Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Sep 5: Local auto rickshaw drivers laid siege to Trasi gram panchayat office in the taluk here on the evening of Friday September 4, alleging that the panchayat administration has been discriminating against them over the issue of widening of national highway.

"We had requested the gram panchayat (GP) to provide auto parking slot for us a year back. The GP, which never responded to this request since then, has allowed illegal petty shops to come up under its jurisdiction. Without setting aside space for auto rickshaw parking, the panchayat has all of a sudden constructed fence to the area falling within public works department (PWD)," they pointed out.

At present, the work of widening of the national highway between Karwar and the town is progressing. Land acquisition process had been set into motion for this project during last year. Auto rickshaw operators from Trasi had created an auto stand for themselves at Trasi circle since long. After land acquisition process was initiated, during September last year, they had applied to the gram panchayat, seeking separate site for creating auto rickshaw stand in the town.

Mumbai-based IRF Infrastructure Developers Ltd, to which this road widening contract has been entrusted, had asked the auto rickshaw drivers to vacate the existing auto stand for road widening, by September this year. As PWD has ownership over land between Trasi Circle and gram panchayat office, the auto rickshaw drivers had requested that department to allot about 30 cents of land for creating the auto stand. The very next day of handing over this request, the gram panchayat hurriedly passed a resolution, and erected barbed wire fencing to this land measuring about 30 cents.

Angered at this attitude of the GP, the auto rickshaw drivers protested by laying siege to the gram panchayat. In response, panchayat development officer (PDO) said that the GP has the responsibility safe-keep the assets and land owned by the government and that in tune with this responsibility, fencing had been erected. The auto drivers questioned as to how construction of petty shops in this land was allowed by GP. The official tried to give evasive reply by claiming that taking action against shops is not within the purview of the gram panchayat. Incensed by this reply, the auto drivers warned of intensifying their stir.

President of Auto Rickshaw Drivers Association, Venkatesh Pai, and secretar, Pramod, speaking to journalists later, said that on account of road widening, the auto drivers have no place to park their vehicles in the town. "The panchayat did nothing to meet our request given last year for allotting land for auto stand. The panchayat violated rules and illegally fenced the PWD land. At the same time, it failed to take action against three petty shops built at this spot. This attitude smells of a pre-planned conspiracy backed by political leaders. If we fail to get justice, we will be undertaking indefinite strike in front of the panchayat office," they warned.

The panchayat development officer told the media persons that the panchayat is not under any kind of pressure. He said the panchayat has information about owners of roadside shops trying to set up petty shops in the area, and added that steps are being taken to stop them. He said the request of the auto drivers will be taken up with PWD for space to set up auto stand.

During the verbal friction between the gram panchayat auto drivers, Gangolli policemen briefly obstructed media persons from taking photographs. After some verbal frictions, they relented.

PWD chief executive engineer and other officials will be arriving at Trasi on Monday to undertake spot inspection, relating to fencing of the PWD property, panchayat development officer said. He said that a decision about further steps would be taken after consulting panchayat president, vice president, and members.