NAGPUR, JANUARY 20: The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is allegedly taking help from an international consultancy agency to tackle its present financial crunch and ensure smooth functioning of the body.According to available information, the Government has already approached an international agency for the job and has also kept in touch with a Pune-based consultancy company.The corporation will seek comprehensive recommendations from the entrusted company on how to overcome its heavy losses and run the unit in the wake of stiff competition from private bus services in the State.The MHRTC has suffered an accumulated loss of Rs 560 crore so far and if the situation continues, it will suffer further heavy losses in the coming financial year. The accumulated losses of the corporation is expected to reach Rs 710 crore by the next financial year if the state of affairs continues.In fact, the Vilasrao Deshmukh Government has refused to give additional funds to the corporation for its further expansion. The Government told the corporation up-front that it should generate its own resources and not depend on Government funds.The MSRTC is unable to purchase its minimum requirement of 3,000 new buses due to paucity of funds. Mobilising funds from financial agencies for MHRTC's development and expansion will be the consultancy agency's main objective.The Democratic Front Government has blamed the earlier saffron government for the present mess, saying that when the Sena-BJP combine took over the reins of the state, the MSRTC used to make profit.Talking to The Indian Express, State Transport Minister Shivajirao Moghe claimed that the corporation used to make a profit of at least Rs 50 crore every year before 1995-96. "The financial condition of the corporation progressively deteriorated as soon as the Sena-BJP combine took charge," he said and alleged that there were massive irregularities in material purchasing in the organisation during the saffron regime.Besides, the earlier government ``illegally'' delegated more power to the vice-chairman of the corporation, a post created by the then regime - held by a politician - curtailing the power of Managing Director, a post occupied by a senior bureaucrat.However, Moghe hinted that the present Government would not make any efforts to institute an enquiry to probe these irregularities. "It will be a futile exercise. We have to do many other works for the betterment of the people, rather concentrating on `negative' works," he quipped.He admitted that the corporation would engage a consultancy service soon to prepare a feasibility report. However, he refused to divulge the details. "It is in preliminary stage," he said.Answering a question, Moghe said that the corporation was also planning to generate funds by using its surplus land in different places, particularly in big cities. A proposal will be submitted to the Cabinet soon for allowing this land to be used for commercial purposes, he further informed.
