Fadnavis assures funds for dues of ST corporation employees, says union leader Shrirang Barge

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has given a clear assurance that the funds needed to pay the dues of employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (ST) will be made available. Maharashtra ST Karmachari Congress general secretary Shrirang Barge said this in Mumbai on Friday.

According to Barge, he met Fadnavis on the night of Thursday (October 29, 2026) during an event in Dadar. There he raised his concern over the pending payments to ST employees before the Chief Minister. Barge said the Chief Minister then gave a clear assurance that the necessary funds would be provided.

Barge said the employees' pending salary-related dues, provident fund (PF), gratuity and other amounts were stuck. The representation submitted to the Chief Minister said the government was delaying the release of the necessary funds ahead of Diwali.

Barge claimed that the ST corporation had sought Rs 1,354.54 crore from the state government to pay October salaries and other dues. However, only Rs 391 crore was actually given, which worsened the corporation's financial difficulties.

He said employees are owed more than Rs 5,740 crore for the past two to three years. This includes about Rs 3,350 crore that has not been deposited with the respective trusts for provident fund and gratuity, Barge said.

According to Barge, the government has sanctioned Rs 597.12 crore for the pay-hike arrears, but the corporation has not yet received the amount. In the representation, he wrote that ST's accumulated losses are rising and passenger revenue is not as expected, making it difficult for the corporation to manage its day-to-day finances. Dues of employees' salaries, PF, gratuity and other payments are also continuing to mount.

Barge said the Chief Minister stated clearly that the necessary funds would be provided for all these matters. Rahul Mane, Amol Pol, Amrut Pawar, Audumbar Kumbharkar and some others were present on the occasion.

Employees are now watching when the Chief Minister's assurance will actually be acted upon and how much money will be released.