India, Aug. 1 -- In a big relief for public Ganesh mandals across Mumbai, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to withdraw a controversial hike in road digging fines for pandal construction. The municipal corporation had recently increased the penalty for digging roads from Rs.2,000 per hole to Rs.15,000-a move that had sparked outrage among organisers ahead of this year's Ganeshotsav.

Following strong objections from the Brihanmumbai Public Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BGSSS), the coordinating body of Ganesh mandals in the city, Shinde stepped in and asked municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani to roll back the revised fine. The BMC has now agreed to retain the earlier charge of R...