MSRTC won't face fuel supply issue for next 2 months, says Pratap Sarnaik

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Friday said the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation MSRTC currently has adequate diesel supply to operate its bus services for the next two months despite global fuel concerns arising from the West Asia conflict reported news agency PTIHowever he cautioned that the staterun transport body has no contingency plan if fuel supplies are disrupted beyond this periodFuel supply stable for nowSarnaik said MSRTC which operates around 15800 buses across Maharashtra is not facing any immediate issues with diesel availability reported PTIldquoWe are getting sufficient diesel at present There is no disruption in supply and operations are running smoothlyrdquo he said reported PTIHe added that discussions with Indian Oil Corporation officials confirmed that fuel allocation is being prioritised to ensure uninterrupted services with state transport corporations placed after defence and railways in the supply chainNo lsquoplan Brsquo if supplies are disruptedDespite the current stability the minister acknowledged that MSRTC does not have an alternative strategy in case fuel shortages ariseldquoWe cannot have a backup plan beyond the available supply If fuel is not available after two months there is little we can dordquo he said highlighting the vulnerability of the transport system to prolonged disruptions reported PTIElectric buses offer limited reliefResponding to suggestions of shifting to electric mobility Sarnaik said the existing fleet of around 780 electric buses is insufficient to sustain the entire networkldquoThese buses can provide limited support on select routes but they cannot replace the fullscale operations of the corporationrdquo he said reported PTIRising operational costs and expansion plansMSRTC currently consumes approximately 1087 lakh litres of diesel daily amounting to nearly 40 crore litres annually at a cost of about Rs 3400 croreThe minister said this expenditure is expected to increase to around Rs 4700 crore with the planned addition of 8000 new diesel busesSavings through new procurement systemSarnaik said the corporation has adopted a competitive bidding process for diesel procurement which is expected to generate annual savings of around Rs 241 crore reported PTIUnder the new system MSRTC has secured a higher discount of Rs 513 per litre compared to Rs 3 earlier resulting in a saving of Rs 213 per litreSupply arrangements across stateMSRTC Vice Chairman and Managing Director Madhav Kusekar said Indian Oil Corporation will supply diesel at 233 locations across MaharashtraFor 91 locations near the Gujarat and Goa borders fresh tenders will be invited to avoid revenue losses linked to valueadded taxFinancial strain remains a concernSarnaik noted that MSRTC continues to face financial challenges with accumulated losses of around Rs 12000 crore The corporation has already incurred losses of nearly Rs 750 crore in the current financial year till February reported PTIGlobal energy tensions impact outlookThe minister also pointed to the broader impact of geopolitical tensions in West Asia on fuel availability and pricingIndia relies heavily on imports for crude oil natural gas and LPG with a significant share sourced from the Middle East Disruptions in the region have raised concerns about longterm energy securityWhile MSRTC operations remain stable for now officials acknowledged that prolonged global disruptions could pose serious challenges in the months aheadWith inputs from PTI