concerns remain among locals about potential displacement and loss of historical character. Fadnavis also welcomed the Solapur district administration's decision to discontinue the VIP darshan system at the Vitthal temple. 'I think this is a good tradition and should be continued,' he said, noting that the move has helped reduce waiting time for general devotees by up to five hours. Commenting on the newly introduced token-based darshan system, Fadnavis said, 'The system is new and will take time to stabilise, but we will continue it gradually.' Maha Puja honours Warkari couple The official Maha Puja this year was performed by Warkari couple Kailas Ugle and Kalpana Ugle from Jategaon village in Nandgaon taluka, Nashik district. They were felicitated by the chief minister and his wife. The couple also received a free year-long State Transport (ST) bus pass, presented by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) and personally handed over by Fadnavis. Praising the arrangements under the Nirmal Wari initiative, Fadnavis said, 'This year's Wari was not just clean, but also green and eco-friendly. The message of cleanliness given by our saints was truly visible.' He added that spiritual progress is as important as economic growth in the state's development. 'Wari should be about devotion, not agendas' Commenting on the participation of individuals accused of being 'Urban Naxals' in the Wari procession, Fadnavis said, 'Anyone is free to join the Wari - there's no need for anyone's permission. But participation should be rooted in devotion to Lord Vitthal, not driven by personal agendas. To use the Wari for pushing an ideology or narrative is wrong.'
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
One dead, 3 injured after ST bus crashes into auto rickshaw in Virar West
MUMBAI: A 55-year-old shared auto-rickshaw passenger died, and three others, including the driver, suffered grievous injuries after an allegedly speeding State Transport (ST) bus crashed into it in Virar West on Sunday. The police booked the absconding bus driver for causing death by negligence. 55-year-old Kalpana Kolge, a resident of Arnala village, died int the accident. The accident occurred at 8.30am near the Arnala city bus stop. The ST had left the Arnala bus depot to go to Shirdi while the shared auto was transporting four passengers from the Virar railway station to the Arnala village. According to the police, the bus was attempting to overtake the vehicle in front of it and collided head-on with the auto. Passersby alerted the police at 8.35am, who rushed the four passengers and the auto driver, identified as Poonam Varthe, to the Sanjeevani Hospital in Virar West. One of them, Kalpana Kolge, a resident of Arnala village, was declared dead by the doctors. Varthe suffered injuries to her head and torso. The two other passengers, who are yet to be identified, also suffered injuries. All three are undergoing treatment at the hospital. Eyewitnesses told the police that the bus driver was speeding before it crashed into the rickshaw. 'Fearing public anger, the bus driver immediately fled. We are tracing the accused,' said a police officer. The Arnala Sagri police registered a case against the accused driver under section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 281 (rash driving), and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
3,000 ‘smart buses' to be added to ST fleet
MUMBAI: Against the backdrop of the recent rape within a State Transport (ST) bus in Pune, and amid incidents of drunk-driving by ST drivers, the transport department on Thursday announced a plan to buy 3,000 so-called smart buses, with features that will include anti-theft lock systems and burglar alarms, and breathalysers that prevent the bus from starting if the driver is inebriated. The new buses would help extend the ST fleet as well. A tender had in fact been floated for 3,000 new buses. Now, all those buses will need to have a certain set of eight smart features. The transport department held a meeting on Thursday with bus manufacturers and a safety consultancy and it was decided that all 3,000 new buses should be smart vehicles. As such, each vehicle will now come fitted an anti-theft system that will sound an alarm if someone tries to enter a locked ST vehicle. This, it is felt, could help prevent incidents such as the rape at Swargate, Pune. The digital breathalyser system in front of driver's seat will ensure that no inebriated driver can take the wheel. The foam-based fire-control system would be an aide in any kind of blaze. The Global Positioning System or GPS feature would ensure that every bus can be tracked at all times. Artificial intelligence or AI-aided closed-circuit TV cameras would monitor all activity within a bus. An LED TV could be used to broadcast emergency messages from government authorities and live telecasts, and would generate revenue through the day by screening advertisements. In a worst-case scenario, if all other measures fail or in case of an unforeseen event, a panic button installed for passenger safety could be used to alert control rooms to a mishap, accident or crime underway. Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said the three bus manufacturers who attended Thursday's meeting have been informed that every vehicle will need to come fitted with all these features. 'We have told them to the present a sample smart bus by the end of the month, after which they may submit their proposals,' Sarnaik added. Once a model has been approved, the companies will submit their bids, in response to the tender. 'The high-tech features will definitely add the cost of each bus. But the safety of the passenger is more important,' Sarnaik said. The recent incidents involving ST vehicles have certainly raised questions about passenger safety. In the first of the most major recent cases, a 26-year-old was raped in a bus parked at the Swargate depot in February. A history-sheeter was allegedly captured on a CCTV camera, fleeing the scene; was later arrested and has since been charged. Meanwhile, also in February, a bus carrying 44 passengers crashed into a median on the Pune-Solapur Highway, in a case of alleged drink-driving. There were no serious injuries.
