The minister's announcement is a desperate bid to stem the losses running into hundreds of crore that are bleeding the undertaking dry. Addressing a press conference in the city today, Raote said the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation was losing nearly Rs 150 crore annually due to frauds like non collection of ticket money.

A surprise check by RTO authorities in Nagpur last month saw four conductors being suspended. As a result of this action, revenue collection in the city shot up by Rs 30,000 every day, Raote said.

If such cases were detected, it would result in immediate suspension of the driver and bus conductor and the withdrawal of the badge issued by the RTO, Raote said. There would be no enquiries in these cases, Raote warned. Therewere enquiries pending against some 28,000 MSRTC employees. This had resulted in manpower being tied down, he said.

Furnishing the breakup of such cases, Raote said the government would take back the show cause notices issued in 23,807 cases, on condition that the employees furnished an apology letter. A repeat offence would entail immediate suspension. The government would also withdraw the appeals against another 1,398 employees who had gone to court, and take them back into service.

The 282 employees against whom enquiries were on would be taken back into service. If they were found to be guilty they would be reinstated without promotions or increments.

The suspension of 1,182 employees would be withdrawn and they would be reinstated. But this would not apply to staffers with criminal offences against them. To tide over a manpower shortage, of some 150 drivers, the undertaking would hire retired drivers on a contract basis. Normal recruitments would commence from March 2001.

The state transportundertaking would also be launching two sleeper coach services on a trial basis between Aurangabad and Mumbai and between Nagpur and Pune. The corporation had projected 50 more such routes that could be taken up in future, he said.