Palghar (Maharashtra) [India], May 27 (ANI): At least 15 people were injured when the bus they were travelling in plunged into a roadside ditch near Waghoba Ghat in Maharashtra's Palghar on Friday.

Mumbai Apr 22 PTI Over 82000 of the 92000 staffers of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation have joined work as on Friday the last day of the deadline set by Bombay High Court for striking employees to resume duties an official said An MSRTC spokesperson said 5398 staffers joined during the day taking the total number of those who have got back to work at the state-run undertaking to 82360 He said 30000 services were operated on Thursday and the numbers would gradually increase from here on Of the 92000 staffers some 10000 were either suspended or dismissed amid the stir which started in October and intensified in November last year on the demand for merger of the cash-strapped transporter with the state government The stir which went on for 177 days severely impacted operations bringing hardship to passengers especially in rural areas and also financially bleeding the transporter further MSRTC with a fleet of over 16000 buses used to ferry 65 lakh people per day before operations were curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown PTI KK BNM BNM

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 15 (ANI): Lawyer Jayshree Patil, wife of advocate Gunaratna Sadavarte, has been named as an accused by police in connection with the MSRTC protest outside Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's residence here, an official said on Thursday.

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 14 (ANI): Mumbai district court on Thursday sent Sandeep Godbole, the accused arrested in connection with an alleged attack on Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar's residence, to two-day police custody.

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 14 (ANI): In connection with the protest outside Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's residence, the Mumbai police have arrested Sandip Giridhar Godbole from Nagpur. He is being interrogated at present.

Mumbai Mar 25 PTI Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab on Friday urged agitating MSRTC staffers to return to work by March 30 Speaking in the Assembly Parab said a three-member committee appointed by the Maharashtra government has ruled out the merger of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation with the state government He also said the government and the corporation have given the agitators more than what they could A section of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation MSRTC employees have been on strike since October last year demanding that the undertaking be merged with the state government which would give them better salaries and greater job security The three-member committee gave its report and the state government accepted the same in its cabinet meeting The committee has ruled out the merger demand in its report The report throws light on financial legal and administrative aspects Parab said The MSRTC and the state government gave the staffers more than what they could give Hence in this backdrop I request the staffers to resume work on March 30 he said adding that the state-run undertaking had not sacked anyone so far He also asked agitating staffers not to get depressed and attempt suicide It has been said that hundreds of staffers have committed suicide The fact is 48 have committed suicide Of this three committed suicide due to irregular salary One staffer committed suicide because of debt Rest are due to personal or other reasons Parab said PTI ENM BNM BNM

Mumbai Mar 25 PTI Detailed discussions were held and an attempt was made to address urban and rural issues during the budget session of the Maharashtra state legislature Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday Pawar made the remarks while interacting with media persons on the last day of the budget session Detailed discussion was held on the urban and rural problems during the budget and an attempt was made to address those The budget is being welcomed from all areas he claimed A section of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation employees have been on strike since October last year demanding that the undertaking be merged with the state government which would give them better salaries and greater job security Asked about it he assured that MSRTC staffers will get their salaries on time and there will be no shortage of funds for the purpose He said 3000 new buses will be purchased for the corporation in the time to come comprising 1000 CNG ones and the rest electric A total of 5000 charging stations will be set up for the purpose Every ST depot will have one charging station he said Pawar claimed the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government will not let Vidarbha and Marathwada regions face injustice as was being alleged by some BJP leaders The deputy chief minister said 17 bills were passed in both the Houses during this session PTI ENM BNM BNM BNM

Mumbai Dec 27 PTI Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab on Monday said sacked employees of the stir-hit MSRTC will not be taken back as of now He was responding to a question from BJP MLC Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil in the Legislative Council A dominant segment of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation staffers are on strike since October 28 demanding merger of the loss-making undertaking with the state government with the stir intensifying since November 9 after bus operations got heavily curtailed At this moment we cannot take the employees whose services have been terminated back on duty We made at least six appeals but they refused to return to duty Now their contract is terminated and we cannot take them back immediately he said Those who have been suspended are being allowed to resume duty We have dropped charges against them as well The strike has caused losses of Rs 650 crore The corporation was already facing severe financial strain due to restrictions on bus operations amid the COVID-19 lockdown he added Parab said the state government is waiting for the recommendations of the High Court-appointed three-member committee on the merger demand of the striking employees Speaking about the hike in basic pay announced some time ago to mollify the striking staff Parab said they should not believe rumours that the raise was temporary MSRTCs salary hike is permanent We have also taken a decision to make monthly payments by the 10th of every month he told the Council PTI ND BNM BNM BNM

Mumbai Dec 25 PTI Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday hit out at the Maharashtra government saying that its outright refusal to slash the excise duty on petrol and diesel has exposed the hollowness of some of its leaders who blame the Centre for the fuel price hike He also warned that the BJP would launch an agitation to press for its demand to slash the fuel prices in the state once the winter session of the state legislature ends The most discouraging stand of the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government has been its flat refusal to cut excise duty on fuel prices There were some leaders from this government who held cycle rallies against the Centre for high prices of fuel But their hollowness now stands exposed as their own government has refused to cut down the fuel rates Fadnavis told reporters Some 25 states in the country have already reduced the excise duty on fuel and provided relief to people the former Maharashtra chief minister said Why doesnt the MVA government follow the same path and offer relief to citizens he asked The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly said if the Shiv Sena-led state government refuses to do so then the BJP would hold state-wide rallies to demand slashing of fuel prices in the state If the government does not slash excise duty on fuel then we will definitely hold statewide rallies demanding bringing down fuel prices in the state once the winter session of the state legislature gets over he said The BJP leader also expressed disappointment over the MVA dispensations decision of not merging the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation MSRTC with the state government This government should have at least offered something to the MSRTC employees instead of bluntly saying the merger option should be forgotten The salary hike offered to them is inadequate and governments attitude towards them is disappointing Fadnavis alleged A section of the MSRTC employees has been on strike since October 28 demanding that the undertaking be merged with the state government which would give them better salaries and greater job security PTI ND NP NP

Mumbai Dec 24 PTI The demand by striking MSRTC staffers for merger of the undertaking with the state government was not acceptable Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar told the Assembly on Friday A dominant section of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation employees have been on strike since October 28 demanding that the undertaking be merged with the state government which would give them better salaries and greater job security No matter who is in power this demand is not acceptable The state government has already increased the basic pay of the employees by Rs 5000 The MSRTC employees shouldnt take any extreme step like the mill workers strike which destroyed textile mills in Mumbai he said in the House Pawar however added that the MVA government will not let the situation come to that stage The deputy CM also said the demand for decrease in VAT on petrol and diesel cannot be accepted because of revenue loss Pawar added a resolution will be tabled in the Assembly on Monday about not holding panchayat samiti elections till the OBC quota is restored Giving an update on the Teachers Eligibility Test TET paper leak case Pawar said eight people have been arrested by Pune police so far PTI MR BNM BNM BNM