MSRTC receives relief as govt disburses `500 cr

The cash-strapped Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRTC) has received a much-needed relief as the state government on Thursday disbursed Rs 500 crore towards salaries and other necessities after directives from the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The government’s move came days after the MSRTC employees threatened to take extreme steps if they will not get their salaries. Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis had also sought the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s intervention

Pawar said a budgetary allocation of Rs 1,450 crore had been made for the MSRTC for the current financial year, of which Rs 838 crore has already been disbursed. He directed that of the remaining Rs 612 crore, Rs 500 crore be released immediately. The amount will be used for salaries of the employees and other essential financial needs of the corporation, he said.

Transport Minister Anil Parab said, “The MSRTC is reeling under financial stress due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the government has disbursed Rs 500 crore to the MSRTC for the payment of salaries. Employees will get the delayed salaries tomorrow.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has severely hit the MSRTC’s revenue and a committee headed by Pawar is working on measures to revive it.

Fadnavis on August 30 in a letter had urged Thackeray to take early decision on the payment of salaries to the MSRTC employees. He had said that the MSRTC employees were in serious financial and emotional distress due to delay in salaries.

Last week, an MSRTC driver allegedly committed suicide in Dhule district in north Maharashtra. The driver, Kamlesh Bhikan Bedse (44), left behind a note in which he said he was fed up with low salary and delay in its payment and was not able to pay off his debts, police had said.

The MSRTC is one of the biggest state-run road transport undertakings of the county with a fleet of over 18,000 buses and around one lakh employees.