City Notes

BEST to move govt for subsidy

The BEST will approach the state government for suitable subsidy in order to lessen the burden on passengers over the proposed bus fare hike following the increase in diesel prices. At the BEST committee meeting today, Chimanlal Mehta of the BJP said all over the world subsidies are given to transport bodies in metros. The BEST pays passenger tax and nutrition surcharge to the government which made it the latter's responsibility to ease the burden on passengers most of whom belonged to the middle and poor classes, he added.

Till 1952, transport bodies in the state were making profits and paying income-tax to the Central government. With most transport undertakings making losses, this was changed to `passenger tax' to keep the revenue in the State itself. Today, the BEST pays three per cent of its earnings, almost Rs 25 crore every year, as passenger tax. The BEST also incurs a loss of Rs 1.5 lakh everyday for ferrying police personnel free of cost. The StateGovernment reimburses only Rs 15 lakh per month towards this.

The BEST had last revised its fares on October 4, 1997. Since then, increase in dearness allowance and cost inputs had forced the Undertaking to think of another fare hike which has now become inevitable following the diesel price hike.

NGO mela by Concern

Concern's NGO Mela will be held from November 26-28 at the Y B Chavan Centre at Nariman Point between 11 am and 9 pm. The mela will be inaugurated by film stars Arbaaz and Malaika Khan. The mela creates awareness about the NGOs' activities. Fifty-five NGOs will participate in the mela which has support from companies like Colgate Palmolive, S Kumars Power Corporation, Alliance Capital, KPMG Peat Marvick.

The participating NGOs work for the upliftment of children living in slums, streets, orphans, destitute, disabled and the aged and on issues like education, environment, health, community development, tribal arts and crafts.

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