DNA Micro Edit: BEST Undertaking wakes up to get its finances right

Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has started disconnecting power supplies of all defaulters. BEST Undertaking has even stopped the loss-making air-conditioned bus services.

But one has to understand that the present situation hasn't come as a surprise to the undertaking. Also, one should not forget that BEST Undertaking is controlled by political parties. Shiv Sena-BJP, in past two decades have always discouraged BEST administration from hiking fares for popularity until it became inevitable.

The losses worth crores had been mounting and the administration simply chose to stare at the empty exchequer without taking aggressive steps to improve the bus services or by expanding the network of electricity distribution in suburbs.

While the transport sector of the BEST was always loss making and bled the life out of administration, the electricity sector of BEST is in little better position providing power supply to more than 11 lakh consumers. Each time the BEST faced losses, they turned to Municipal Corporation for the grant, but never made any move to become self-reliant.

This time the situation has worsened to such an extent that the undertaking cannot even pay the salaries to the staff. The time has come BEST undertaking must take few unpleasant steps ensuring that people are taken into confidence for it's own stability without bowing down under the pressure of political parties.