KTR writes to CM Revanth blaming ill-conceived policy for the autorickshaw drivers' suicides

HYDERABAD: BRS Working President K. Tarakarama Rao on Friday urged the Congress Government to extend support to autorickshaw drivers whose livelihoods had been affected by an ill-conceived policy providing free travel to women in RTC buses.

In an open letter addressed to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, KTR expressed concern over reports of at least 15 autorickshaw drivers dying by suicide since the Congress party came into power. He urged the Chief Minister to take immediate measures to prevent such tragic incidents. "A driver has set his auto-rickshaw ablaze in front of Praja Bhavan, yet the Chief Minister seemed indifferent," he noted, demanding that the State Government promptly provided Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia to the families of the deceased autorickshaw drivers. Additionally, KTR proposed a monthly financial assistance of Rs.10,000 to the families of every autorickshaw driver who lost their livelihood.

Also Read: About 6.50 lakh auto-rickshaw drivers lost livelihood under Congress rule: KTR

In his letter to the Chief Minister, KTR criticised the Congress party for failing to fulfill its promises of people-centric governance, characterising their rule as anti-people. "The hasty implementation of a guarantee has adversely affected one group, exemplified by the escalating crisis among autorickshaw drivers in the state," he remarked.

"Telangana's communities enjoyed a decade of happiness, but within your 55 days of administration, many sections of society are now suffering. Autorickshaw drivers, predominantly from the economically disadvantaged segments, are now on the streets due to your policies, making their conditions unbearable," KTR stated.

He claimed that due to a lack of demand for autorickshaws, 15 drivers had taken their lives recently, grappling with the inability to support their families and pay their children's fees. The situation was particularly dire for drivers renting autos, facing challenges in even covering their vehicle rental costs. KTR underscored the urgency of the matter, citing the recent incident where the brother of a tribal autorickshaw driver burnt his auto in front of Praja Bhavan.

Expressing disappointment over the lack of response from the government to the special report submitted by the BRS to the Labour Department, KTR urged the State Government to comprehend the gravity of the situation. He demanded immediate financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per month for the 6.5 lakh autorickshaw drivers in the state and urged the government to announce a 10 lakh ex-gratia for families of the auto drivers who died by suicides.

Also Read: Free bus scheme: Upset over rising debts, driver sets autorickshaw on fire outside Praja Bhavan

KTR criticised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for not addressing the issues faced by autorickshaw drivers effectively, despite his previous claims of understanding their problems during election campaigns. He called for transparency in the steps taken by the government to address the concerns raised by the drivers.

"Merely changing the name to Praja Bhavan is insufficient. True sincerity in practice is what the people yearn for. Despite an autorickshaw being set on fire in front of Praja Bhavan, the Chief Minister's silence on the matter is regrettable," KTR lamented.

KTR said that as the main opposition, the BRS party would support the autorickshaw drivers in every possible way. However, KTR warned that if the government failed to respond, the BRS party, along with 6.5 lakh autorickshaw drivers, would launch an agitation until justice is delivered to the struggling community.