Maharashtra Government Announces Toll Exemption for Light Motor Vehicles Entering Mumbai

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Monday that all five toll booths at entry points to Mumbai would provide full toll exemption for light motor vehicles. The exemption will take effect after midnight, as confirmed by Maharashtra Minister Dadaji Dagdu Bhuse. The toll plazas affected by this decision include Dahisar, Anand Nagar, Vaishali, Airoli, and Mulund, where charges previously ranged from Rs 45 to Rs 75 and were expected to be applicable until 2026.

The exemption will benefit approximately 2.80 lakh light vehicles entering Mumbai daily, in addition to saving expenses for around 70,000 heavy vehicles. The government had been discussing this move for several months, and Bhuse described it as a revolutionary decision aimed at easing the financial burden on commuters.

In other developments, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved salary hikes for teachers with D.Ed. and B.Ed. qualifications. The monthly pay for teachers, previously set at Rs 6,000, will now be increased to Rs 16,000. Teachers instructing secondary subjects in BA, B.Ed., or B.Sc., B.Ed. programs will receive Rs 18,000 per month, up from Rs 8,000.

Additionally, the state cabinet has decided to rename Maharashtra State Skill Development University. The institution will now be called “Ratan Tata Maharashtra State Skill Development University” in honor of the late industrialist. Earlier, the cabinet led by CM Shinde passed a resolution recommending that Ratan Tata, former chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor. Tata passed away at the age of 86 in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, and his cremation took place with full state honors at Worli crematorium.