The BMC has announced a Diwali bonus of Rs 33,000 for its 90,000 officers and employees this year. Mayor Ritu Tawde made the announcement on Wednesday after holding discussions with labour unions.
However, employees of the loss-making BEST undertaking had expressed disappointment over the absence of a bonus announcement for them. Now, BEST Committee Chairperson Trishna Vishwasrao has stated that BEST employees will also receive a bonus of Rs 33,000.
A decision on the bonus will be taken soon after discussions with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and in accordance with his directions.
Notably, BEST and BMC employees received a bonus of Rs 31,000 each last year. Employees had therefore expected a similar announcement this year as well.
The bonus issue had become a concern because BEST is facing financial difficulties. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation has announced a fund of Rs 1,000 crore for BEST in its budget for the current year.
Of this amount, Rs 500 crore has been utilised to clear pending dues of retired BEST employees. The process of clearing other dues from the remaining Rs 500 crore is underway, and a decision regarding the employees' bonus is also expected to be taken.
The proposed bonus for BEST employees, along with the special grant announced for ASHA volunteers, comes alongside the BMC's Diwali bonus announcement, bringing financial relief into focus for municipal workers ahead of the festival.
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