The Bombay High Court on Friday came down heavily on the Maharashtra government for being a mute spectator to the hardships people were having to face due to the ongoing strike of state transport buses. Calling the strike illegal, the court asked the employees to resume work with immediate effect. The strike entered its fourth day on Friday. What has hurt Maharashtrians particularly is the fact that the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees announced this strike right in the middle of the festive season. MSRTC employees are demanding implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations and an interim hike of 25 per cent. The government has agreed to an interim hike of 10 per cent, but unions are opposed to the same. The Bombay High Court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking immediate withdrawal of the strike called by the union that has affected over 65 lakh passengers. Private bus operators too have allegedly exorbitantly increased their ticket fares, burning a hole in the pocket of the common man during the festivities. The petitioner had alleged that unions and employees had planned the strike well before Diwali to take undue advantage of the festive season. The Bombay High Court has ordered the government to form a 5-member committee to look into the issues of employees and submit its report in 3 weeks. On the other hand, the court has also directed the government to take concrete steps to resolve the matter, which has caused great inconvenience to the passengers. More than 17,000 government buses run across the entire state. MSTRC has about one lakh employees who have gone on strike.