he BJP said until now, this work was done by BEST workers, and that this was the first time that a contractor will be appointed. THE BJP has targeted the Shiv Sena over clearing a proposal to hire 600 buses along with drivers and conductors, alleging that the move will lead to the complete privatisation of Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST).
On Thursday, BJP group leader Prabhakar Shinde, in a press conference, said the BEST committee headed by the Sena had passed a proposal to hire buses for 10 years despite opposition. “The agency that will provide the buses will also provide drivers and conductors. What will happen to the 600 applications pending with the BEST administration for these posts? All are cases of preferential treatment (whose mother or father were working at BEST) and they will lose these jobs due to privatisation,” Shinde said.
He added, “The BEST administration will hire these buses for 10 years. We have demanded that they should first hire them for three years and the contract should be extended on the basis of performance. We have opposed the proposal, but the Sena cleared it as they have majority numbers.”
On Tuesday, the BEST committee meeting went on for seven hours. The committee also cleared a proposal of appointing a contractor for digging to lay BEST cables. The BJP said until now, this work was done by BEST workers, and that this was the first time that a contractor will be appointed.
Apart from this, Shinde also raised questions over the delay in merging the BEST budget with that of the BMC. “It has been over a year since a resolution was passed in the civic general body meeting about merging the BEST budget with that of the BMC. But, so far, nothing has been done despite the Sena being in power in the BMC as well as in the state government. The BJP will not allow privatisation to happen in BEST,” Shinde added.