Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) on Monday ordered a probe after frontline staff staying at a hotel in Mumbai complained of worms in food packers served for dinner.
Later in the evening, state transport minister Anil Parab, who is also MSRTC chairman, directed that staff be given food allowance and asked authorities to cancel the contract of the private firm supplying food packets.
A group of 350 drivers and conductors of the state-run transport body from Kolhapur and Sindhudurg, who are operating vehicles for BMC-run BEST, have been put up at a hotel in the northern suburb of Malad and they have claimed the rice served to them last week had worms, officials said.
"The incident is being probed. Officials have been asked to visit the place and submit a report," an MSRTC spokesperson said, adding fresh food was arranged immediately after the complaint was brought to the notice of authorities.
Meanwhile, MSRTC staff operating out of BEST''s Kurla Depot also complained of poor quality food and a video showing them stop work for sometime was being circulated in Whatsapp groups.
Seven teams have been formed by MSRTC officials to tour accommodation facilities provided to drivers and conductors and submit reports suggesting rectification measures, a release said.
The MSRTC has deployed 1,000 buses and 4500 drivers and conductors in Mumbai to help BEST run its network amid the coronavirus outbreak.
(PTI)
ALSO READ: Bracing for 2nd wave, BMC starts 244 more free Covid test centres
