PMT services heading for part privatisation

Although, the PMT committee has not so far taken any decision on the proposal, it is getting support among corporators because of worsening financial situation of the PMT. A broad hint in this direction was today dropped by none other than Mayor Datta Gaikwad, who said he was not adverse to the idea. Gaikwad said he had convened a special meeting on PMT on November 25 in which experts from passenger transport sector would also be invited.

Talking to media persons Gaikwad admitted that the time had come to think over the fact that PMT had failed to meet the need of efficient transport system for the city. He said the meeting would discuss various options to improve the present state of the PMT. To a specific question, Gaikwad said privatisation of PMT would also one of the topic of the agenda set for the meeting.

Several corporators seem to be in a positive mood to support the privatisation of PMT mainly because of PMT8217;s increasing financial loss is badly affecting development works in the city. Many of them openly support Municipal Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad8217;s argument that city transport was not an obligatory duty of the municipal corporation. They fear that PMT8217;s expected loss of Rs. 34 crore in the current financial year would seriously affect the civic budget because the municipal corporation would ultimately have to bear all the losses incurred by the PMT. A number of corporators, belonging to all parties, are openly saying that they would never support any proposal approving ex-gratia to PMT employees.

The corporators are also particularly anxious over the expectation that PMT is expected to demand Rs 12 crore to distribute wage arrears among employees. Besides, a proposal demanding Rs. 17 crore to purchase new buses has been pending with the Standing Committee for the past few months. In fact, many of the corporators are seriously thinking over moving a proposal that the municipal corporation should take over all the commercial complexes of the PMT since it had not returned a single paisa of Rs. 28 crore, which the municipal corporation lent it during the past three years.

Alarmed by the situation, the PMT management, few days back, closed down 77 buses on 40 routes which were incurring huge losses. The corporators argue that there was no harm if some private company was ready to run the buses on those routes, which were no more operative.

Meanwhile, the issue of ex-gratia to the PMT employees seems to die down with almost all the parties showing opposition to the union demand. Mayor Datta Gaikwad had called an informal meeting of party leaders which was in progress till late in the night.