May 21 auto bandh put off to June 11

Hyderabad: In view of fasting and prayers during the Ramazan month, the Telangana Auto Drivers' JAC has postponed its proposed one-day Auto Bandh on May 21 to June 11.

The JAC also demanded that the State government pay Rs 10 lakh ex gratia to the family of the murdered auto driver Sainath besides providing a new vehicle to the auto owner concerned in the place of burnt auto.

In a press note, JAC convener Mohd Amanullah Khan said the five killers of deceased auto driver Sainath be hanged to death as they were drunk. He said the JAC has decided to set up Sainath Family Fund and would hand over the amount collected by the drivers in twin cities to the victim's family members on or before the auto bandh in twin cities.

Demanding that the State government own responsibility for the crimes being committed by the individuals in a drunken state, Khan appealed to the people, particularly women, to boycott the Telangana State Formation Day celebrations so long as total prohibition was not enforced in the State.

Khan said if total prohibition was enforced in the State, some 80% of the crimes, accidents occurred due to drunk driving and atrocities on women, including their murders will come down automatically. There would also be no need to conduct drunk driving checks and sending offenders to jails, cancelling their driving licenses and imposing heavy penalties. He also urged Chief Minister KCR to enforce total prohibition in the State because prevention is better than cure. (NSS)