BEST criticised by committee member

The Shiv Sena-controlled administration of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) was criticised by one of its own committee member and Union leader Sunil Ganacharya at its committee meeting on Monday.

During his four-hour speech on BEST’s budget for financial year (FY) 2011-2012, he pointed out that the BEST administration expects to incur only  around  Rs30 lakh more on year-on-year expenditure on fuel and not Rs60 lakh as claimed in the proposal for hiking tariff.

However, as he belongs to the ruling saffron combine, he chose to temper his remarks with the admission that the BEST has other additional expenses to be met. As such, he was not against the tariff hike.

He criticised the administration for failing to implement its own measures that could earn the transport undertaking substantial revenues.

He highlighted that many bus stations that were supposed to undergo “development” were nowhere close to completion. It has been three years since the contracts have been awarded.

 The stations are: Kandarpada in Dahisar; Marol Maroshi; Mahim and Yari road (a contract, in this case, was awarded only in February this year). 
The only bus station in the city to have finished its “development” work is the Seven Bungalows bus station. Though, the developer is yet to pay up an additional Rs5.16 crore for increasing the built-up premises.