The cash-strapped Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) will need Rs 10,000 crore in the next 5 years to revive its fortunes. On Monday, the General Manager of BEST Surendrakumar Bagde said this on record while discussing the recent nine-day strike "We have prepared a revival plan. We shall soon present it in front of the mediator. We have plans to procure approximately 1,000 new buses. The BEST will need Rs 10,000 crore in the next five years for its revival," said Bagde.
The BEST has been suffering heavy losses. The loss has now touched a whopping Rs 2500 crore. In 2019-20, it expects to bleed further to the tune of Rs 720 crore. The administration has blamed the lop-sided decisions taken by the concerned officials in the past few years.
BEST officials claimed that rolling back of Transport Deficit Loss Recovery (TDLR) in 2016-17, from electricity bills hit them badly. They had collected Rs 2,500 crore that was used in improving transport division. Since then they have been burdened under loans after loans.
On Monday, BEST Committee members slammed the management of BEST and BMC for its indifference towards its striking employees. The committee members representing Shiv Sena were aggressive as this strike gave their party a bad name. Shiv Sena led BEST Kamgaar Sena participated in the strike and backed out on the second day. The Sena even said that it would introduce 500 buses on road but in vain. "We could have derailed the BEST strike on the first day itself but it was the workers who were supporting it. Our leader Uddhav Thackeray and others came together to solve the problem but the Kruti Samiti was hell bent on the strike. They wanted a written invitation. Seeing their attitude, we backed out of the strike," said Suhas Samant, BEST Committee member and leader of BEST Kamgaar Sena.
The Undertaking suffered Rs 20 crore loss due to this strike and 17 buses were damaged. "The administration not kept its promise of giving gratuity, bonus, repairing staff quarters. All this led to the strike. Our leaders sat for 6-7 hours to resolve but some forces kept supporting the unions. It gave Shiv Sena a bad name though we are with the people," said Anil Kokil, BEST member.
NO PROFIT IN SIGHT
In 2019-20, BEST expects losses to the tune of Rs 720 crore
STRIKE EFFECT
Rs 20cr Loss incurred in 9-days
17 Number of buses damaged
893 Number of buses that plied on Jan 16 after strike ended
Rs 26 lakh Around revenue earned through ticket sales on Jan 16
1343 Total no. of extra buses to run (MSRTC, NMMT, TMT & pvt)
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