46 out of 250 bus depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation have been completely shut due to protests over reservation for the Maratha community, and the MSRTC has suffered losses worth Rs 13.25 crore over the last few days, an official said.Bus operations in Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Parbhani, Hingoli, Jalna, Nanded and Dharashiv districts have been badly hit by the protests, a spokesperson of the MSRTC told PTI on Monday.
As many as 20 buses were torched and 19 were damaged amid the protests over the last few days, he said.The MSRTC has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 5.25 crore due to damages to the buses and lost Rs 8 crore in ticket sales due to protests in various parts of the state, the official said.The MSRTC is one of the biggest public transport bodies in the country, with more than 15,000 buses in its fleet. It ferries around 60 lakh passengers every day.Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday said the Maratha community must be given reservations in jobs and education without it affecting such provisions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.