Minister Sarnaik appointed MSRTC chairman, assures quality transport service

Mumbai, Apr 10 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has appointed Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik as chairman of the state-run corporation MSRTC, two months after IAS officer Sanjay Sethi was given the post in a departure from convention.

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, in a release on Thursday, said the government has appointed Sarnaik as the 26th chairman of MSRTC, as per provisions of the State Transport Corporation Act-1950 and the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation rules.

"I am committed to creating a good quality transport service by financially empowering MSRTC, which is 'lokvahini' (public carrier) of the common people of Maharashtra, in the future," Sarnaik said after his appointment.

On February 5, then transport secretary Sethi, an additional chief secretary-rank officer, was made chairman of the MSRTC, instead of a public representative which had been the convention.

Sethi will continue to be on the MSRTC's board as an ex-officio member.

The MSRTC operates a fleet of around 14,000 buses, catering to some 55 lakh passengers daily, and has a workforce of about 90,000.

One of India's largest public transport undertakings, the MSRTC has been struggling with mounting losses, an aging fleet, employee strikes, and declining ridership in recent years. To mitigate daily financial losses, the corporation enforced a 14.95 per cent fare hike earlier this year. PTI KK GK

Source: PTI