31 October,2023 06:47 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Protestors burnt tyre on Pune-Bengaluru Expressway/ PTI
Amid the ongoing Maratha quota agitation, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has halted its bus services in five districts within Marathwada, situated in central Maharashtra, according to a PTI report. The suspension is in response to the violence surrounding the demand for Maratha community reservations, as confirmed by an official on Tuesday.
Reportedly, complete suspension of bus services has been enforced in Parbhani, Dharashiv, Latur, Jalna, and Nanded districts for the past three to four days. Additionally, services have been partially impacted in Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Solapur districts, as reported by a representative of the state-owned corporation.
As of Monday evening, 36 out of the 250 MSRTC bus depots in Maharashtra remained shut due to the ongoing agitation. During the last four days, more than 85 MSRTC buses were damaged, with the majority of incidents, specifically 70, occurring in the Beed district. Furthermore, four buses were set ablaze by protesters, the report read.
The agitation for Maratha community reservations gained momentum following activist Manoj Jarange's hunger strike, which commenced on October 25. Consequently, the MSRTC has incurred substantial losses, totalling Rs 4 crore due to bus damages and attacks on other properties, stated the PTI report.
Moreover, the corporation faces a daily financial loss ranging from Rs 2 to 2.5 crore due to the suspension of its services. MSRTC operates a fleet of approximately 15,000 buses, facilitating transportation for around 60 lakh passengers every day.
Security beefed across Maharashtra
Since Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange began his indefinite hunger strike over the issue again on October 25, the pro-quota agitation intensified across Maharashtra with many resorting to violence and vandalism. Protestors are targeting homes and offices of politicians and ministers. On Monday, protestors resorted to arson and torched the residences and offices of three MLAs of three parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party and Nationalist Congress Party. Additionally, a municipal council building was also affected; while a group set fire to a panchayat samiti office in Ghansawangi, Jalna.
In response to these incidents, the police have increased security at significant locations, including the Mantralaya, the state secretariat in south Mumbai. Police personnel have been deployed outside the residences of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other prominent political figures in Mumbai. This includes Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, as well as ministers Chandrakant Patil, Deepak Kesarkar, Dada Bhuse, and other leaders such as Ambadas Danve and Ashok Chavan.
With PTI inputs
