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Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde Faces Opposition Heat Over ₹25.12 Lakh Social Media Contract

Mumbai, August 19, 2026: Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde faces fresh controversy over a proposal to appoint a separate publicity agency, with the Opposition questioning its need and cost. Tawde has denied any role in the appointment. Meanwhile, she has sought a dedicated Assistant Municipal Commissioner to strengthen civic communication and public outreach. BMC Contract Under Scrutiny The controversy…

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde Faces Opposition Heat Over ₹25.12 Lakh Social Media Contract

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde is under scrutiny over a proposed contract worth ₹25.12 lakh, sought for managing her office's social media presence. The Opposition has raised questions over the need and cost of the contract, which has been awarded to Runtime Solutions Pvt Ltd. Tawde maintains she had no involvement in the appointment. Additionally, Tawde has requested a dedicated Assistant Municipal Commissioner to bolster civic communication and public outreach.

The controversy follows a letter the mayor sent to the BMC commissioner in February 2026, requesting a social media expert, photographer, and videographer to document and promote her field visits and programmes. However, Tawde claims she had already questioned the necessity of a separate letter in February 2026. Opposition corporator Kishori Pednekar criticized the spending, stating that BMC funds should be allocated towards basic amenities and infrastructure, rather than on social media publicity showcasing the mayor's activities.

Written by urgent.news from Free Press Journal's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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Using small loans as bait... Gang caught for opening and selling 4,000 disposable USIM cards A gang that opened and sold 4,000 disposable USIM cards, using small loans as bait, has been caught. On the 8th, the Metropolitan Police Agency's Cyber Investigation Division announced that they had arrested a total of 18 people, including a 30-year-old man, A, who was the ringleader, on charges of violating the Telecommunications Business Act. According to the police, A and his accomplices opened disposable USIM cards in the names of 4,000 people, mostly those in their 20s and 30s, from July 2020 to last month, and sold them for 10,000 to 50,000 won per card. The police investigated 40 cases in which the victims' personal information was used to open USIM cards, and estimated that the total damage was around 200 million won. The gang used small loans as bait to obtain the victims' personal information. They would advertise "If you want a loan, send your name, resident registration number, and phone number" on social media and then use the information to open disposable USIM cards. The cards were then sold to people who would use them for malicious activities such as phone phishing and spamming. The police are investigating whether there are any additional victims or masterminds behind the gang. The police also warned that "if you receive a loan with an interest rate of 20% or higher, or if you are asked to send personal information via text message or social media, you should be cautious as it may be a scam."

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