Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: MSRTC Asks Staff to Report in Full Strengh Amid Plans to Increase Buses Ferrying People For Festival

The MSRTC has issued the orders through an internal communication. No announcement has been made by the Maharashtra government so far.

Maharashtra News: Ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi festival which is celebrated in Maharashtra with a lot of zeal, state’s Road Transport Corporation, i.e. MSRTC, has urged its employees to report in full strength. It has also decided to increase the number of buses running to ferry people to Konkan for the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi, a report by News18 said on Sunday.

The MSRTC has issued the orders through an internal communication. No announcement has been made by the Maharashtra government so far.

The decisoons come in the wake of 70 per cent of MSRTC’s staff from Mumbai, Thane and Palghar areas not reporting for work, a report by The Indian Express highlighted. The report noted that the transport corporation has also not paid any salaries for June.

Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in its Thursday order, said only five people should participate in arrival and immersion processions of domestic Lord Ganesh idols during the Ganpati festival next month in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BMC, which is spearheading Mumbai’s fight against coronavirus, made a special appeal to citizens in this regard ahead of the festival to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the metropolis, which has recorded more than 1 lakh cases and nearly 6,000 deaths so far.

Requesting people to refrain from doing any act that will lead to the spread of COVID-19, the civic body warned that violators may invite strict action under relevant sections of the Epidemic Act 1897, the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Indian Penal Code.

Asking people to follow safety protocols that include use of mask or shield, hand sanitizers and social distancing norms during the 10-day Ganpati festival, the BMC appealed to citizens to avoid participating in big processions to safeguard their families from COVID-19.