Mumbai: Automen want Rs 10,000 monthly aid from state government

This picture has been used for representational purposes

Mumbai's automen are filling up forms to petition the government for a monthly sum of Rs 10,000 to bail them out of a financial crisis. Mumbai Automen's Union said that all permit-holding, licensed automen are filling up the forms to get a database ready to petition the government for the financial help until the situation normalises.

"The response has been very good. This is not limited to just Mumbai but is being done for entire Maharashtra. In Mumbai, we have managed to collect around 10,000 forms so far. More are being filled up," Mumbai Automen's Union leader Shashank Sharad Rao said. The forms would also be appealing to the government to create a welfare board of autorickshaw drivers so that they have an organised body.

"Sometime in mid-February, we intend to approach the Maharashtra government with the signatures to seek help. We have already appealed to the government and transport minister through various platforms, including personal meetings," Rao told mid-day. Apart from the financial help, other key demands are to waive off loans on autos taken by jobless youth, remove all restrictions imposed on automen during work as part of lockdown and give them public servant status.

"The government must consider our demand of Rs 10,000 as a basic monthly fund to all registered automen so that no one dies of hunger," Rao added.

The government had also promised them a hike in fares, which unions refused to take as it would affect their business. Rao said the hike is just a cover-up. "We need to be able to survive and a hike will further ruin businesses," he added.

10k
No. of forms collected in city so far