The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti on Tuesday urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to waive the Rs 2,000 fine imposed on Ganesh Mandals for digging potholes while setting up pandals. The demand was raised during the Ganeshotsav review meeting held on Thursday at the Sahyadri Guest House under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Guardian Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam, Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla, Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani, and members of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti were present at the meeting.
The BMC had initially proposed a penalty of Rs 15,000 on Mandals that dig roads for pandal construction. Following opposition from the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti last year, the fine was reduced to Rs 2,000. With Ganeshotsav recognised as a state festival, the committee demanded the waiver of this penalty for the second consecutive year, the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti said.
“Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis has responded positively and assured that the Rs 2,000 fine will be waived,” said Naresh Dahibawkar, chairman of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti.
The committee also pressed for other measures, including permanent relief on restrictions related to Plaster of Paris (POP) idols, waiver of the Rs 1.25 lakh daily fee charged by the fire brigade for the Lalbaugcha Raja pandal, reinstatement of the Anant Chaturdashi public holiday, and tax exemptions for Ganesh Mandals based on office-rate assessments rather than commercial rates.
According to Dahibawkar, these steps are essential to support the cultural and traditional significance of Ganeshotsav in Mumbai.
Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray claimed that Ganpati mandals will not pay fines for potholes caused by their pandals unless the BJP-led state government first fines those responsible for potholes along the Mumbai-Goa highway.
Addressing Ganpati mandals at Rangsharda Auditorium in Bandra, Uddhav Thackeray dared the BMC and the ruling Mahayuti government to fine Ganpati mandals for potholes. “Ganpati mandals will not pay a single rupee fine in penalties for any pothole due to setting up mandaps for celebration,” Thackeray said. He was referring to recent orders by the BMC to fine mandals Rs 15,000 per hole if any road is damaged while setting up pandals.
