Telangana Government help sought for auto drivers in crisis

Warangal:  The onus is on State government to rescue the auto-rickshaw drivers whose economy was hit by coronavirus pandemic for the last two years, Gudimalla Ravi Kumar, honorary president of Telangana Auto Drivers Union (TADU), said, speaking at the World Auto Drivers Day here on Sunday.

He said that Covid-19 affected the livelihood of nearly 6 lakh auto-rickshaw drivers. "Each auto consumes diesel/petrol that is worth around Rs 24 lakh a day. They pay Rs 4,500 crore per annum to the government in the name of Central and State taxes. However, the government is not allocating even 10 per cent of that revenue for the welfare of the auto drivers, Gudimalla Ravi Kumar said. Some of the resolutions passed at the meeting were… TADU is to take up the demand for establishing Auto Drivers Corporation with Rs 1,000 crore. The TADU decided to provide free transportation to the mentally retarded persons accompanied by an attendant, accepting to the request made by the Mallikamba Manovikasa Kendram.

During the meeting, the TADU felicitated 12 senior auto drivers besides giving Rs 1,000 in cash to each of them. The meet also selected 12 best auto drivers – Avula Naveen Kumar, Bompelly Phaninder, Nakka Suresh, F Ravi Kumar, P Ramesh, B Krishnamurthy, N Raju, S Sadanandam, P Ramesh, D Babu, Jannu Saraiah and P Raghu.

The meeting was presided over by TADU State Committee general secretary Adepu Venkanna, in which Urban president Mekala Ravinder, senior leaders Md Anwar, G Raju and Challa Venkateshwarlu were among others present.