Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (TU/CN)

Mangalore, Nov 20: The auto rickshaw drivers affiliated to the District Drivers’ Association, along with the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) staged a protest in front of the district commissioner’s (DC) office on Thursday November 20, demanding establishment of a welfare board.

Addressing the demonstrators, B Vishnu Murthi, president of the association, said that the state and union governments had not implemented any welfare programmes for auto drivers. The government derives an annual income of Rs 821 crore annual income from them, but still no special provisions have bee made for this sector, he said.

‘The state has at least three lac auto rickshaw drivers. They have been deprived of provident fund, and employees’ state insurance scheme. The government’s response has been lukewarm towards movements taken out by the drivers’, said Murthi. The agitators also demanded provision of BPL ration cards to them. A memorandum was submitted to the chief minister through the DC.