MSRTC to add 500 AC buses to its fleet

Mumbai, Jan 23: Maharashtra Transport Minister Diwakar Raote announced eight schemes named after Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, including an air-conditioned bus service scheme which would add 500 buses to the fleet.

Tomorrow is the 90th birth anniversary of the late Sena supremo. Under the 'Shiv Shahi' bus service, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation would add 500 air-conditioned buses to its fleet.

"Facilities like Wi-Fi service, GPS, mobile-laptop chargers, 9 inch LED screen, bed-sheet, hand-towel, pillow and blanket would be provided to passengers in these sleeper coaches. Their fares would be moderate," Raote said.

The buses are expected to arrive by April. The service would be made available for Marathwada, Vidarbha and Konkan regions too, the veteran Sena leader said. He also announced increased compensation for ST accident victims.

The kin of dead would now get Rs 10 lakh, those who suffer permanent disability would get Rs five lakh, for partial disability Rs 2.5 lakh and for temporary disability Rs 1 lakh.

"This is an insurance scheme and we shall charge Rs 1 as surcharge on every ticket," the minister said, terming it a Rs 10 lakh insurance at the cost of Rs 1. Every girl born to an MSRTC employee would be given Rs 1 lakh on her 21st birthday as a gift for her marriage.

A super-speciality hospital would be set up at Pune for MSRTC employees. Widows of farmers committing suicide would be given auto rickshaw licences as a special case and would be provided 100 per cent loan to buy an auto rickshaw.

The government would start an automobile engineering college where certain seats would be reserved for the kin of MSRTC employees.

There would be five per cent reservation for women in rickshaw licences. Such rickshaws will have a different colour code, the minister said. All these schemes will bear Thackeray's name, with the adjectives 'Hindu Hriday Samrat and 'Shiv Sena Pramukh'.

"Both the adjectives were integral part of his identity," said the minister, responding to a query in this regard.

PTI