If passed by the BMC and the state government, the richest municipal corporation in the country can include the financial needs of the bus utility in its annual budget. (Representational Image: Neeraj Priyadarshi)
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) passed a proposal to merge its budget with its parent body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a committee meeting held on Monday. If passed by the BMC and the state government, the richest municipal corporation in the country can include the financial needs of the bus utility in its annual budget.
On Monday, the committee members, in majority, approved the proposal. The move comes after Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray assured unions of the bus service, which had staged a one-day strike, the budget would be merged to ensure smooth operations of the undertaking.
“But the BEST still bleeds with a loss of more than Rs 2,000 crores. While the merger will secure the financial stability of the undertaking in future, the present debt needs to be addressed,” a senior BEST official said. Rajesh Kusale, a Shiv Sena committee member, said: “The merger was an expected decision. Like the railways budget merge with the Union Budget. The needs of the BEST undertaking will now be effectively taken care of by its parent body.”
