One of the first decisions taken by the new civic chief, Praveen Pardeshi, is a strategic one: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), parent body of the loss-making Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking, has decided to merge both budgets and even give BEST a monthly grant. Until then, BMC will grant Rs 100 crore to BEST each month, starting June," said Mayor V Mahadeshwar, after a high-level meeting chaired by him on Thursday. BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti (BSKKS) had gone on a nine-day strike in January, demanding changes that would cost the undertaking an additional Rs 900 crore. "This is a good step, but the amount of the grant is too little," said Ravi Raja, BEST member and Leader of Opposition. BEST has been struggling to pay the salaries of its 35,000-odd employees, amounting to an average of Rs 184 crore every month.

Source: dna May 16, 2019 23:48 UTC