Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik today announced a Diwali bonus of Rs10,000 for Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees. The govt has also decided to increase their dearness allowance (DA) from 58% to 60%. The decision is expected to benefit approximately 83,000 employees of the state-run transport undertaking.

In addition, eligible employees will receive a festival advance of Rs 12,500. The announcement came during a meeting between the minister and representatives of various MSRTC employee unions at the Transport Commissioner’s office in Bandra, Mumbai. MSRTC, the country’s largest state-run public transport undertaking, operates a fleet of nearly 15,000 buses and transports around 55 lakh passengers every day.

According to the Minister, the bonus and DA hike will impose an additional financial burden of approximately Rs 160 crore on the corporation. However, he emphasised that despite MSRTC’s financial difficulties, the government remains committed to ensuring that its employees can celebrate Diwali. Mr Sarnaik also appealed to employees to avoid protests and strikes, pointing out that any agitation could cause inconvenience to the millions of passengers who depend on MSRTC services. He further assured that the state government and the corporation would continue to address employees’ concerns through dialogue, while working towards improving passenger services and strengthening MSRTC’s financial position.