Maharashtra: MSRTC missed 2.8 crore km of trips, lost Rs 125 crore since Oct 27

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation MSRTC has lost 281 crore km of bus trips as the strike by its employees led to cancellation of its services since October 27 officials said on Thursday According to the estimates it has suffered a loss of Rs 125 crore Meanwhile the transport minister said the MSRTC employees who are willing to resume work will get police protectionAnil Parab transport ministerPrivate transport operators and the MSRTC employees can resume operations without any fear under the protection of police Transport Minister Anil Parab told reporters after a meeting with the divisional controllers and union leaders at the corporationrsquos headquarters on Thursday By Thursday evening a few buses were being prepared to ply under police protectionMany willing to workParab while addressing the media after a meeting with the divisional controllers union leaders at the MSRTCrsquos headquarters claimed that several employees have messaged him that they want to end the strike and join duty but they are being stopped by othersStrike continues for the 15th day at Kurla ST stand on Thursday PicSayyed Sameer AbedildquoWe had a meeting of divisional controllers Many employees want to return to work but are not being allowed using intimidation tactics We will not allow this and have asked the police to intervene and offer protection to all those who are willing to workrdquo he saidThe same rule applies to private operators who earlier in the day threatened to join MSRTC staffrsquos strike as there was no support on the ground from the authorities Officials said that besides the police they had also asked RTO staff to act in coordination to keep things running Employees from Nallasopara depot blackened the faces of a few employees from Vasai bus depot after they tried to drive three buses on Thursday morningDivide and rule trickBJP leader Pravin Darekar accused Parab of using the ldquodivide and rulerdquo strategy Darekar the leader of Opposition in the state legislative council was speaking to reporters after meeting the agitating employees who have been staging a sitin at Azad Maidan for the past five daysMSRTC staffers protest outside Mantralayarsquos rear gate on WednesdayldquoThe transport minister is trying to break the strike with the help of some union leaders He is following the strategy of lsquodivide and rulersquo used by the Britishrdquo he said ldquoThe state government instead of protecting the interests of MSRTC employees is acting against them It has no sensitivity left for themrdquo Darekar allegedAll the 250 bus depots of the MSRTC remained shut for the second consecutive day on Thursday Lakhs of passengers across the state continue to face hardship with no solution to the impasse in sightMore employees sackedPravin Darekar BJP leaderThe staterun transport corporation on Thursday suspended 1135 of its employees taking the total suspensions to 2053 The cashstrapped undertaking at its peak used to ferry 67 lakh passengers in a day However after the lockdown and subsequent losses it started delaying and slashing salaries of employees leading to financial crisis to employees which triggered suicides mdash about 30 so farWith inputs from Agencies1135No of staffers suspended on Thursday