The transport minister Anil Parab said that the MSRTC would file a contempt petition against the transport unions today, November 10.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening, November 9, the MSRTC suspended 376 employees who participated in the strike and were accused of provoking others to stay off duties. They were suspended on the 13th day of the strike. Of the total employees suspended include 58 workers each from Nanded and Sangli, 57 from Yavatmal and 40 staffers from Wardha.
Among the cities, 18 were suspended from Nagpur and 17 staffers were suspended from Nashik. No staffer from Mumbai has been suspended yet.
This inconvenienced over 25 lakh daily commuters who would travel in 12,500 state buses. In Mumbai, the depots at Kurla, Parel and Mumbai Central wore a deserted look.
Also Read: Amid MSRTC Bus Strike, State Government Permits Private Buses To Ply As Public Transport
Parab, who is also chairman of the MSRTC, one of the biggest state transport bodies in the country, said that he will continue to talk to the unions, and appealed them to call off the strike.
MSRTC is under huge financial burden. In the last two years of COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has further worsened. Currently, the cumulative loss is INR 12,000 crores, he added.
The state government has fulfilled all the demands of the unions except salary increment, and he had assured that it would be resolved after Diwali, Parab said. The decision about merger cannot be taken in one day. Moreover, the decision about the demand of merger of the MSRTC will be taken by the committee set up on the HC directive, he exclaimed.
For those unversed, the high court directed the state to set up a three-member committee on November 8 to consider the employees' demand of the corporation's merger with the state government, and by 5 pm (on the same day) the panel was set up, Parab pointed out.
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