BEST unveils ₹9,000 crore budget for FY 2025-26, as employees finally receive delayed Diwali bonuses | Representational photo
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST), an undertaking of the BMC, presented its budget estimates for the fiscal year 2025-26 on Thursday.
General Manager .l Diggikar told FPJ that the proposed budget is around Rs 9,000 crore and includes liabilities. The final budget will be presented alongside the BMC’s FY 2025-26 budget, expected in February 2025. Diggikar presented the budget estimate to the BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagr..
Earlier this year, BEST’s request to grant funds of Rs 3,000 crore was put on hold by the civic body. The undertaking had sought aid in its budget estimates for the financial year 2024-25.
The funds were intended primarily for the procurement of new buses, aiming to alleviate the strain on the city’s public transportation system. The BEST has 2,978 buses, of which 1,684 have been procured on a rent basis while the remaining is owned by the undertaking.
The BEST caters to around 35 lakh passengers daily. As per the memorandum of understanding between the BEST and its employee’s union, the undertaking needs to maintain 3,300 buses in its fleet.
BEST bonuses arrive, ending post-Diwali wait
Nearly a month after Diwali, the long-awaited bonus for 27,000 employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking were credited to their bank accounts on Thursday.
The disbursement brings much-needed relief to drivers, conductors, and other staff, who had earlier expressed disappointment at being unable to celebrate the festival with the traditional bonus. Amounts ranging between Rs 27,000 and Rs 29,000 were credited to employees’ accounts.
According to the sources, the delay in releasing the bonus had sparked discontent among employees, with some threatening to disrupt work in protest. To address the issue, the BMC transferred Rs 80 crore to BEST’s account, ensuring funds were available.
However, the distribution was further delayed due to the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct during assembly elections. After obtaining clearance from election authorities, BEST moved forward with disbursing the bonus.
