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Bombay HC rules community health volunteers entitled to minimum wage

admin — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:38:00 +0000

The court held that although the volunteers are designated as “swayamsevaks,” their functions align with those of municipal employees. File
| Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre

The Bombay High Court has dismissed all petitions filed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday (August 14, 2026) against an order that recognised community health volunteers as workers eligible for minimum wages under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.

The court held that although the volunteers are designated as “swayamsevaks,” their functions align with those of municipal employees. They perform public health duties, maintain attendance, work fixed hours, follow medical staff instructions, and receive a fixed monthly payment.

AIUTUC demands immediate implementation of revised minimum wages

The BMC had challenged the September 7, 2020 order of the Assistant Labour Commissioner (Mumbai). The order had ruled that these volunteers are entitled to the notified minimum wage and directed the corporation to pay the difference between the existing honorarium and the statutory minimum wage.

The corporation argued that no employer-employee relationship exists. It submitted that the volunteers work five hours daily and receive ₹14,000 as an honorarium. It contended that the term “honorarium” exempts them from the purview of the Minimum Wages Act.

Justice Sandeep Marne, in a single-judge bench, rejected these submissions. He noted that the nature of the volunteers’ work and the degree of control exercised over them establish an employment relationship.

The court observed that these volunteers have been associated with the municipality for decades. They assist in health awareness campaigns, support government health programmes, and act as a link between health centres and local communities, particularly in slum areas. The programme has been operational for approximately 38 years.

The volunteers perform assigned duties for remuneration. They are required to report to duty, work specified hours, and follow instructions from medical staff. The court stated that describing their payment as an “honorarium” does not exclude them from the purview of the Minimum Wages Act.

Justice Marne upheld the Assistant Labour Commissioner’s order. He ruled that denying social security protections to these workers would not be justified. The judgment states that they are entitled to the notified minimum wage applicable to the employment category under the Act.

The court also clarified that the volunteers render service to the corporation and are not just doing volunteer work. The petitions filed by the municipal corporation against the Labour Commissioner’s order were dismissed.

Published – August 16, 2026 03:49 pm IST

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BMC continues anti-encroachment drive; 17 structures demolised in Andheri

admin — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 21:14:00 +0000

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) continued to crackdown on illegal encroachments as it demolished 17 unauthorised commercial structures in Mumbai’s suburban Andheri on Tuesday (June 23, 2026).

BMC K West Division Office removed the encroachments in an action taken on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) headed by Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. (Mrs.) Ashwini Joshi.

“In Aram Nagar, J. P. Marg, Versova area of Andheri (West), some establishments had used the mandatory open space as a service area and erected unauthorized covers on it. Encroachments on the footpaths by the concerned establishments were removed,” said civic official from BMC.

BMC also disconnected the illegal sewage connections of eight establishments, including Arbab, Barista, Soraizai, Hakim Salon, Persia Darbar, Ink N Bretto Menu, Darjeeling Leo’s Momo, and China Suburb.

In last two months, BMC has conducted several anti-encroachments drives to decongest the heavily crowded areas, removing undocumented structures, extensions of shops, hutments, and encroachments on roads, footpaths, and public land. According to BMC, the aim is to improve pedestrian movement, ease traffic congestion, and expand public infrastructure.

In May, BMC led the biggest anti-encroachment drive in Bandra East’s Garib Nagar and on Monday (June 22, 2026), 17 unauthorised structures demolished in in Andheri West. On several occasions, Bombay High Court has also pulled up BMC for failing to address the unauthorised structures on road and footpaths.

During the operation, items such as an LPG hot plate, electric induction, storage rack, electric oil fryer, microwave oven, wooden table, commercial LPG cylinder, and other furniture were seized in a joint operation led by the several departments including Conservation, Public Health, Licensing, Fire, Building and Factories, and MHADA.

Published – June 24, 2026 02:44 am IST

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After Team India Parade, Mumbai Civic Body BMC Collects Tonnes Of Garbage, Footwear

admin — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 15:46:09 +0000

A neat Marine Drive greeted the usual crowds of morning walkers.

Mumbai:

After lakhs of cricket fans gave a rousing welcome to their beloved World Cup-winning Team India, thousands who trudged back home late on Thursday night had to return barefoot.

The wild and frenzied jamborees were witnessed, starting from Nariman Point, on the Marine Drive, the Wankhede Stadium at Churchgate of the victory parade, and many other locations from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to south Mumbai.

After greeting Team India, and clicking photos and selfies, thousands who were present at Marine Drive for the open bus victory parade prepared to go back home but discovered that they had lost their footwear in the melee.

Dead exhausted after the screaming, shouting and merrymaking in the darkness with bouts of rain, the crowds were raring to reach their homes, some even as far as the distant suburbs of Mumbai and beyond in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), so they didn’t bother to retrieve them.

A sea of cricket fans gathered at Marine Drive in Mumbai until late last night to welcome the Indian Cricket Team after their victory in the T20 Cricket World Cup 2024.

After the grand welcome and once the crowd dispersed, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted… pic.twitter.com/JruPxUAfLo

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) July 5, 2024

As the crowds cleared by midnight, an army of over 100 conservancy staffers of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) trooped out for a special clean-up operation that lasted till dawn on Marine Drive, almost five km long from Nariman Point till Chowpatty that was chock-a-block.

Not surprisingly, the BMC teams collected loads of extra garbage, filling up two huge dumpers – and another five jeeps with thousands of singles/pairs of different varieties of footwear that were lost last night!

This ‘unique collection’ comprised of slippers, sandals, shoes, sneakers, canvas shoes, moccasins, loafers, et al.

A compactor and dumper along with the 100 staffers of the Solid Waste Management Department, picked up all the garbage, helped by many NGO volunteers chipping in the efforts to unveil a spic-and-span Marine Drive on Friday morning.

A neat Marine Drive greeted the usual crowds of morning walkers, joggers and strollers and the outcome impressed even industrialist Anand Mahindra, who tweeted his appreciation.

Besides the footwear, the cleaners collected a large number of food wraps, water bottles, bags and other personal articles that may have been forgotten or lost in the massive sea of humanity.

From the waste scooped up the BMC decided to send the five jeeploads of footwear directly for reprocessing, though officials could not immediately confirm if they had collected similar stuff from the vicinity of the stadium or the route from CSMIA to Nariman Point.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Will Bring Out List of Scams In Mumbai Civic Body During MVA Term: D Fadnavis

admin — Wed, 01 May 2024 17:45:09 +0000

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was facilitating vaccine production in the country during the pandemic, the then-MVA government in the state was indulging in alleged scams.

Addressing the first mega rally of the BJP in Mumbai, where voting in the Lok Sabha polls will take place on May 20, Fadnavis claimed he would bring out a list of alleged scams that took place in the city civic body BMC and during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime (Nov 2019-June 2022).

“There was a great opportunity for the (MVA) dispensation in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic to demonstrate leadership. PM Modi was leading from the front and provided resources and raw materials to scientists to make the vaccine (against COVID-19).

“But they (MVA government) were indulging in scams like irregularities in supply of ‘khichadi’ (meal for labourers, homeless people) and procurement of body bags. They are ‘kafan chor’ (coffin thief) who did not even spare the dead in their plunder,” alleged the BJP leader, hitting out at his rivals.

The opposition MVA consists of the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).

“I will soon come out with a list of their scams. I will ask people to wait for sometime so that I can elaborate on their deeds,” said Mr Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio.

BJP Lok Sabha nominees Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North), Ujjwal Nikam (Mumbai North West) and Mihir Kotecha (Mumbai North East) were present at the rally along with the party’s city unit president Ashish Shelar.

Without naming Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, Fadnavis said, “Now a days, the standard of his speeches has gone down. He should not forget he is the chief of a political party. I want to warn those who use foul language against us that we can respond to their criticism more severely.” The deputy CM noted that the Shiv Sena under Thackeray’s leadership failed to bring mega projects in the metropolis despite controlling the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for years.

“The BMC’s functioning was always under their control, but they could not bring any mega project for the benefit of citizens of Mumbai. Prime Minister Modi gave projects like metro rail, STPs (Sewage Treatment Plants), Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu), Coastal Road, the new international airport in Navi Mumbai and helped Mumbai local trains to get better. What is their contribution in any of these projects?” he wondered.

Mumbai has half a dozen Lok Sabha seats and all of them will vote in the fifth phase.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Fire Breaks Out At Mumbai Civic Body BMC’s Pumping Station, Water Supply Hit

admin — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 22:11:59 +0000

The water supply pressure in the western suburbs is also likely to be affected

Mumbai:

A fire broke out at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Pise Water Pumping Station Monday evening, leading to a significant impact on water supply across several parts of Mumbai.

According to a civic official, the incident has impacted the water supply in the eastern suburbs, as well as the water supply from Golanji, Fosbery, Raoli, and Bhandarwada reservoirs in the city.

Consequently, there will be no water supply in these areas for the next 24 hours. Additionally, the water supply pressure in the western suburbs and other parts of Mumbai may also be affected, said the official.

A fire broke out at BMC’s Pise Water Pumping Station, today evening. This incident has impacted the water supply in the eastern part of eastern suburbs, as well as the water supply from Golanji, Fosbery, Raoli, and Bhandarwada reservoirs in the city. Consequently, there will be… pic.twitter.com/5JIoDJSK9z

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) February 26, 2024

As per the civic official, the BMC administration has urged citizens to cooperate and utilize water resources judiciously since the prompt cooperation of residents is essential to mitigate the impact of the disruption and ensure that essential water services can be restored as swiftly as possible.

A fire broke out at BMC’s Pise Water Pumping Station on 26th February 2024. As a result, the water supply in the eastern part of the eastern suburbs, Trombay Low Level Reservoir, Trombay High Level Reservoir, Ghatkopar Low Level Reservoir, F South, and F North Ward, as well as…

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) February 26, 2024

Efforts are underway to address the situation and restore normalcy to the water supply system in the affected areas.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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