Day 6 of BEST workers strike: Lodha assures resolution within 48 hrs

Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Guardian Minister of Mumbai (suburbs), held a press conference at Mantralaya and assured that the strike would be resolved in the next 24-48 hours. He told the press that already two meetings had been held with wet lease bus contractors, and they were told about their workers’ demands, which should be addressed appropriately. Lodha also said that the government will be conducting one more meeting with contractors.

Due to the strike, BEST has pressed Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses into service, to maintain its fleet size. On Monday, 122 buses were added to the fleet, as per BEST.

While private wet lease workers who had called strike and were protesting at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, Shinde-Sena party spokesperson and former Thane Municipal Corporation Mayor Naresh Maske held a meeting. Raghunath Khajurkar, the bus driver who was the first to begin the strike along with his wife, told The Indian Express that they have been called to the CM’s bungalow at Varsha for talks.