Earlier, a fine of Rs 300 was imposed for delay in renewal of fitness certificate of autos-taxis, which has now been increased to Rs 5,000: Durgesh Pathak
How will a poor man who earns Rs 200-400 a day pay Rs 5,000 as fine?: Durgesh Pathak
PM Modi and BJP must reduce CNG rates and and decrease the penalties on fitness certificate: Durgesh Pathak
Entire community of auto and taxi drivers will be compelled to launch a mass agitation against the Modi Government if these rates are not reduced: Durgesh Pathak
NEW DELHI:
Exposing the Central Government’s exploitative actions against the poor, AAP Senior Leader and MCD In-Charge Shri Durgesh Pathak stated – The Modi government has waged a war against the poor. It has drastically increased the penalty imposed on delay in renewal of fitness certificates of autos and taxis. Earlier, a fine of Rs 300 was imposed for delay in renewal of fitness certificate of auto-taxi, which has now been increased to a staggering Rs 5,000. Prime Minister Modi and the BJP must reduce the CNG rates and also the increased penalties on fitness certificates. If these rates are not reduced, the entire community of auto and taxi drivers will be compelled to launch a mass agitation against the Modi Government.
AAP Senior Leader and MCD In-Charge Shri Durgesh Pathak said, “An important section of people who play a major role in Delhi’s progress as well as that of the entire nation are the taxi and auto operators, however their contribution is often overlooked and forgotten. They work relentlessly regardless of whether it is day or night. And even after such copious amounts of hard work, so dismal is the condition of our auto and taxi drivers that the most they get out of a good day is merely a profit of Rs 400-500. Be it hail, rain, or sunshine, Delhi’s auto and taxi drivers remain dedicated to serving the people of Delhi around the clock. It is the government’s responsibility to look after and stand with those sections of society which are most impoverished and oppressed – people who are working extremely hard, but are unable to meet the needs of their household. However, it is unfortunate that our Central Government under the leadership of PM Modi has declared some sort of a war against the poor.”
He continued, “People are well aware of the extra strictness which is imposed on auto-drivers by the police. They are often unnecessarily manhandled and harassed by the police for the wrong or invalid reasons. Auto and taxis have a fitness certificate which they are required to carry with them at all times. In case of any form of discrepancy with this certificate, the police used to earlier impose a penalty of Rs 300 on autos and taxis both. Today, the same penalty has been raised by the Modi Government to a staggering 2,500 rupees on autos, and 5,000 on taxis. Imagine, the auto and taxi drivers who struggle to make ends meet and make merely Rs 200-400 at the end of the day – how will they be able to pay such exorbitant fines? This is pure exploitation, as if the Modi Government is consistently conspiring against these poor people and coming up with ways to oppress them further.”
Shri Durgesh Pathak added, “They raised the price of CNG above 14 rupees within the past 20 days. So, on one hand the Centre has inflated the fuel pricing, on the other it has increased the penalties – attacking the poor auto and taxi drivers from both ends. Where will they go? Now their profit will reduce from the earlier Rs 300-400 to just Rs 100-200 at maximum, while these penalties will snatch away their entire month’s hard earned income in one go. This will cause serious harm to our auto and taxi drivers – it will completely break them and their families if such tyrannous rules continue to be imposed by the Modi Government.”
Urging the Centre to take responsibility and required action, he concluded, “The Aam Aadmi Party and its Government staunchly opposes these actions of the Central Government which are choking the auto and taxi drivers of Delhi, of the entire country. We beseech the Modi Government, the Prime Minister and BJP leaders – that you have plundered enough, please leave the auto and taxi drivers be. Please do not take such arbitrary actions which will ruin the lives of these poor people. We request you to reduce the CNG rates and the increased penalties. If you do not decrease these, the families of these drivers will be wrecked, and the futures of their children will be over. The entire community of auto and taxi drivers will be compelled to launch a movement against the Modi Government otherwise.”