A website meant for filing of RTI applications will be converted into Hindi language as well, the government said on Monday.

At present, the portal– www.rtionline.gov.in– is available in English language only.

The website was launched in August 2013 by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for all Central government ministries with a view to provide a facility to citizens to file RTI applications and first appeals online.

Till now, 463 public authorities have been aligned to the portal. It is proposed to extend the RTI online portal to more public authorities and also to make technical improvements in it during the next year, an order issued by the DoPT said.

“Making RTI online portal available in Hindi language as well. Mobile application for RTI online portal,” said the scope of work made public by the government.

Users will also get auto sms alerts and email if any modification is done in their account, it said.

Besides, there will be more features for both the public authorities and citizens to improve interface and easy processing of RTI applications. The DoPT has sought comments from people on the proposed changes from people within 15 days.

RTI users have also been complaining delayed response in processing their applications through the online portal.

The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 empower a citizen to get time-bound response from government departments on their queries on governance.

With an increasing number of netizens falling prey to cyber crimes, Mumbai Police and the country’s largest lender State Bank of India today jointly launched a cyber crime awareness campaign.

“The need for this cyber crime awareness is becoming more and more. We do believe that unless we work jointly in this area, it will be extremely difficult to ensure security for all,” SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya said launching the campaign here this evening, along with Mumbai’s top cop Ahmad Javed.

She said every single person in the chain needs to be equally aware to prevent cyber crimes as even if one is knowledgeable but not on guard, then there is possibility that she may compromised the system.

The SBI chief narrated an example of how a fraud mail she received a few days ago from an IT company which provides bank IT solutions, giving an award to SBI.

“I was just about to click it to open but it struck me why should somebody claiming to be from a company send the award notification to me directly and not to my chief information officer,” Bhattacharya said.

Bhattacharya said the bank has started using biometric login for all its employees after it was found that they were exchanging passwords among themselves.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Ahmad Javed said one of the biggest concerns of the police force is lack of awareness among people about cyber crimes.

“Our efforts in this direction is that the more awareness we can generate and the more awareness we can get percolated down to the society, the safer we will be,” he said, adding with this partnership, Mumbai Police want to reiterate the importance of awareness and of being alert.

The Bombay High Court refused to entertain a plea of Shashikala alias Baby Patankar, alleged drug lord from Worli, for return of her valuables seized from her house.

A bench headed by Justice Ranjit More said it would be appropriate for the petitioner to approach the trial court to seek this relief.

Patankar was arrested in April for her involvement in a case wherein huge quantities of the drug Mephedrone, popularly known as M-Cat, were seized from her alleged business partner, constable Dharmaraj Kalokhe.

Police alleged that Patankar sold the drugs.

She was later released on bail by a sessions court after laboratory reports revealed that the seized material was not contraband.

Patankar claimed in the petition that in the police raids 20 mobile phones, three cars, property documents, Rs 35,000 cash, bank documents etc. were seized and no panchnama, for the same was drawn.

She alleged that the police also dismantled the CCTV cameras installed in her Worli house.

Patankar sought a direction to police to return and reinstall CCTV cameras. She also prayed for a direction to authorities to disclose to the court the measures taken by the police to ascertain and confirm whether seized substance is a “narcotic drug” or a “psychotropic substance” before arresting any person for offences punishable under the NDPS Act.

On March 9, Kalokhe was arrested by Satara police after they found 110 kgs of Mephedrone (M-Cat) allegedly at his Kanheri village residence. The next day 12 kgs of suspected contraband were found in Kalokhe’s Marine Drive police station locker.

Following this, the then Mumbai Police chief Rakesh Maria had dismissed Kalokhe from service and transferred Pravin Chinchalkar, senior inspector of Marine Drive Police Station, to Special Branch.

Terming the ‘Smart city’ project of the Union government as “unconstitutional” and “illegal”, the Shiv Sena alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship scheme is a ploy to have central control over Mumbai.

Coming down heavily on the project, the ruling alliance partner said it is an attempt to create a new “underworld” and thereby impose a “parallel administration.”

“Every city has a different problem. The formation of a special purpose vehicle with funds from the state government and the municipal corporation would be a private company that would control the municipal corporation, and the city would thus be finally controlled by the Centre,” the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

“If someone from the Centre is controlling a city, it is a kind of dictatorship. Controlling a city through companies by bypassing the elected municipal corporation is illegal and unconstitutional…It is like creating a new underworld and imposing a parallel government,” it charged.

The Sena further alleged that the project favoured capitalists, traders and builders and that providing Rs 500 crore over five years for Mumbai, that has an annual budget of over Rs 34,000 crore, is of no use.

“Mumbai gives taxes worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore to the Centre every year. If the Centre uses even 25 per cent of this money for the city, not only Mumbai but the entire Maharashtra would become a smart state,” the editorial said.

“We cannot let Mumbai become a servant of multi-national companies in the name of Smart City and let them decide on the development and taxes. Today power is being snatched from the people and cities are going in the hands of the rich. If this is a back-door ploy to Centrally administer Mumbai, then people should see Shivaji with a sword in his hand,” the Sena said.

The Central Railway has made special arrangements for hassle-free advance booking of trains for the summer season at all reservation centres in Mumbai area.

“In view of ensuing summer vacation, Central Railway has made special arrangements at all the Computerised Reservation Centres in Mumbai area with effect from December 16, 2015 to February 15, 2016,” said a statement from the public relations officer, CR, adding that formation of queue for opening date booking will start on December 16, 2015 after 12 midnight.

Explaining the system at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and Thane station, it said, “After 7.30 am, passengers will be guided towards token counter to form the queue (from the queue outside PRS office)… Tokens will be issued from 7.40 am and reservation will start exactly at 8 am.”

Token facility would not be available at other locations.

“For the locations other than CST and Thane, after 7.30 am, passengers will be guided to each counter from the queue formed outside the PRS office… Reservation will start exactly at 8 am.”

There will be a single line for both normal and Tatkal tickets. Tatkal tickets will be given only after 10 am for AC classes and 11 am for Non-AC classes.