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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 7:24:18 pm

JNPA explores DFC link

Mumbai: The Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) is set to play a larger role in strengthening the movement of containers from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) to major consumption and distribution centres in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with the port authority exploring strategic rail nodes to improve connectivity with Bhiwandi’s rapidly expanding logistics and warehousing ecosystem. A stronger DFC-based freight network could significantly improve the speed and reliability of container...

JNPA explores DFC link

Mumbai: The Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) is set to play a larger role in strengthening the movement of containers from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) to major consumption and distribution centres in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with the port authority exploring strategic rail nodes to improve connectivity with Bhiwandi’s rapidly expanding logistics and warehousing ecosystem. A stronger DFC-based freight network could significantly improve the speed and reliability of container evacuation from JNPA while reducing the dependence on road transport. Faster rail movement would not only help cut transit times and logistics costs but also ease congestion on roads carrying large volumes of port-bound and port-originated cargo. The proposed integration of railway nodes along the DFC route with JNPA’s container evacuation network is particularly significant for Bhiwandi, which has emerged as one of the region’s key warehousing and distribution hubs. Direct and efficient rail connectivity could enable containers to move more seamlessly from the port to inland logistics centres, reducing the need for lengthy road journeys. Besides improving freight capacity, shifting a larger share of container traffic from road to rail can provide environmental benefits through lower fuel consumption and emissions. Rail freight also offers greater predictability for long-distance cargo movement and can help reduce pressure on existing road infrastructure. The initiative assumes importance as increasing cargo volumes and the expansion of warehousing and distribution activity in the Mumbai region put greater pressure on existing logistics networks. As part of the exercise, JNPA Chairman Gaurav Dayal and Deputy Chairman Ravish Singh along with senior port officials, inspected key railway infrastructure and logistics facilities along the DFC route. The delegation visited the newly developed Kharbhav Railway Station to assess its operational potential and examine how it could be integrated into the freight movement network. The station is being evaluated as a strategic rail node that could facilitate the movement of containerised cargo between JNPA and the Bhiwandi logistics cluster. The officials subsequently visited the Bhiwandi Warehousing Hub to assess its supply chain capacity, storage readiness and last-mile logistics efficiency. They also inspected the New Nilanje Railway Station to examine its potential as another freight node within the expanding rail-freight network. “By maximizing the potential of the Dedicated Freight Corridor through strategic rail nodes like Kharbhav and Nilanje, JNPA aims to offer seamless, faster, and environmentally sustainable container evacuation routes directly to key commercial clusters like Bhiwandi,” said Gaurav Dayal. Ravish Singh said, “Transitioning a higher share of container traffic from road to rail is crucial for reducing logistics costs and turnaround times. Our joint assessments today reinforce our commitment to building resilient hinterland connectivity that supports the growth of trade and industry.”

Unrest within Mahayuti

Updated: Jan 21, 2025

Mahayuti

Mumbai: The state administration on Sunday stalled the appointments of guardian ministers in Raigad and Nashik districts. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had cleared the appointments before he left for Davos in Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum on Saturday. They are believed to have been stalled on behest of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the state in absence of the Chief Minister.


NCP’s Aditi Tatkare and BJP’s Girish Mahajan were entrusted with responsibilities of guardian minister for the Raigad and Nashik districts respectively, where Shiv Sena’s Bharat Gogawale and Dada Bhuse had staked claims. Gogawale is a first-time minister while, Bhuse had been the guardian minister of the district during previous government under Eknath Shinde.


Shiv Sena, NCP and BJP all the three constituents of Mahayuti have strong roots in both the districts. However, the Shiv Sena and the NCP had been particularly on loggerheads there. The Shiv Sena, which had been demanding the guardian minister’s post in Nashik district has managed to win only two assembly seats in the district where the NCP has Six and the BJP has Five MLAs. On the contrary, in Raigad the NCP has won only one seat while the Shiv Sena and the BJP both have Three MLAs each in the district.


Sunil Tatkare, MP from Raigad Lok Sabha constituency and the stat unit president of the NCP and father of Aditi Tatkare, had been the guardian minister of Raigad between 2004 and 2014. Gogawale had always been his political opponent before Tatkare joined the Mahayuti government under Ajit Pawar’s leadership in 2023. Gogawale claimed that all the Six Shiv Sena-BJP MLAs in the district had opined in his favour to be the guardian minister of the district and after the decision to appoint Aditi Tatkare was announced, his supporters resorted to violent protests. They burnt tyres in bid to stall traffic on highway in the district. Reacting to the developments, Tatkare said that the issue should be pondered over after CM Fadnavis returns from Davos on Saturday and settled amicably.


In Nashik Girish Mahajan had been the guardian minister of the district between 2014 and 2019 when Fadnavis was the Chief Minister.


The post of guardian minister doesn’t have any constitutional mandate and is considered to be a political appointment. Guardian ministers head the district planning and development councils (DPDC) that control the funds for development works being carried out in the particular district. This control wields much of political power to the minister in that district whereby spreading the party in the district becomes much easier. This is the reason why the grass root politicians seem to be very sensitive to such appointments.


While Gogawale and Bhuse are unhappy about not being appointed as guardian ministers, some others like NCP’s Hasan Mushrif and BJP’s Pankaja Munde are unhappy about not being appointed as guardian district in their home districts of Kolhapur and Beed respectively. DCM Shinde is learnt to have gone to his ancestral village Dare in Satara district after the decision and BJP’s firefighters Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Girish Mahajan are expected to meet him there to try finding a way out of the issue.

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