MSRTC staff get Rs 10,000 Diwali ex gratia; advances and higher DA announced

Employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), commonly called the ST, have been given a Diwali payment of Rs 10,000 each. Transport Minister and ST Corporation Chairman Pratap Sarnaik announced the decision, putting an end to days of talk about whether a festival benefit would be paid at all.

The ex gratia amount will go to each of the corporation's 83,000 officers and employees. Eligible staff will also receive a festival advance of Rs 12,500, and the dearness allowance has been raised from 58 per cent to 60 per cent. Employees in need can in addition draw an advance of up to Rs 22,000, which will later be recovered from their salaries.

The announcement came at a meeting held in Sarnaik's presence to discuss the employees' various demands. Representatives of several employee unions of the corporation attended. The minister also spoke to the press, saying that talks had been held with the state government on the festival payment and on the staff's other long-pending demands.

The government has cleared the payment for this festive season, but the remaining demands were discussed in detail without any immediate decision. Sarnaik assured the unions that those issues would be taken up and resolved after Diwali.

Sarnaik said plainly that the corporation is going through financial strain, but that its employees cannot be denied the joy of Diwali. He said: "The officers and employees of the ST work day and night to give lakhs of passengers a safe journey. Recognising their hard work, giving them an ex gratia payment on Diwali is not mere generosity, it is their right. This decision will put a burden of about Rs 160 crore on the corporation, but it is our duty that the employees celebrate Diwali happily."

The cost of the advance facility has also been estimated. It is expected to add about Rs 5 crore a month to the corporation's outgo, and one account of the announcement put the corporation's total liability at about Rs 105 crore. That figure differs from the Rs 160 crore the minister cited for the decision.

The minister credited the strong support of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar, and said he was confident that the future of the ST Corporation is bright. He added that the government and the corporation are committed to two goals: good service for passengers, with decisions that serve the interest of employees, and a financially stronger corporation.

Sarnaik also appealed to employees not to launch an agitation or strike. He said: "The ST is the lifeline of ordinary passengers. No agitation should cause inconvenience to passengers. Employees and passengers are the two important parts of the ST. We are always ready to find a way through talks on the employees' issues."

The timing matters for travellers as well. Markets are crowded with Diwali shoppers, and thousands of migrant workers are heading home to villages and cities by MSRTC buses. ST staff have stayed at their posts through the rush, and the payment is being seen as a major relief for them and their families, easing the financial pressure just before the festival. Employees across the state are pleased, though they now look to the decisions on their remaining demands after Diwali.