The Bombay High Court, with Justice P.B. Varale at the helm, has urged employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to resume their services, particularly for the benefit of students who heavily rely on the state bus service. The court emphasized the importance of providing affordable transportation options for students and commuters who depend on the ST (State Transport) buses as the cheapest mode of travel.
During the hearing, the court expressed concern over the suffering faced by students due to the ongoing strike by MSRTC employees. It took note of an interim report submitted by a committee, which stated that it had not formed an opinion yet on the merger of MSRTC employees with the state staff.
The court intended to issue a notice to the employees in a contempt petition filed by the corporation. However, due to time constraints, the matter was postponed to December 22 for further hearing. The court assured that it would address any disruptions in education faced by students residing in rural areas.
Advocate Gunratan Sadavarte, representing the union of MSRTC employees, pledged to prove at the next hearing that the employees had not violated the court’s order by participating in the strike. He stressed the need for an early resolution to the standoff between the employees and the state government to prevent further escalation of the issue, pointing out that the number of suicides related to the strike had already exceeded 50.
The court acknowledged that the strike was causing financial burden on common citizens, as private bus operators were charging higher fares. Senior counsel S.U. Kamdar, representing MSRTC, highlighted that only 3,400 out of 13,000 ST buses were currently operational.
The state government, through special counsel Shailesh Naidu and pleader PP Kakade, submitted an interim report by a committee appointed as per the court’s orders. The committee, led by the chief secretary, stated that it was yet to assess the legal, financial, and administrative implications of merging MSRTC employees with the state staff, including the impact on the state’s budget.
While the court acknowledged the complexities of the situation, it emphasized the urgency of resolving the strike and ensuring the resumption of services, especially for the sake of students.