Congress, NCP seek changes in BEST budget 2018-19

On the second day of the discussion of Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking’s proposed budget for the 2018-19 fiscal, the Congress and NCP raised issues that it should have necessary amendments so as to decrease the estimated deficit and make it commuter-friendly. The BEST management presented a budget estimate of Rs 880 crore.

Opposition leader of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and BEST committee member, Congress corporator Ravi Raja, on Wednesday did not support the budget presented by the BEST management and demanded two amendments in it. He demanded that the minimum fares should be decreased to Rs 6 for a 2-kilometre distance, which is presently Rs 8, and also the BMC should grant funds of Rs 150 crore to the BEST Undertaking. The Congress and NCP later walked out from the BEST committee’s budget discussion meet.

“BEST has already lost its commuters drastically. It should decrease the minimum fare of Rs 8 to Rs 6 so as to attract more commuters,” said Raja. The BEST management presented a Rs 880-crore deficit budget for 2018-19. The BEST had also presented a deficit budget of Rs 542 crore in 2017-18.