Balochs agitation for independence seems to be dying down

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February 7, 2020

The agitation of the Balochs for independence seems to be a never ending process. And by now the delusion of the people of Balochistan that was generated by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech on August 15, 2016 must have died down.

In this particular speech, Modi raised the issue of Pakistan’s human rights violations in Balochistan which raised absurd and false hopes in the minds of the gullible Balochs that now India would help them in gaining independence as India did in Bangladesh in 1971 (though it is impossible for military reasons for India in Balochistan).

Despite a legitimate case for the independence of Balochistan, it has not been able to achieve independence for so long because of lack of effective policies which has caused them to suffer immense atrocities and human rights violation at the hands of the State of Pakistan.

The Balochs can still achieve independence, sooner than later, if we do the following: –

Indian military enters J&K after ‘Instrument of Accession’ (IoA) of J&K to India was signed in October 1947 by its ruler in view of Pak invasion of J&K. But IoA of Baluchistan was signed (at gun point) in February 1948 (after Pakistan military invaded Balochistan) by its ruler who was not even authorised to sign this IoA as the Parliament (Dar-ul-Awam) has passed resolution for independence of Balochistan.
Hence the IoA of Balochistan to Pakistan is not worth the paper it is written on because as per an international law, the political fate of Balochistan (in view of said resolution by Dar-ul-Awam) is supposed to be decided by the people of the country through plebiscite / referendum (especially in this age of human-rights-friendly world which is already moving towards realising ‘ New horizon for mankind’)
Instead of trying medieval & antiquated methods for acquiring independence, the Balochs should have demanded independence through plebiscite. Fortunately, the Balochs can benefit from the case of United-J&K where also the fate of united-J&K is mandated to be decided by the IoA of J&K to India as mentioned.
In one sense, the Balochs are right in thinking that without outside support, they cannot attain independence. But this outside support the Balochs can easily get if they try for the realisation of ‘ Secular Democratic Federation of mini-SAARC’ in which united-J&K can be 9^th and Balochistan the 10^th member of SAARC because both united-J&K and Balochistan are bound to opt for independence during plebiscite. The Federation where all the martial subjects will be with the centre and all the civil subjects (including natural resources) will be with the member states.
There is only one very minor hurdle in this approach. The Kashmiris are not demanding plebiscite because they know that plebiscite will result in independent united-J&K whereas the influential Muslim leaders (and not majority of people) of Kashmir (unlike Baloch leaders & people who want secular State) want to join theocratic Pakistan and with their handful of supporters periodically raise the slogans “Kashmir ‘banega’ (will become) Pakistan”. But this nuisance can easily be eliminated if the Balochs persuade the Kashmiris to demand plebiscite (which is the mandate of the IoA of J&K to India) by telling them that Pashtuns of KPK would want to join this mini-SAARC earlier than discriminated-against Sindh because Pashtuns have been suffering immensely by the atrocities of the State of Pakistan. This will facilitate even Punjab part of Pakistan also to join this mini-SAARC (along with KPK & Sindh).
In India the main political parties of the centre namely BJP and the Congress have lost the script due to their support to two nations theory (by BJP crudely and by Congress subtly). Hence in future, only those political parties will come in or near power or will remain in power at the centre that will support one nation theory which is liked by the civil society of India.
It will help immensely if: – (i) The Balochs mobilise the people of J&K and Gilgit-Baltistan on the Pakistan side of LoC to persuade the people of Indian side of J&K (especially Kashmiris) to work for plebiscite in united-J&K. (ii) The Balochs arrange some seminars etc in India to tell the Indians that (a) The dual citizenship (as mention in said PCP article 3534) is the right solution for the problem of CAA / NRC, which is currently agitating India and (b) The plebiscite in Balochistan and United-J&K is in the interest of India.(iii) The Baloch organise such seminars all across Pakistan, then it will be the best.
The Balochs should not be unduly perturbed that in mini-SAARC, the Baloch area of Iran and Afghanistan will be left out. This apprehension is not valid because in SAARC (rather in extended-SAARC) both Afghanistan and Iran will be there. If in the USA (a country of merely ~ 330 million) number of States can be 50 then there is no reason why in extended-SAARC (a country of ~ 1.8 billion), the number of States cannot be at least two hundred in the interest of accommodating the regional, ethnic, linguistic etc aspirations of its citizens.
The Balochs need not be deterred by the baseless propaganda that China may oppose the independence of Balochistan due to its stakes in CPEC and Gwadar port. But this fear is baseless because SAARC will support these projects of China and any such project of any other country in its territory which will make transportation of goods easy and cheap and which will save power which in modern world is the resources of the mankind too (and not merely of the concerned country). Only concern of SAARC will be that China should not use CPEC & Gwadar port etc for military / strategic purpose which China has already said that it will not do so.
The Balochs should understand two basic realities. First, India and Pakistan will agree to only win-win solution and not to any zero-sum game where one’s gain is other’s loss. Secondly, present situation in India & Pakistan is conducive for the independence of Balochistan and united-J&K through mini SAARC because: –(i)Modi Government (and Hindutva forces) could get away with Babri Masjid matter as Muslims and their leaders (out of un-Islamic fear) did not file proper review petition in SCI. But in the matters of CAA / NRC and Kashmir (where Article 370 and 35-A have been amended and repealed and where practically all political leaders & activists are in prison, but how long it can be), it will not be so.(ii)In Pakistan there is a political crisis. Its establishment brought Imran’s PTI in power through illegitimate election by first removing from premiership and then not allowing Nawaz Shariff to contest election. Hence said mini-SAARC is the right solution for Pakistan.
In addition to mobilize the Kashmiris and others (as mentioned above) it will go a long way in realising independence (for both Balochistan and united-J&K) if the Balochs take the lead in launching an NGO in the USA (registered as per law of the USA) for lobbying and gaining support for the cause of plebiscite in Balochistan and united-J&K. This NGO can carry-out demonstrations, seminars, meetings etc at various places / cities in the USA and can move and approach the Congress and its relevant Committees and US Administration and can even contact diplomats of various countries in the USA and at the United Nations and can also mobilise the influential US media. It will obviously help the cause immensely because whatever people may say (and with some justification) but there are still lots of people (including influential) in the USA who genuinely care for the human rights of the entire mankind and want to usher the world into liberal political order.

It is hoped that in the interest of peace, harmony and prosperity in the Indian subcontinent, the Balochs will follow the path of mini-SAARC through a legally expected plebiscite in Balochistan and united-J&K (also by taking the help of to-be-launched registered NGO in the USA for moving the world community including the leader of free world the USA for their legitimate and urgent cause).

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Big bang announcement in times of tottering economy

By

C K Subramaniam

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February 7, 2020

For an economy that is tottering, a big bang announcement from the government can sometimes work to turn around ones sentiment. The unveiling of a mega push to the infrastructure investment adding up to Rs. 102 lakh crore over the next five years by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman belongs to this category. Projects in energy, roads, railways and urban infrastructure under the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) have been identified by a task force. About 42 per cent of such identified projects are already under implementation, 19 per cent are under development and 31 per cent are at the conceptual stage.

The NIP task force appears to have gone project-by-project assessing each for viability and relevance in consultation with the States. Considering that the NIP will be like a window to the future, a constant review becomes paramount if this is not to degenerate into a mere collation and listing of projects. A periodic review as promised by the Finance Ministry is necessary. The government’s push on infrastructure development will not only enable ease of living such as metro trains in cities and towns, but also create jobs and increase demand for primary commodities such as cement and steel. From this perspective, this push to invest in infrastructure is welcome.

Rupee conversion of the $2.85 Tr nominal GDP value is: Rs.200 Tr. Rs.10 Tr investments are needed for Value Additions (VA) that would offer at least Rs.750 billion in terms of minimum benefits to the People by way of wages/salaries/business profits etc. Infrastructure project investments cannot accrue, offering benefits to the People, except at marginal levels. Instead, we would need more Industrial/Agriculture/R&D works/Projects leading to more spin-offs.

One estimate of annual VA systems, adding to enhance Industrial/Agricultural and related value enhancing (and benefiting People by way of wages etc) would have to be on a continually added annual basis: Rs.9 Tr in 2020, and thereafter @ Rs.12 Tr, Rs.15 Tr, Rs.18 Tr, Rs.21 Tr – till 2025. This system of Investments in VA projects (Industry/Agriculture etc, including R&D to effect spin-offs) could take the Indian GDP level to $5 Tr – by 2025. In such cases, the Government has to be judicious in identifying the projects to be put in the pipeline is the easy part. Implementing and commissioning them will be the more difficult one. There are a few hurdles that the NIP task force needs to watch out for. First, the financing plan assumes that the Centre and the States will fund 39 per cent each while the private sector will chip in with 22 per cent of the outlay. Going by the present fiscal situation, it will be no small challenge for the Centre to raise Rs.39 lakh crore, even if it is over the next five years. The financial position of States is even more perilous. Secondly, the Rs. 22 lakh crore expected from private investment also looks steep considering the lack of appetite for fresh investment by the private sector in the last few years. In fact, this factor has been a major drag on economic growth. Given the scale of investment, debt will play an important role and it remains to be seen if banks have gotten over their apprehensions on infrastructure financing as a major part of their bad loans originated there. Finally, cooperation from States becomes very important in implementing infrastructure projects. The experience on this count has not been very happy till now. While these are genuine obstacles that the task force needs to manage, these should not detract from the need for a concerted effort to invest in infrastructure. The key will be following up and reviewing the pipeline at regular intervals.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Peter Mukerjea gets bail but…

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Afternoon Voice

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February 7, 2020

Four years after he was jailed in the Sheena Bora murder case with his wife Indrani Mukerjea as convicts, the Bombay High Court on Thursday granted him bail observing that based on first impression, no evidence has been found against him.
However despite the bail, Mukerjea won’t be able to walk out of the jail. After the order, the High Court stayed its own order for six weeks in which time the CBI could approach the Supreme Court. The Court has also asked Mukerjea to pay Rs 2 lakh and said that the bail was granted on the “merits of the case and his medical conditions”. The Court has restricted Mukerjea from contacting his children Rahul and Vidhi.

Mukerjea, a former media executive has been accused of murdering Sheena Bora who was the daughter of his wife Indrani Mukerjea from a previous relationship. In March last year, the CBI told a special Mumbai court that Mukerjea was the “silent killer” of Sheena. The CBI had said this while opposing his bail plea in the 2012 murder case. Mukerjea, arrested in the sensational Sheena Bora murder case in 2015, had moved the bail application in November last year before special CBI Judge JC Jagdale.

Opposing his bail plea, special public prosecutor Bharat Badami argued that the CBI has sufficient evidence to prove Peter Mukerjea’s role in the murder conspiracy. “Peter was knowing everything…he was not a statue of the family. He took no step when Rahul was desperately asking about Sheena….Peter is silent killer of Sheena,” the CBI lawyer had claimed.

BMC to install gate pumps to minimise tidal effect in the city during monsoon

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Afternoon Voice

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February 7, 2020

By the way things are moving, it looks like Mumbai will not be affected by floods from this year onwards. In its budget, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed to explore a new technology wherein gate pumps will be installed at the mouths of nullahs to minimise the tidal effect in the city during the monsoon.

These gate pumps at outfalls of stormwater drains (SWD) will not just help discharge rainwater into the sea or creeks, but will also stop the tidal water from entering the city during high tide. The idea has been proposed keeping in mind the space constraints in Mumbai and it will also nullify the need for cutting mangroves to construct a large number of pumping stations.

“The technology for providing gate pumps at outfalls is being explored to eliminate the tidal effect on the SWD network and to control water-logging in low lying areas. The gate pumps can be installed within the nullah and will not need more space,” a BMC officer averred.

As a follow up of the Chitale Committee’s recommendations following the 2005 Mumbai flood, the civic body has managed to construct six while it was to build eight. Land acquisition for the remaining two at Mogra and Mahul is likely to begin this year and a provision of Rs. 150 crore has been made in the 2020-2021 budget.

Further, the civic body has started installing back rack or wiremesh screens at Irla and Lovegrove nullahs to prevent floating garbage from entering the sea.

For the upcoming monsoon, a provision of Rs 50 crore, Rs 70 crore and Rs 18 crore has been proposed in the budget for desilting of major nullahs, minor nullahs and the Mithi River respectively.

Letters to the Editor: 07 February, 2020

By

Web Team

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February 7, 2020

1Take precaution to prevent spread of Coronavirus

The recent outbreak of Coronavirus is alarming and across the globe warnings advisories has been issued to prevent its outbreak. As a precautionary measure people are advised to wear masks and hand gloves in the best interest of public health, safety and wellness.

Public transport shuttles buses operate to the airport on a round the clock basis and health authorities are suggested to provide hand-sanitizers to the bus passengers on board to all the shuttle buses leaving from airport. As also since bus crew interact with airline passengers directly, they should otherwise be sensitized to take necessary precautions and be advised to use masks and gloves.

The bus terminals at the airports across the world are suggested to be highly equipped to sanitize all the shuttle buses. As also it is suggested to ensure adequate hand-sanitizers are available at the airport’s bus terminals. Necessary extensive communication by international airline agencies such as ICAO, CAPA, ACI and IATA along with WHO, local governments and health authorities to maintain one’s personal hygiene is suggested to be displayed at the strategic locations within the airports across the globe.

Varun Dambal

2Djokovic wins Eighth Australian Crown

Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat the resurging Dominic Thiem in the final of the 2020 Australian open. This is the Serbian’s eighth title at the Rod Laver Arena and 17th Grand Slam win. In the five setter Djokovic beat Thiem 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a match that lasted for four hours. Thiem was too good against Rafael Nadal when the sets were extended to tie breakers. Battling through a five-set thrilled with Dominic Thiem, Djokovic maintained his dominance at this venue to win the tournament final, further reclaiming the world number 1 spot in the process. Thus, Djoker won eighth epic battle in style.

C.K. Suresh

3Minuscule allocation for sports in Budget

Sports allocation in this year’s budget has only been raised by 50 crores compared to last year which truly is sad as last year’s amount too was minuscule compared to the total national budget. The population of India is over 135 crores and it is the most populated nation in the world. Encouragement to sports is practically missing. Even the earmarked funds are spent on ‘Khelo India games’ which is PM’s pet project for popularity and you hardly would get any talent from there.

Sports signifies the health of the nation and medals at Olympics as well as world championships which practically are far and few means a lot needs to be done as sporting excellence raises the international pride of any nation. Finance is always a problem and if government can’t directly spend on sports, they should encourage corporates to pool in the funds by giving tax incentives as well as benefits so that we win many more medals in the world sporting arena in the days to come.

S.N.Kabra

4Railways and solar energy

It is really good to know that Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech has announced to set up solar power panels on unused railway land and solar power grids along railway tracks. The project will undoubtedly give a big boost to the Indian Railways to cut down its enormous power expenditure. The railways Solar energy project by installing solar power panels along its unutilized land on either side of the tracks and tap the energy can make it to an extent self sufficient as natural energy can be used as power instead of electricity which is expensive. The Railways now purchase electricity from states and other boards and producers are making it to spend a whopping amount every year. Solar energy can also help the Railways enhance its electrification of railway tracks too. Using renewable energy can help reduce pollution caused by diesel locomotives and also reduce heavy fuel consumption. As the Railways have enormous vacant land on each side of its tracks it can utilise these plots to install solar power cells. In a move to go greener the Railways already has developed Guwahati as the first fully solar powered railway station in India last year and now it has a long list of railway stations where solar energy is used. Besides cutting down power costs the solar power project also reduces carbon footprint.

M Pradyu

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

In a fit of rage, man kills gay partner in Thane; arrested

By

Hema Singh

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February 7, 2020

Thane police arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly killing a 56-year-old man and putting his body in a suitcase near railway tracks, in Dombivli. According to the police, the two were in a homosexual relationship.

The deceased Umesh Patil worked at a private firm in Navi Mumbai after retiring as a stenographer at a Sessions court in Mumbai around five years ago. He had gone missing from his house in Kopri area since February 4. Following this, Patil’s family filed a missing complaint at the Thane police station. The police acted on the complaint and found Patil’s body stuffed in a bag near the railway tracks at Dombivli on Thursday morning around 9 am.

Police said that the accused Praful Pawar and the deceased met each other on a local train six months ago and became good friends. After becoming friends Patil who was unmarried started visiting Pawar at his house. Soon they developed a homosexual relationship. However, when Pawar got married, he started avoiding Patil.

On February 4, Patil visited Pawar’s house when his wife wasn’t there following which the duo had a heated argument. And in a fit of rage, Pawar allegedly strangulated Patil and stuffed his body in a bag and later dumped it in the bushes by the side of the railway tracks.

Police also said that in 2013, a case of attempt to murder had been registered against Pawar. Currently the police are questioning Pawar and further probe is on.

Mumbai A City Of Tragedy; Needs Makeover

By

Vaidehi Taman

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February 6, 2020

We have such a creaking railway infrastructure; most of which have not been upgraded in the last 50 years. Same number of lines and platforms carry longer and more frequent trains. Number of passengers have gone up tremendously, but not much thought has been given towards infrastructure. RIP, all the innocent commuters who died on Thursday. There are many such tragedies waiting to happen in the local trains network in Mumbai.

Stations are antiquated and poorly maintained. Stairs are made of granite which turns dangerous and slippery when it’s wet and are most hazardous in the rainy season. People die every day keeping the spirit of dead Mumbaikar. Terror attacks, monsoon tragedies, road accidents or train accidents, they grieve on one day and the next day they are back to the basics. Mumbaikars have become immune and prepared to die with which every situation they are put in. It seems that they have lost their voice, their stand and they have become living zombies.

Seven million commuters use the Mumbai local train network every day. The Sea link was built at the cost of 16 billion Rupees (USD 250 million) and carries mostly cars and taxis. If even a part of this money had been spent on improving the railway system, majority of Mumbai city’s commuters would have been travelling safer today. As a nation we get our priorities horribly wrong. Yet we don’t mind. Twenty-two were killed and over 30 seriously injured in a rush-hour stampede in Mumbai in 2017 when a crowd tried to leave a narrow railway bridge connecting two stations after heavy rain.

My heart bleeds for everyone who has been affected. Modiji I am from Mumbai, I don’t need a bullet train here, please spend the money to upgrade the existing facilities across the country so we can prevent such uncalled tragedies in future. Human lives being treated worse than any creature. Railways and basic transport amenities are being shamelessly been neglected. No Infrastructure development. Government should wake up and realize the immediate and essential requirement of general public. Forget Bullet train; provide minimum facilities and safety requirements.

I am human, it’s not easy for me to see heart-wrenching crush of bodies on a bridge, straining against the railing. Screams were heard from those trying to escape the weight of the bodies and some were seen jumping off the bridge. The incident took place hours before Railway Minister Piyush Goyal arrived to launch new services. This railway minister, never ever bothered to take updates on local trains of Mumbai and its worst condition. He never visited Mumbai to upgrade himself on inconveniences caused to lack of groundwork. The day he was sworn in as Railway Minister, he has witnessed huge water logs in Mumbai Local train tracks, but neither the state government nor the central government ever concerned to correct the loopholes and lacunas. Visuals after the incident showed people on the ground, many not moving at all and attempts to revive them. Passengers and local people were seen carrying bodies down the bridge. Footwear scattered next to the bridge and rescuers cleared out more from the stairs. Angry commuters and residents said that the bridge was too old and narrow and not strong enough to take the busy sector. “It was a disaster waiting to happen,” remarked a local resident, saying that the bridge has been overcrowded for years and there have been multiple demands for more railway bridges for the area.

The two stations Prabhadevi and Lower Parel are used by much of Mumbai’s local train commuters as there are large number of offices in these area. Mumbaikars real issues and requirements were not met by the government. Tweets, Photoshop, Mann Ki Baat, Facebook pages, propaganda, self boasting and selfies are not going to help the aam aadmi. This government has increased the rail fare, promised safety, but did not deliver any promises. Indian railways have become the most dangerous mode of transportation under this government. They are not interested in the safely and well being of common man.

Since 2012, six of every 10-rail accident in India has happened because of mistakes by or the negligence of railway staff. In the year to 31 March 2017, 66 of 104 consequential rail accidents were attributed to failure of railway staff according to Indian Railways data. And in the three months to 30 June, eight of 11 accidents were attributed to failure of railway staff. Since 1960, Indian Railways has seen growth in infrastructure, expenditure, ridership and freight, but it has been steadfast in terms of accidents: roughly one every three days. Indian Railways claims safety is one of its main focuses, and while that may be the case, there are several worrying gaps that point to action not matching intent. For one, there’s the 16 per cent shortage in safety staff. As of 1 April, the total number of vacancies in safety staff was around 1,24,201. And this number has been growing steadily over the decades.

When it comes to a Mumbai local, then the figures are very frightening, 3,304 deaths in 2015. Nine people die on the Mumbai local train tracks every day. The causes for deaths include accidents, suicides and casualties. An average of 31 per cent victims remain “untraced”, unidentified. The Mumbai suburban railway network is spread across four major routes Western, Central, Harbour and Trans-harbour and carries more than 7.5 million passengers every day. A local train in Mumbai has the capacity to carry 1,320 people. However, during peak hours it carries no less than 4,800 people which means that 16 people jostle for space in 1 square meter of area. Overcapacity is also the reason behind deaths due to falling off trains. It’s a common sight during peak hours to see men and women hanging insecurely out of a packed compartment holding on to one pole placed at its gate. The number of deaths due to falling off overcrowded trains has shot up sharply. Majority of ‘other’ deaths are caused by suffocation and asphyxiation but these deaths go unreported.

Mumbaikars are biting the bullet everyday; one must say MUMBAI is Undying spirit…. of those who have died.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Threat To Mumbaikars: Dangerous Road Dividers Found Across City

By

Afternoon Voice

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February 6, 2020

The Mumbai traffic police carried out an extensive survey and found gaps in road dividers at 177 locations across the city. The utility of every gap has to be defined and design interferences made. If a gap is not carefully designed, it puts the user in direct conflict with oncoming vehicles.

Vivek Kalyankar Dy chief Traffic Engineer-BMC said,“According to the recent report given by Mumbai traffic police, we are making arrangements to close the gaps between the dividers across the city as accidents has been occurring. To tell you the fact, some motorists were taking advantage of these gaps to reach early to their destinations. This has been leading to accidents. Keeping the safety of people in mind we are doing the needful.”

Interestingly, many of the gaps can be found outside commercial establishments. The gaps are a concern for road safety as motorists, particularly two-wheeler riders, use them to take sudden U-turns. The list of all the locations has been sent to the BMC.

Mayor Kishori Pednekar said, “Dividers come under the Road and Traffic department. The BMC will provide it any assistance they will ask for in the matter.”

To a query whether BMC was in plans to construct more FOBs, she said that the civic body has made arrangements to construct foot over bridges and other necessary facilities for pedestrians.

Traffic police said many of the gaps are unauthorised. Personnel from each of the 34 traffic chowkies were asked to inspect dividers in their jurisdictions. As many as 11 gaps were found in the divider near Saifee Hospital at Charni Road.

RTI activist Anil Galgali said, “The gaps have been made in dividers to divert rising traffic in Mumbai. These gaps should be closed for safety of motorists and pedestrians. If the Mumbai police remove vehicles parked beside roads then there will be a reduction in volume of traffic in the city.”

Other locations where such gaps were found were Lala Lajpatrai Road near the racecourse, Karnak bridge, Darbhanga House at Pedder Road, Mahalaxmi Junction, near Marathon Heights at Worli, Nanavati Hospital at Vile Parle, outside Oshiwara and Samata Nagar police stations and IIT-Bombay market gate, among others.

Social activist Zoru Bhathena said, “If the motorists are taking a U-turn and due to their actions, accidents are occurring, it is the duty of the BMC to shut these gaps. The dividers have been made for some specific reasons and if they are broken or there are gaps in between, the space should be closed for the safety of people.”

There are numerous gaps on Bhulabhai Desai Road. Besides being dangerous, it leads to big jams. It is also the main cause for delaying ambulances. 2016 case where a gap outside a bar was filled at the owner’s request, as a BMC school was on the opposite side of the road. With the closure, the distance between the two increased to 150 metres, more than that required for excise licence.

On the condition of anonymity, a Mumbai traffic police officer said, “The gaps are made for emergencies such as the smooth running of heavy traffic on the road or the passage of the ambulance. However, some motorists particularly two-wheeler riders, use them to take sudden U-turns which often leads to accidents. So, we have sent the survey list to BMC and they will take necessary action on it.”

When AV spoke to a pedestrian, he said, “It is true that one can find a lot of gaps between dividers. Sometimes when one is in a hurry and crossing the road without noticing the gaps, we are in a danger of falling down and injuring ourselves. The BMC should take up the task of filling the gaps on a war footing basis.”

Vasai man crushed by lift in Mulund; dies

By

Hema Singh

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February 6, 2020

Lift Man Dies in Mulund — Sanjay Yadav, the 40-year-old liftman was repairing lift on the 3rd floor of a housing complex when it came crushing down.

In a shocking accident, a 40-year-old man who was repairing a lift of a housing complex in Mulund died after the lift accidentally started crushing him to the side wall. The incident took place in the afternoon around 12 pm at New PMGP Society in Mulund East when the victim was carrying out repair work in the housing complex society. He died on the spot.

The victim has been identified as Sanjay Yadav, a resident of Vasai who was working as a technician with Omega Lifts.

According to the Navghar police, the residents of the society had complained that the lift in ‘I’ wing was not functioning properly. The lift was automatically stopping on 7th and 15th floor as the work was not done properly by the builder. And the society members had complained about the problem to Yadav. When he was doing the repair work, someone from the 13th floor pressed the lift button and the lift started crushing him.

Soon after, Yadav was rushed to the Mulund General Hospital. However he was pronounced dead before admission. Currently, the police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and negligence case against unknown persons.

Rishi Kapoor back to hospital

By

Afternoon Voice

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February 6, 2020

Days after he returned to Mumbai from Delhi where he was hospitalized for a few days on account of infection, Rishi Kapoor was yesterday admitted to Mumbai’s H N Reliance Foundation. It is said that the doctors at the hospital found a patch that could have led to pneumonia and admitted him.

Talking about himself, Kapoor said “I was running a slight fever and on investigation, doctors found a patch which could have led to pneumonia, was detected and is being cured. People seem to have assumed a lot different. I put to rest all those stories and look forward to entertain and love you. I am now in Mumbai.”

It has been reported that the actor’s wife Neetu Kapoor and son Ranbir Kapoor are with him.

It may be remembered that the actor returned to India last September after undergoing treatment for Cancer in the US where he was there for almost a year.