72% of bus station contact numbers across the state are inactive

Memos submitted across the state after five press conferences by the ‘Surajya Abhiyan’

Surajya campaign’s press conference in Akola

Mumbai – It has come to light that a large number of bus station contact numbers listed on the website of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation are inactive. In some places the numbers are operational, but no one responds to calls. This issue has been highlighted by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti through its ‘Surajya Abhiyan’ campaign. To draw the administration’s attention to this serious problem, the campaign held press conferences on 13 March in the cities of Satara, Sangli, Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, and Akola. Through these conferences, the alleged mismanagement of the state transport administration was brought to light. Along with these cities, complaint memorandums were also submitted to divisional controllers in Nashik, Pune, Solapur, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Amravati, and Gadchiroli. The memorandum was addressed to Minister of Transport Pratap Sarnaik, demanding immediate resolution of passengers’ difficulties.

Press conference of the Surajya Campaign in Sindhudurg

Why is the administration indifferent despite repeated follow-ups ?

Most of the contact numbers listed on the transport corporation’s website are frequently switched off or do not receive any response even when active. The Surajya Abhiyan campaign carried out on-ground verification and continuous follow-ups regarding this issue. However, despite sustained efforts, the situation remains unchanged at depot and bus station levels.

Press conference of the Surajya Campaign in Satara

Steps taken by Surajya Abhiyan

1. 16 December 2025: The first email letter was sent to the Transport Minister, the chairman of the transport corporation, and the Transport Commissioner.

2. 17 December 2025: The General Manager (Transport) issued instructions via email to 31 divisional controllers.

3. Later, Surajya Abhiyan submitted written memorandums directly to various bus stations, depot managers, and divisional controllers across the state.

4. 20 February 2026: Reminder emails were sent requesting the department to inform both the campaign and the applicants about the action taken.

Shocking statistics from contact number verification

The data collected through Surajya Abhiyan’s field verification has raised serious concerns for passengers.

1. Total bus station and depot contact numbers checked: 413

2. Numbers working / responses received: 117 (28%)

3. Inactive or no response: 296 (72%)

Why should the funds allocated for these facilities not be recovered with interest from responsible officials? – Surajya Abhiyan

Speaking to Sanatan Prabhat, Surajya Abhiyan’s Maharashtra State Coordinator Abhishek Murukate said that they have been consistently following up on this issue for the past three months. However, he alleged that administrative officials are only engaging in paperwork while passengers continue to suffer inconvenience. He pointed out that a fixed monthly budget is allocated for maintaining telephone and communication systems at bus stations as well as for website maintenance. If these services are not available to passengers, he questioned where the money is going and asked why the funds spent over the years should not be recovered with interest from the responsible officials.

Surajya Campaign’s Press Conference in Sangli

Fix administrative accountability

The campaign has made the following demands:

1. Provide official mobile contact numbers: Instead of citing technical problems with landline phones, an official mobile number should be provided immediately for each bus station and depot, and the information should be updated on the website.

2. Take strict administrative action: Employees or officers who deliberately do not answer calls or keep official numbers inactive should face strict administrative action for service negligence.

3. Verify contact numbers every fortnight: During the fortnightly “deep cleaning inspection” of bus stations, not only cleanliness but also the functioning of the communication system should be mandatorily checked.

Murukate added that, considering the seriousness of the issue, the complaint memorandum has been submitted to the Transport Minister through divisional controllers and prompt action is expected.