A near-total strike by employees crippled the operations of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation on Monday, inconveniencing thousands of passengers across the state. While the Bombay High Court in the evening asked the state to form a special committee to look into the grievances of MSRTC staffers, the government allowed private operators to use school buses and other vehicles to ferry MSRTC passengers.

During the day, work suffered at 223 of 250 depots as employees stuck to the demand of being treated on a par with state government employees and that their pending dues be cleared at the earliest. As it ordered the state to form a special committee, the HC said the panel must include additional chief secretary and principal secretary of the Finance department, additional chief secretary of the Transport department, and the MD of MSRTC as the coordinator. The government has been told to submit a report within 12 weeks.