Telangana Auto Drivers JAC to move High Court against govt; drop bandh plan

Hyderabad: The Telangana Auto Drivers' JAC has decided to challenge the government's prolonged delay in revising auto fares in the High Court and seek an immediate increase in the twin cities on a par with the other neighbouring States.

It decided to cancel the proposed one day auto bandh on August 16. Announcing this in a statement here on Friday, JAC leader Mohd Amanullah Khan said it was nothing but dictatorial attitude of the TRS government for the last 7 ½ years to suppress the auto drivers. "It is not proper to crush automen economically just because they are too weak to seek justice", he observed.

Khan regretted that the auto fares of Rs.20 minimum and Rs.11 a km were fixed on February 14, 2014. "They are not only "unfair" but also "not based on realities. Obviously, to conceal its inefficiency in reducing high tax rate on petroleum products, and high cost of living the government wants to safeguard the interests of travelling public at the cost of poor auto drivers by denying them reasonable fares and to pass on additional fuel charges and high cost of living to them.

He alleged that the government willfully, negligently, with mala fide intention to harass auto drivers, has not allowed a reasonable increase in the auto fares so far, by taking the cost of fuel and prices of essential commodities into account.