No money for diesel, MSRTC sends staff and passengers back home

MSRTC buses parked at a depot in Thane

No money for diesel? Several employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation have been sent on leave and passengers are lining up to cancel their tickets for a trip home for Holi, as the MSRTC depots at Thane and other parts of the MMR are struggling to procure the fuel.

"There has been a serious diesel procurement issue since the past 15 days. On Tuesday, when employees came to mark their attendance, they were forcibly made to go on leave. Only seven of the 30 buses at the Thane depot were allowed to make regular trips," said an employee. The trade union - Maharashtra Transport Kamgar Sanghatna - has written to the depot administration seeking clarity on the staff's attendance.

Sources said Thane's Khopat depot requires 10,000 to 12,000 litres of diesel every day, but due to procurement issues most buses remained parked on the site, leading to a loss of Rs 14 lakh on Tuesday alone. In the March 22 letter, union president Ravindra Gaikwad and secretary Suresh Jadhav sought clarity on the matter from the depot manager.

Rajendra Jangam, who was on his way to Konkan for Holi, said, "I, along with my family, came here with our luggage, but due to cancellation at the last minute, we had to look for other options." Ravikiran Sawant, who also had plans to travel to his native place for the festival, said this had never happened with MSRTC buses before, and that this was a sign of bad times.

MSRTC officials had initially said there was a lack of CNG supply that put pressure on diesel buses. However, later, they admitted that the administration hasn't been unable to pay the fuel supplying pumps for five days.