The Gazetteers Department

Introduction.- Nationalisation of passenger transport was decided upon by the State Government in August 1947 and, initially, the services were started departmentally in June 1948, the administration of which was subsequently handed over to a statutory Corporation in December 1949 under the provisions of the Road Transport Corporation Act (XXXII of 1948). Since then, the corporation has been reconstituted under the Road Transport Corporation Act LXIV of 1950. Nationalisation of services in Buldhana district, which forms part of Akola division of the Corporation was started in March, 1963.

For administrative convenience of operating the services the erstwhile State of Bombay was originally divided into 16 viable units called divisions. After the States re-organisation in 1956, three units were transferred to Mysore State leaving 13 divisions. With the bifurcation of the bilingual State of Bombay on May 1, 1960, five northern divisions were transferred to the State of Gujarat, leaving eight divisions in residual Corporation in Maharashtra. With the merger of the Provincial Transport Service, Nagpur in the Vidarbha region and the State Transport Services in the Maharashtra region, two new divisions were created with effect from July 1, 1961. The name of the Corporation was subsequently changed from Bombay State Road Transport Corporation to Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation. The Corporation is at present divided in 15 operating divisions. The Divisional Controller belonging to Class I State service is the officer in charge of Akola division of which Buldhana district forms a part. He is immediately under the control of the central office of which the General Manager is the administrative head. The Divisional Controller is assisted by the following departments and branches, viz.,

(1) administration, (2) accounts and audit, (3) traffic, (4) mechanical engineering, (5) statistics, (6) organisation and methods, (7) security, (8) stores, (9) civil engineering, (10) secretariat, (11) legal and (12) central workshop.

As the head of the division, the Divisional Controller is responsible for the State Transport operations in Akola Division and is assisted by 11 class II officers who are charged with the following functional responsibilities.

The Divisional Traffic Officer is in charge of all matters relating to traffic and operations. The labour officer looks after all matters relating to labour relations with the administration. Matters relating to publicity in the division are also looked after by the Labour Officer. Accounts and statistics branches are manned by the Divisional Accounts Officer assisted by the Assistant Stores Officer and the Divisional Statistician. The technical side of the division is looked after by the Divisional Mechanical Engineer assisted by the Divisional Works Superintendent. Besides, there are as many Depot Managers as there are depots.

Depots.-The operations in Buldhana district were first started from Khamgaon depot on 11 routes with a total of 530.5 route kilometres, with a strength of 10 vehicles. The process of expansion was very rapid and by the end of December 1968 there were two depots in the district, one at Khamgaon with 45 vehicles and the other at Buldhana with 46 vehicles. From these two depots buses were plying on 69 routes in all with a total of 3.476.7 route kilometres. On an average 12,176 and 5,595 passengers were carried per day from each of these depots, respectively. The Akola division, has 219 buses plying on 175 routes with a total route length of 9,905 kilometres. The buses put on road have, on an average, a seating capacity of 49, exclusive of the seats for the driver and the conductor. The average daily kilometres operated by these buses during December 1968 amounted to 41,889 carrying on an average 42,703 passengers per day.

Maintenance.-The light and heavy repairs of the buses are carried out at the divisional workshop which is situated at Akola. Further, after the operation of every 24,000 kilometres, the vehicles are routed by the depots to the divisional workshop for preventive maintenance. In addition, there are two depots in the district situated at Buldhana and Khamgaon for daily maintenance of the vehicles. Regular daily and weekly servicing and 8,000 kilometres docking for maintenance are carried out in these depots.

For the convenience of the travelling public the Corporation has provided various amenities in the district. A temporary bus station has been constructed at Khamgaon and pick-up sheds have been provided for at Buldhana, Chikhli, Nandura and Malkapur.

The Corporation also provides welfare facilities to its employees. A labour welfare centre at the divisional headquarters provides facilities for indoor games. Dispensaries for the State Transport personnel have been opened at Buldhana and Khamgaon. Rest rooms for the running staff have been provided for at Buldhana, Khamgaon and Chikhli.

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