CM Shinde announces sops for mandals, devotees ahead of Ganesh festival

MUMBAI: Chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday announced various sops and concessions for Ganesh mandals and devotees, including waiver of toll for people going to their hometown to celebrate the festival, free fire brigade and ambulance services to Ganesh mandals, and free parking near all big Ganesh mandals like Lalbaugcha Raja. Shinde also ordered the administration to apply residential rates, instead of commercial rates, on the properties used as offices by Ganesh mandals.

These sops were announced in a meeting of the CM on Wednesday with city guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar, BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and office bearers of Ganesh Mandal Co-ordination Committee to discuss about the upcoming Ganesh festival and related issues.

“CM Shine ordered municipal corporation to charge only ?100 as registration fee for Ganesh mandals. He also asked the administration to make parking lots near big mandals free for devotees coming for darshan. Municipal authorities were asked to provide a fire brigade van, an ambulance, and a team of doctor and nurses to big mandals free of cost,” said Kesarkar, after the meeting. He also added that like every year, this time too, there would be no toll for vehicles of devotees going home to celebrate the festival.

In the meeting, office bearers of Ganesh Mandal Co-ordination Committee pointed out that big Ganesh mandals work throughout the year and provide various services to the people, but commercial rates of tax are applied to their offices. After this, CM Shinde ordered all municipal corporations to charge taxes at residential rates. “Ganesh mandals are not commercial activity. So instead of charging their offices with commercial rates, apply residential rates and waive off the interest amount in the dues. Also, give relief of 50% on the principal amount of dues,” Shinde said.

The CM also ordered the administration to repair all roads by using modern technology before the Ganesh festival. “Potholes on the routes of arrival and immersion of Ganesh should be filled immediately. And increase the number of artificial immersion tanks,” Shinde said. He also gave an order to implement a one-window scheme for various permissions required by the Ganesh mandals.