Overview

• The state launched ganeshotsav.pldmka.co.in and unveiled an official anthem at a Bandra event led by Culture Minister Ashish Shelar.
• The government set aside ₹11 crore for programmes and expanded competitions to the taluka level with higher prizes of ₹7.5 lakh at state, ₹50,000 at district, and ₹25,000 at taluka.
• A one-time ₹25,000 capital grant will go to 1,800 bhajani mandals, with applications open online from August 23 to September 6.
• The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Samanvay Samiti, which registers about 12,000 public mandals in Mumbai, said it was not consulted and called the allocation insufficient.
• Mandals have sought practical concessions such as extended loudspeaker hours and an extra festival day as statewide events roll out ahead of the August 27 start.