Mumbai, India – With the festive season kicking off, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) plans to raise bus fares by 10% on most routes. This hike targets all non-air-conditioned buses from October 15 to November 5, but skips the premium air-conditioned Shivneri and Shivai services.
Shivneri buses mainly connect Mumbai and Pune, while Shivai ones link cities like Thane and Nashik for intercity travel. Travelers starting their trips after midnight on October 14 – that’s the start of October 15 – will pay the new rates. If you’ve already booked tickets in advance, you’ll need to cover the difference at the bus counter.
Once the Diwali rush ends on November 6, fares go back to normal. This move comes as millions gear up for holiday travel across Maharashtra, where bus services play a key role in getting people home.
Shifting focus to another big issue, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stepped up on Tuesday to promise support for farmers hit hard by floods in Marathwada and other parts of the state. Heavy rains have caused widespread damage, submerging fields and homes.
Shinde highlighted that the Mahayuti government is already handing out Rs 10,000 in cash, plus rice and wheat, to families in flood-hit areas who need basics. “The rains have been unprecedented, and many spots in Maharashtra remain underwater,” he said during a press conference in Mumbai. “We’ve seen crop losses across nearly 60 lakh hectares of land, and lives have been lost too.”
The cabinet talked it over, and Shinde stressed that the government will help farmers without any red tape. “It’s our duty to stand by them in this crisis, just like we always have,” he added. He expects full details on the damage in the next 2-3 days. Soon, Shinde plans to meet with Chief Minister and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar to finalize relief measures for recovering from the floods and crop devastation.
This comes amid ongoing challenges from the heavy downpours, which have flooded vast areas and disrupted farming communities across Maharashtra.
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