Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi has inaugurated 101 new Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) buses in Gandhinagar and announced an advance payment of half a month's salary for ST Corporation employees ahead of Diwali, ANI and IANS reported. Minister of State for Transport Pravin Mali was also present at the inauguration programme.

Source: ANI via Daily Prabhat

In a departure from the usual protocol, Sanghavi invited GSRTC employees — drivers, conductors and workshop staff — to jointly flag off all 101 buses instead of performing the exercise himself. In a post on X, he said the initiative was aimed at honouring and supporting the employees whose hard work keeps the state's ST bus services running: "I invited the employees themselves to flag off the new buses, for they are the true identity and strength of this fleet. Furthermore, to make their Diwali celebrations even more joyful, I announced the disbursement of half a month's salary as an advance."

Source: IANS via Hi India

101New GSRTC buses inaugurated in Gandhinagar
Half monthSalary to be paid in advance to ST staff

The new buses have been inducted ahead of the festive season to strengthen public transport services during the Diwali rush and provide passengers with safer and more comfortable travel, IANS reported. The induction is expected to strengthen connectivity between rural and urban areas across Gujarat at a time when large numbers of people travel home for the festival.

The salary advance was announced as part of the same Diwali programme, recognising the contribution of the workforce responsible for operating and maintaining the state's public transport network, the reports said.