Hyderabad: Auto drivers vexed by private financiers

Hyderabad: Though the State governments issued guidelines asking financial institutions to facilitate moratorium to debtors, considering the fact that the citizens faced financial distress due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the apathetic private financiers are harassing the poor auto drivers by demanding repayment of dues along with interest on the dues not paid during lockdown.

Alleging that they were being pressurised for repayment of dues along with interest, auto driver K Naresh, a resident of Bahadurpura, said, "That the government has turned a nelson's eye towards them even though they played a significant role in steering the transportation service ahead thereby helpful in reviving the economy."

Explaining the ordeal, he said, the financiers were pressurising us to pay the dues that were unpaid during lockdown period during which the autos didn't move a single day. "From where will we get the money to pay the dues along with the interest amount? We are not in a position to repay the same until and unless our business and economic situation improves," he added.

"Financiers are pressurising us to repay the dues along with interest aggregated in the last three months. Even though the lockdown has been relaxed but the situation remains unchanged as the citizens were avoiding public transportation and autos have been asked not to carry more than two passengers. It will take at least a few more months for us to emerge out from the tough situation. Only then the auto drivers could be able to pay back the dues," said a distressed auto driver, Mohammed Taj.

"Already we have spent lockdown days under immense stress and completely dried of with whatever wherewithal that was left with us. No relief package has been announced either from State or Central governments to bail us out from this hopeless situation," bemoaned Mohammed Saber, another auto driver.

Similar N Balu, shared, "Whatever we are earning right now is being spent on filling the gas into the autos. We are returning back empty handed even after toiling hard for whole day. The financiers are unabashedly pressurising us for repayment of dues." Claiming that there was no official aid or support except the rice distributed through fare price shops, he said, "At least now the government should come forward to rescue us by announcing some relief package."

Government should take the matter of private financiers' impassive attitude towards poor auto drivers seriously as they can't afford repayment of dues until they start earning sufficiently. The state government should introduce measures to bail out the distressed auto drivers in the State," suggested Mohammed Jahangir, a social activist.