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The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has tightened its overtime norms for drivers and conductors, issuing a sweeping directive aimed at reducing escalating expenditure and curbing alleged favouritism in duty allocation. The circular, signed by the General Manager (Traffic) and released on November 19, 2025, has been sent to all divisional controllers for immediate implementation.
The overhaul follows a recent review meeting in which State Transport Minister and MSRTC Chairman Pratap Sarnaik expressed concern over unchecked spending on overtime allowances. He also acknowledged persistent allegations that overtime duties were being allotted to select employees, allegedly in exchange for monetary favours. Sarnaik subsequently instructed the corporation to adopt a uniform, transparent, and accountable system.
Under the revised guidelines, depots must categorise drivers and conductors into Groups A, B, and C based on their overtime rates, with priority to be given to Group C employees who draw the lowest overtime payments. According to officials, this measure is intended to streamline duty allocation and lower operational costs.
Depots may introduce “planned double duty” in situations of staff shortages, but only after inviting applications from interested employees. Preference must be given to those with lower basic pay, and monthly schedules are to be displayed at least ten days in advance to ensure transparency.
The order strictly prohibits the cancellation of weekly offs under any circumstance, warning that supervisors who violate this rule will face disciplinary action. Additionally, depots have been instructed to ensure that any service operated on overtime must generate revenue exceeding the associated overtime cost, with officials required to review this balance regularly.
To strengthen oversight, each depot will maintain a standardised register recording employee details, badge numbers, overtime rates, and total payments. The corporation has cautioned that repeated allocation of overtime to the same individuals will attract action against the responsible officers.
MSRTC has also directed divisional offices to scrutinise employees with frequent absenteeism, particularly those who routinely take leave on high-demand days or around festivals. Officials have been asked to identify suspicious patterns and initiate corrective steps...
The corporation expects these reforms to curb unnecessary expenditure, enhance transparency, and reinforce administrative control across its statewide operations.
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