The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) which has been battling financial struggles has been having a difficult time in trying to pay the salaries to the employees due to severe losses for the past several years.
In view of the situation, the BEST joint workers action committee has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to allow merging the budget of the BEST with Mumbai’s municipal budget, further putting a pause on privatization and saving BEST.
Earlier on Wednesday, February 17, the BEST employees had staged a march with a major demand to merge the BEST budget with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's budget. However, the state government had earlier denied permission for the march between Ranibaug and Mantralaya.
Mumbai’s civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has supported BEST by providing funds and low-interest loans. However, as it is a parent organization, the organizations are demanding to merge BEST's budget with the municipal budget. Moreover, the action committee has alleged that it is being ignored. On August 7, 2017, CM Thackeray had also given an assurance in this regard.
However, BEST's interests in merging the budget with the municipality's budget have not yet materialized. Two years ago, BEST was given INR 2,000 crores by breaking reserves whereas last year it was given INR 1,500 crores. However, the provision was reduced to INR 1,000 crores after the outbreak of the coronavirus increased its expenditure. Out of this, INR 918 crores has been given to BEST till January 2021.
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