Double blow to Delhiites

Auto drivers and petrol pump owners line up strikes

Auto drivers and petrol pump owners line up strikes

Expect a tough week ahead. Apart from the scorching heat, there will be some major trouble on the transport front. The autowallahs are all set to cripple the public transport by going on an indefinite strike on May 17 in protest against the "low" fares and the "raw" deal by the government.


Chakka jam Autowallahs will go on a strike on May 17.u00a0file photo

Confirming the development, Delhi Auto-rickshaw Sangh general secretary Rajender Singh Soni said, "We have been getting a raw deal from the government for quite some time. The government has increased the fare of every other mode of public transport except auto-rickshaw."

"Delhi has the lowest auto fares, as compared to other Metro cities in the country. When the government has increased rates of CNG twice in the recent past, auto-rickshaw fares should also have been enhanced, which is not the case," Soni said.

The city government had last revised the auto fares in June 2007. "The government has not even given us an audience so far. On the other hand, the government is busy promoting radio taxi owners. Why are we being treated in a step-motherly fashion?" asked Soni.

Auto drivers claim that they have to pay hefty rents to the 'real owners' of the vehicles and grease the palm of the traffic police daily. "As per city's standards, the lowest fare should be doubled," said Mansoor Siddique, another representative of the auto union. Apart from the autos, the petrol-pump owners are also on the warpath with the government.

The Petrol Pump Owners Association will go on a day-long strike on Friday in protest against the enhanced Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel.u00a0 "There is a difference of Rs 2.80 per litre in the prices of diesel being sold in Delhi and neighboring states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh due to discrepancy in VAT. Why would somebody buy fuel in Delhi when it is available at a cheaper rate in Noida and Gurgaon? It has drastically affected our business," said Atul Pesawaria, the president of the association.

"We had called a one-day strike in the first week of April. However, after Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's

Rewind

On March 22 the auto rickshaws held a massive dharna outside the Delhi Vidhansabha, after it was announced that the government will phase out autos from the city. But the demonstration did not affect the commuters. However, the strike by auto unions on April 1 paralysed the city transport system. As there is already a shortage of buses and a limited number of radio-taxis operate in the city, even a day-long stir by around 55,000 autos in the city may cripple normal life.

assurance we called it off. But we have been forced by the government to take this extreme step.

If the government fails to address our concerns, we will keep the petrol pumps in the city shut on every Monday from May 24 to decrease the operational costs," added Pesawaria.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister AK Walia said there was no likelihood of bringing down VAT on diesel as government will have to anyway "bridge the deviations" in Value Added Tax with other states when the GST (Goods and Services Tax) is introduced next year.

"The diesel sale for the month of April has gone down by about 39 per cent in Delhi compared to the same period last year. But the tax collection has gone up by Rs 5 crore due to hike in VAT," Walia said, ruling out any review of the hike in VAT on diesel.