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Auto rickshaw drivers in Kolkata took to the streets on Tuesday, bringing city traffic to standstill.
Peeved at the dual attack of sharp rise in auto-LPG prices and the "no fare hike” policy of West Bengal government, operators resorted to strong-arm tactics by blocking major intersections of the city and pelting stones at buses.
While auto LPG prices have moved up by nearly Rs 6.50 a litre (or nearly 14 per cent) in the last one month, the government has been adamant not to let passenger fares move up.
State-owned oil marketing companies – IOC, BPCL and HPCL – had Sunday (April 1) onwards hiked the price of auto LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) to Rs 53.06 a litre from Rs 46.57 a litre.
The auto-rickshaw operators, who had launched a movement across the city from Monday, shouted slogans and put up road blockades at important junctions, triggering traffic snarls in the morning rush hours.
Some auto-rickshaw drivers stoned buses, and forced children out of public transport also.
This led to Trinamool Congress councillors and MLAs resorting to similar strong-arm tactics to remove blockades.
“The hike in auto LPG fares has made all routes unviable. The strike has been called to protest against this arbitrary fare hike,” Mr Kishore Ghosh, President, Kolkata Autorickshaw Operators Union – CITU (labour wing of the CPI-M) backed union said.
No Fare Hike
Although the State Government is yet to clear any proposed fare hike, it has agreed to meet agitating auto unions and operators over the issue.
A high profile meeting between police top brass and the Transport Minister, Mr Madan Mitra, at Writers' Buildings reportedly decided not to hike auto fares across the city. Representatives of Trinamool Congress' trade union wing were also reportedly present at the meeting.
“Law will take its own course. But we will not allow hooliganism in the city,” Mr Partha Chatterjee, Commerce and Industry minister, told reporters at the state secretariat.
Taxis to go on Strike
Taxi unions in the city, meanwhile, threatened to go on a 24-hour strike on April 19 following a crack down by the city police. The Calcutta High Court had on Friday refused to extend a stay on the mandatory installation of digital printer fitted metres.
The deadline for installation of these metres expired on March 31 (Sunday).
According to taxi union members, failure to meet demands within 15 days might lead to another 72-hour strike followed by an indefinite one.
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