Maharashtra Transport Minister and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) chairman Pratap Sarnaik has directed the corporation to ensure that around 83,000 employees receive their November salaries before Diwali, which begins on November 6.
The directive comes as MSRTC employees generally receive their salaries between the seventh and 10th of each month. Sarnaik has asked the state-run bus corporation to take urgent administrative and financial steps so that the payment is completed before the festival, when employees typically face increased household and personal expenses.
MSRTC’s Finance and Planning Department has been instructed to follow up with the Maharashtra government for the funds required to release the salaries. The department has also been asked to expedite pending reimbursements linked to passenger concession schemes and secure the government grant needed to support the salary payments.
The move places the corporation’s salary disbursement process within the broader financial relationship between MSRTC and the state government. The corporation operates bus services through depots across Maharashtra, with each depot responsible for serving the population in its area. Its finances are affected not only by passenger revenue but also by reimbursements for concessionary travel schemes.
Sarnaik directed the MSRTC administration to coordinate with the state government, arrange the required funds and plan the disbursement process so that employees do not face a delay during the festival period. Officials have been told to treat the matter as a priority and take steps to avoid disruption in salary payments.
The salary directive follows recent signs of improved revenue performance at the corporation. MSRTC recorded a Rs 66 crore increase in revenue in August compared with July after changes were made to bus schedules and services based on passenger demand, according to the report. The changes were intended to improve earnings and reduce operating losses by aligning bus operations more closely with travel demand.
The corporation also recorded its highest-ever daily revenue of Rs 45 crore on August 31, while its monthly revenue crossed Rs 1,000 crore for the first time, the report said. More than 85 per cent of MSRTC passengers travel less than 100 km, making local and regional routes central to the corporation’s role in connecting residents across the state.
Despite the reported revenue improvement, the need to pursue government funds, pending concession reimbursements and grants for salary payments indicates that MSRTC’s cash flow remains closely linked to state support. The administration’s immediate task is to complete the funding and disbursement arrangements before Diwali, while continuing efforts to increase revenue and control operating losses.
