Mumbai: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar pay tributes to Dr B R Ambedkar

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar. Pic/CMO Maharashtra

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar paid tributes to Dr B R Ambedkar on his 67th death anniversary on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI.

The death anniversary of the chief architect of the Constitution is observed as 'Mahaparinirvan Diwas'.

The leaders paid floral tributes to Dr B R Ambedkar at his memorial 'Chaityabhoomi' at the Shivaji Park in Dadar area of Mumbai.

Every year, thousands of people from across the state converge at Dr B R Ambedkar's memorial 'Chaityabhoomi' on December 6, who died on this day in 1956.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set up temporary sheds, mobile toilets, drinking water and medical stalls at the Shivaji Park, in view of the huge rush of B R Ambedkar's followers.

Maharashtra government has declared that a public holiday will be observed in Mumbai on December 6 to mark the death anniversary of Dr Ambedkar.

As per a circular issued by the government on Tuesday, all state government and administrative offices in Mumbai and its sub-districts will remain closed on Dr Ambedkar's death anniversary on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Central Railway will operate 18 special long-distance trains to and from Mumbai and 12 extra local services to cater to the rush of people in the city on B R Ambedkar's death anniversary, observed as Mahaparinirvan Din, on December 6.

Additional personnel of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) are being deployed at Dadar and other stations in Mumbai.

The CR will operate 18 special long-distance trains (eight towards Mumbai and 10 from Mumbai), besides 12 extra suburban services to facilitate the movement of people from different locations on Tuesday and Wednesday.

An additional 140 personnel of the RPF and 250 personnel of the GRP are being deployed at Dadar station on Tuesday and Wednesday, besides the deployment of 24 extra personnel of the RPF each at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and Kalyan stations, a release said.

For easy flow of public, extra commercial staff- 40 at Dadar, 20 at CSMT, and 10 each at Kalyan and LTT stations - will be deployed, as per the release issued by the Central Railway.

Extra counters of enquiry and Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) will be operated at Chaityabhoomi and two extra UTS counters at Dadar and CSMT stations.

Among other measures, auto announcements about the trains will be made and details about the special trains will be provided through the app of the Railways and private ones. Help desks will be set up at the CSMT and Dadar stations.

The entry and exit points at Dadar station will be made unidirectional to ensure crowd movement remains smooth, the CR said.

Doctors and paramedical staff are being deployed round-the-clock at Dadar, Kalyan, Thane and CSMT stations on Tuesday and Wednesday, the release said.

(With inputs from PTI)