Hyderabad: Amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the extension of the lockdown, the auto drivers have been affected with the financial hardships.
In this view, the Telangana state auto drivers’ associations on Thursday appealed to the state government to provide financial assistance to them as they were facing huge losses in view of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The association president V Mariah thanked chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for recognizing them as public servants and offering to vaccinate them under a special drive from May 27.
Telangana has been under lockdown from May 12 till May 31 and for further lockdown extension the Telangana chief minister to decide after the cabinet meeting on May 30.
Mariah submitted a memorandum to the Telangana minister for IT and municipal administration KT Rama Rao requesting financial help to auto drivers.
The association president urged the government to include auto drivers under the Aayushman Bharat and Aarogyasri health schemes.
He also appealed to the government to give Rs 10,000 financial monthly help to all the auto drivers with licenses as they incurred huge income losses as their autos were not plying due to COVID-19 lockdown.
Mariah further urged the minister to consider offering Rs 5 lakh compensation to the kin of deceased auto drivers who died due to COVID-19.
KTR assured the auto drivers of necessary help and has reportedly said that he will bring their issues to the notice of the chief minister to decide on their demands.
