The Gazetteers Department

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 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 reconstitute! under the Road Transport Act LXIV of 1950.

Organisation.

For administrative convenience of operating the services, the erstwhile Bombay State was originally divided into 16 viable units called divisions. After the States reorganisation in 1956, three units were transferred to Mysore State. With the bifurcation of the bilingual Bombay State on 1st May 1960, five northern divisions were transferred to the Gujarat State thus leaving eight divisions in Maharashtra. With the merger of Public Transport Services, Nagpur in the Vidarbha region and the State Transport Services in Marathwada region from 1st July 1961, two new divisions were created. Simultaneously, the name of the corporation was changed from " Bombay State Road Transport Corporation" to " Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation".

The officer in charge of each division is called the Divisional Controller who is a class I officer. He is immediately under the control of the Central Office of which the General Manager is the administrative head. The General Manager is assisted by the following departments and branches, viz. (i) Administration, (ii) Accounts and Audit (iii) Traffic, (iv) Mechanical Engineering, (v) Statistics, (vi) Organisation and Methods, (vii) Security, (viii) Stores, (ix) Civil Engineering, (x) Secretarial, (xi) Legal and (xii) Central Workshops.

Nationalisation of services in Dhulia district, which forms part of Khandesh Division, was started in March 1952. The Divisional Controller is the head of the division and is responsible for the operations. He is assisted by 8 class II officers, who are charged with the following functional responsibilities.

Administration and Traffic.−There are two officers under these heads of activity. The Divisional Traffic Officer is in charge of all matters relating to traffic and operations and the Labour Officer looks after all matters relating to labour relations with the administration. Matters pertaining to publicity are also looked after by the Labour Officer.

Accounts and Statistics.−These branches are manned by two officers, viz. the Divisional Accounts Officer and the Divisional Statistician.

Technical.−The technical side of the division is looked after by the Divisional Mechanical Engineer with the assistance of the Divisional Works Superintendent. Besides, there are as many Depot Managers as there are depots who are wholly responsible for the working of the respective depots in the Division.

The operations in Dhulia district were started on 9 routes with 17 vehicles. The first depot at Dhulia was started in March 1952 with 11 vehicles. The process of expansion was very rapid and within a few years the operations were practically spread over the whole district. By 31st May 1964 there were in all five depots in the district situated at Dhulia, Sakri, Nandurbar, Shahada and Shirpur. The Khandesh Division [With formation of a separate division for Jalgaon District, Khandesh, Division is renamed as Dhulia Division.] of which Dhulia district forms a part, had 295 buses plying on 325 routes. The buses put on the road have, on an average, a seating capacity of 44.5, exclusive of the seats for the driver and the conductor. The average daily mileage covered by these buses during May 1964 was 37,833, carrying, on an average 118,275 passengers per day.

The light and heavy repairs of the buses are carried out at the Divisional Workshop which is situated at Dhulia. Further, after the operation of every 12,000 miles the vehicles are routed by depots to the Divisional Workshop for preventive maintenance. In addition, a number of depot workshops are situated at each of the following places in the district, viz. Dhulia (42), Sakri (14), Nandurbar (19), Shahada (28) and Shirpur (21)[The number of vehicles attached to each of these depots as on 31st May' 1964 is given in brackets.]. Regular, daily and weekly servicing, weekly and 4,000 miles docking for maintenance are carried out in these depots.

For the convenience of the travelling public the Corporation has been providing a number of amenities in the district. Bus stations have been constructed at Dhulia, Sakri, Navapur, Nardhana, Shahada, Nandurbar, Shirpur, Dondaicha, Sindkheda and Nizampur. In addition pick-up stands have been provided at Ranala, Vikhran, Dusane. Malpur, Indore, Korti, Ner, Akalpada, Prakasha, Shanimandal and Chhadvel. Besides these, refreshment rooms have been provided at 8 places, tea-stalls at 7 places and book-stalls at 3 places.

The Corporation also provides welfare facilities to its employees. A labour welfare centre which provides indoor games and recreational facilities is functioning at Dhulia. Welfare facilities for workers' families are also provided at this centre, such as sewing classes, cooking classes and montessori classes, etc. In addition to this, medical dispensaries for the workers and their families are provided at Dhulia, Shirpur and Shahada.

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