Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Aug 28: As the number of auto rickshaws has gone beyond limits, the authorities have stopped issuing new permits to auto rickshaws since many years in cities where the population is more than five lac. Though the state government knows this rule, it has granted subsidized auto rickshaws to poor youth through various corporations.
People who have bought the auto rickshaws are not getting the permit from the RTO. Scores of beneficiaries of this grant are in doldrums now.
Ill-fate of corporations
Every year selected beneficiaries have been given auto rickshaws on subsidy by corporations of the minority, Ambedkar, backward class and Valmiki. In every district, each of these corporations has distributed 40 to 50 auto rickshaws. This means in every district there are more than 200 beneficiaries who have bought these vehicles. The beneficiaries of the cities where the approval of permit is stopped are cursing the government now. They are repeatedly visiting the RTO for the permit but have not got it, though it has been years now.
100 permits pending in city
Around three to four years ago, the then deputy commissioner Ibrahim has ordered to grant the permit to the remaining beneficiaries of the scheme. However, in the last four years, only very few permits are being granted by the RTO. At present, permits for more than 100 beneficiaries who have got the auto rickshaws approved by the minority corporation are yet to get the same. The same situation is prevailing in similar big cities in the state as per the information given by the RTO officials.
Mounting bank interest
Different corporations given different amount of subsidies to the beneficiaries. The cost of an auto rickshaw is around Rs 1.80 lac. Under the minority corporation scheme, the beneficiaries get the highest subsidy amount of Rs 63,000. For the rest 1.20 lac, the beneficiary has to take a bank loan. Now people who have bought the vehicle under the subsidized scheme are in a dicey situation as they are unable to pay the instalment of the bank loan as they are not able to run the auto rickshaw without a permit.
The government, which has seen this issue since some years, has stopped receiving applications for auto rickshaw subsidy from this year. However, what will be the fate of hundreds of beneficiaries who have bought the vehicle under the scheme? Who is going to repay the bank loan taken by them? These questions have to be answered by the government.
Issue due to communication gap
This issue has cropped up due to the poor coordination between the people representatives and the administration of the state. The MLAs of the respective constituencies select the beneficiaries of the respective corporations. However, they do not check whether the permit is available for the auto rickshaw before sanctioning the same. Once they grant the subsidized auto rickshaw, the people representatives do not bother about further issues faced by the recipient of the benefit. The RTO officials are saying that though the auto rickshaws are granted by the corporations, they cannot go beyond the rule and give permits to them.
Sasikanth Senthil, deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district says, "Permits can be given only as per the quota that is available. Permits cannot be given by breaking the rule. If this is done, then it will cause inconvenience to the existing auto drivers and citizens. The respective authorities have to check on the rules before granting the subsidized auto rickshaws."
A disgruntled beneficiary said, "I was granted an auto rickshaw last year, under the subsidy scheme from the minority corporation. From that time, I am repeatedly going and requesting the authorities of RTO to give me permit to run the vehicle. I am extremely tired of this apathy of the administration. Now I am worried as to how will I pay the bank loan instalment."