Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap demands BEST should pay Rs 71 crore which it owes to MSRTC

MUMBAI: City Congress president

Bhai Jagtap

on Wednesday presented a letter to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) opposition leader Ravi Raja to take up the issue of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) owing Rs 71 crore to BEST for providing 1000 buses along with drivers during Covid-19 pandemic in the past one year.

“The BEST had taken 1000 buses on lease and made part-payment to the state bus corporation. It should pay the balance due of Rs 71 crore to MSRTC at the earliest. This is urgent at a time when the state bus body is unable to pay salaries to its staff for two months,” Jagtap said.

Raja will take up the issue at the next BEST committee meeting and also at the civic standing committee meeting.

A bus driver from MSRTC died by suicide last week due to “non-payment of salary".

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has also taken up the issue and demanded that salaries be paid on time to the workers, many of whom are on frontline duties ferrying essential staffers during Covid-19.