Maharashtra: BJP to protest at all MSRTC depots if salaries not paid to 1 lakh workers

MUMBAI: Leader of opposition in state legislative council, Pravin Darekar, on Thursday gave an eight-day ultimatum to the MSRTC management to disburse salaries for July and August to over 1 lakh workers. He threatened that the state BJP will protest aggressively outside every bus depot in Maharashtra if the demands were not fulfilled.
This could cripple the bus services, especially inter-district travel, sources said.
Darekar met MSRTC managing director Shekhar Channe on Thursday and apprised him about the problems faced by employees and their families.
"Several drivers and conductors are finding it difficult to run the household or pay for children's education and other expenses. How can they survive with salaries not paid for the past two months?" he said, adding that the MSRTC management and the state government should be sensitive towards workers' issues.
Sources said that the corporation earned Rs 100 crore a month through ticket sales in 5,500 buses which were being operated now while it needed upto Rs 300 crore to pay the salaries. An official from the management said that a proposal has been sent to the government to disburse funds for the salaries.
A few weeks back, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar sanctioned Rs 550 crore funds to the MSRTC to pay staff salaries for May and June and for other pending expenses. Maharashtra ST Karmachari Congress leader Shrirang Barge demanded that MSRTC should be given the status of "state government department" and Rs 300 crore should be disbursed every month to ensure salaries are paid on time to frontline workers.