Conductor of first state transport bus in Maha dies at 99

His extraordinary service is certainly an inspiration to all state transport employeesAlthough the life journey of Kevate, who started the journey of ST, has stopped, his work will be remembered forever in the history of ST, he tweeted.MSRTCs Vice Chairman and Managing Director Shekhar Channe also expressed grief over Kevates demise and said, The voice that narrated the birth of ST has now merged with eternity.

Laxman Kevate, the conductor of the inaugural state transport (ST) bus on Pune-Ahmednagar route which commenced operations on June 1, 1948, has died, officials said on Thursday.

He was 99.

Kevate passed away on Wednesday night at his residence in Maliwada area of Ahmednagar, located 275 km from Mumbai, officials of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation's (MSRTC) said.

Condoling his death, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in a tweet said, ''Although the life journey of Kevate, who started the journey of ST, has stopped, his work will be remembered forever in the history of ST.'' Born on August 17, 1924, Kevate joined the ST service as a conductor on the historic day of June 1, 1948, when the ST launched its first bus service in Maharashtra after independence, they said. He worked with the state-run corporation for 36 years until his retirement on April 30, 1984, an official of the MSRTC said.

Even after his retirement, Kevate actively participated in the state transport corporation's activities until recently, he said.

On the 75th anniversary of the corporation in 2022, Kevate showed a green flag to its first e-Shivaee bus which ran from Ahmednagar to Pune. Despite old age, he had given an interview for a documentary about 75 years of the state transport's services, the official said.

CM Shinde lauded Kevate's work.

''Kevate did valuable work in the service of the ST Corporation. His extraordinary service is certainly an inspiration to all state transport employees…Although the life journey of Kevate, who started the journey of ST, has stopped, his work will be remembered forever in the history of ST,'' he tweeted.

MSRTC's Vice Chairman and Managing Director Shekhar Channe also expressed grief over Kevate's demise and said, ''The voice that narrated the birth of ST has now merged with eternity. His benevolent wishes and blessings continue to inspire us.''