Mumbai, Jun 19 (PTI) Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Friday blamed the BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra for the disruption of BEST bus services in the metropolis, saying authorities ignored workers’ grievances for years and failed to act despite prior warning signs.
An indefinite strike by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking employees left thousands of commuters stranded on Friday as only 48 of its 2,766 buses were on roads. Long queues were seen at bus stops across Mumbai during the morning rush hour.
In a statement, Gaikwad said lakhs of commuters were left stranded after the city’s “second lifeline” came to a standstill, exposing what she termed the government’s “inaction and flawed policies”.
“The issue is not merely that of workers. It is the outcome of the BJP-led Mahayuti government’s negligence and wrong policies,” she said, urging the state government to immediately intervene and hold talks with unions to restore services.
The Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai alleged that the government had prioritised contractualisation and privatisation while keeping employees’ demands pending for years and ignoring repeated warnings from workers.
“It was known to the administration that employees were planning to go on strike. Was the government asleep until lakhs of Mumbaikars were held to ransom?” she asked.
The Congress MP alleged that instead of finding a timely solution through dialogue, the government was now attempting to “hide behind courts and legal provisions”, including the invocation of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA).
Questioning the government’s priorities, she asked whether it was interested in preserving Mumbai’s public transport system or pursuing a privatisation agenda.
“Who will take responsibility for allowing the situation to deteriorate to the point where BEST services came to a halt?” she said.
Gaikwad accused the government of misleading people through “grand announcements” while remaining indifferent to the concerns of ordinary citizens.
She warned the ruling alliance against “testing the patience” of Mumbaikars and called for immediate decisions on the pending demands of BEST employees.
Among the key demands of the employees are the merger of BEST’s budget with that of the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), a one-time settlement of legal dues of retired employees, implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for the 2016-2026 period, abolition of contractual arrangements in the transport and electricity departments, and absorption of wet-lease bus workers into BEST. PTI MR RSY
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