Telangana Government is actively considering extending sustenance allowance of Rs. 12,000 a year to autorickshaw drivers.
The Congress has given an assurance to this effect in its election manifesto and modalities are being worked out in this regard. The Government, he said, is committed to implementing the six guarantees as well as the assurances it gave to the people within 100 days of coming to power, said Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu.
Mr. Sridhar Babu, who is holding the Legislative Affairs portfolio, intervened in the discussion on Motion of Thanks to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan’s address to the joint sitting of the legislature. He took objections to BRS member Palla Rajeshwar Reddy’s remarks that the free bus facility for women in the State had hit the autorickshaw drivers who were facing difficulties in earning their livelihood.
Mr. Rajeshwar Reddy said there were 6.5 lakh autorickshaw drivers in the State and 21 of them died since the introduction of free bus facility to women. He demanded that the Government pay ex gratia of Rs. 20 lakh each to the families of the deceased besides providing financial support of Rs. 10,000 a month to autorickshaw drivers.
Mr. Sridhar Babu who intervened said the Government was committed to the welfare of all sections and plans were accordingly being worked out to provide assistance to autorickshaw drivers. He wondered why the BRS members were objecting to the free bus travel facility, one of the six guarantees announced by the Congress in the run up to the elections.
Another Minister Ponnam Prabhakar charged the BRS leaders with prompting the autorickshaw drivers to take to extreme steps with their comments. “Why is the BRS unable to digest the implementation of the promise by the Congress Government?” he asked.
To another charge by Mr. Rajeshwar Reddy that the Congress Government was encouraging “crony capitalists” much against the wishes of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Mr. Sridhar Babu said the Government was committed to providing level playing field to all the investors who want to invest in the State. It was accordingly contemplated to bring in policies for different sectors like MSMEs which hitherto had no policy support.
