MUMBAI: Around 93,000 Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) staff will get their salary for September after the state government sanctioned Rs 231.30 crore from Manav Vikas Mission.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government faced criticism for irregular salaries to MSRTC staff. In 18 months, 26 staff have died by suicide in Maharashtra. The staff have also protested to demand regular salaries.
Transport minister Anil Parab said, “A government resolution (GR) was issued today that sanctioned the release of Rs 231.30 crore from Manav Vikas Mission to MSRTC.
Under the mission, girl students can travel free from their villages to school. The state government bears the cost for the project. But since 2013-14, the state government has not released payment to MSRTC. Of Rs 428.88 crore pending dues, Rs 197.58 crore was released to MSRTC in May 2021, and the balance Rs 231.30 crore will be released soon.
The state transport utility continues to witness a loss of around Rs 400 crore per month during the pandemic due to a drop in passengers, posing an unprecedented financial crisis before MSRTC.
The state government provided support in the form of Rs 2,100 crore so MSRTC could pay salaries till June. But even this money got exhausted.
Around Rs 300 crore goes towards payment of salaries of MSRTC staff. But despite the drop in Covid-19 cases, there has not been an upsurge in passengers even though 10,000 buses operate in the state.
