Telangana Auto Drivers JAC has warned the State government that it would launch a do-or-die agitation from August 16 if the government failed to solve their just demands within a fortnight
Speaking to mediapersons here on Tuesday, Amanullah Khan, JAC Convenor, said they would first launch an indefinite fast and intensify the agitation later. The auto drivers were demanding immediate ban of Ola and Uber Cabs plying on the city roads by indulging in illegal activities; immediate release of hundreds of autos seized and kept at Traffic Police Stations, Goshamahal and RTA offices for months in the name of violation of permit conditions; fixation of auto fares on a par with the neighboring States and the government should bear 50% of the third party auto insurance charges as subsidy and help the automen.
Amanullah Khan alleged that step-motherly treatment was being meted out to auto drivers by the TRS government. He said the State government was doing everything to help the RTC workers, but at the same time, it was not doing anything to save the auto drivers profession. He said besides increasing salaries of RTC workers more than they demanded, the government hiked bus fares recently and granted crores of rupees to save the TSRTC which has been incurring losses for long. Whereas the KCR government has exempted only MV Tax in respect of autos i.e Rs 440 per annum and the said amount was not enough to purchase even coils to kill mosquitoes in the houses. He said the autos’ third party insurance charges was just Rs 2,900 when the TRS came to power and the same has now been heavily increased to Rs 4,800, as such the automen are unable to pay the insurance charges. He demanded that the government bear 50% of the auto third party insurance charges and rescue the auto drivers’ profession.
JAC leaders K Lskshmi Narsaiah, Mohd Dastagir, M.A. Saleem, Mohd Azeemuddin and Farooq Bhai were present. (NSS)