Cash-strapped MSRTC seeks govt funds to pay salaries
Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation has sought Rs 3,600 crore from the state government for payment of salaries and other essential expenses, Transport Minister Anil Parab said on Friday.
The state-run corporation has not paid the salaries of its employees for the last three months, and to pay them was its priority, the minister said.
Parab, who is also the chairman of the MSRTC, told reporters that the corporation was trying to raise money through external means too.
"Paying salaries before Diwali is the current priority and we will do it, we would borrow money if needed," he said.
"As currently, even the earnings of the state government have gone down, instead of depending solely on government, the corporation is exploring other options too," Parab said.
Asked about reports that the MSRTC was going to mortgage some of its properties for obtaining a loan, Parab said it could take a loan but it would not be a mortgage.
"Mortgaging properties is different," he said.
The MSRTC needs Rs 292 crore per month for paying salaries. The cumulative losses of the transport body have ballooned to over Rs 5,500 crore, he said.
The MSRTC used to earn Rs 22 crore every day before the coronavirus outbreak, but presently its revenue from passenger services has fallen to barely Rs 5-6 crore, he said.
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Senior Congress MLA, former Minister Shamanuru Shivashankarappa passes away
Bengaluru (PTI): Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa passed away at a private hospital here on Sunday due to age-related ailments, official sources said.
He was 95 and represented the Davanagere South Assembly constituency. He had been undergoing treatment at the hospital for some time.
Shivashankarappa is survived by three sons, including S S Mallikarjun, Karnataka Minister for Mines and Geology and Horticulture, and four daughters.
His daughter-in-law, Prabha Mallikarjun, is the Member of Parliament from Davanagere.
A former minister, Shivashankarappa, served as treasurer of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for several decades and was the president of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the apex body of the influential Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.
He was also a noted educationist who established several educational institutions and was an industrialist.
