ST employees' union seeks Rs 20,000 Diwali gift from Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik

The Maharashtra ST Karmachari Congress has demanded that employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (ST) be given Rs 20,000 as a Diwali gift this year. The organisation submitted a memorandum to Pratap Sarnaik, the state Transport Minister and chairman of the ST corporation. The organisation said employees should get financial relief in view of Diwali, and the demand was made with that aim.

The organisation said the ST corporation provides transport services to lakhs of passengers in the state every day. ST employees carry the important responsibility of ferrying passengers from villages to cities. Drivers, conductors and employees of various departments are engaged in serving passengers. The organisation's position is therefore that employees should receive financial help at the time of a festival such as Diwali.

The memorandum cites rising inflation and the Diwali gift announced for employees of other state bodies. According to the organisation, ST employees are given a monetary gift every year at Diwali. However, given this year's higher inflation, the amount needs to be raised. The organisation said ST employees should also receive a respectable amount compared with the sum announced for employees of other bodies.

Mr Sarnaik was visiting the ST corporation's headquarters at Mumbai Central, and office-bearers of the organisation met him and handed over the memorandum. The organisation has also demanded that, as Diwali begins on November 6, 2026, October salary and the Diwali gift amount be credited to employees' accounts before the festival.

Maharashtra ST Karmachari Congress general secretary Shrirang Barge was present, along with Santosh Gaikwad, Rajendra Vahatule, Balaji Jadhav, Dennis Fernandes, Deepak Mhatre, Sandeep Gosavi, Dhananjay Patil, Sugandha Hile, Vidhi Pawar, Neelam Rokade, Suman Dhebare, Dhiraj Mhatre and Hanumant Patil, among a large number of office-bearers and workers.

The question of the Diwali gift for ST employees has now been put before the Transport Minister. It remains to be seen whether the government will consider the demand and give relief to employees. If a decision is taken before Diwali, ST employees in the state could get financial help for the festival.