Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 04 2010:
Owners and drivers of auto-rickshaws doing passenger service in Chingmeirong side and farther North suspended their daily service and staged a protest demonstration against unaffordable monetary demands at Mantripukhri today.
Auto-rickshaw drivers and owners of Northern Transport Society, Siroy Transport Society, North Imphal Transport Society and the Mantripukhri Branch Transport Society participated in the protest demonstration.
The protesters said that they could not bear the demands anymore.
They also put up placards which read as "Don't make any intimidation to drivers", "Enable owners to repay loans taken for purchasing auto-rickshaws" etc.
Talking to this reporter, some auto-rickshaw owners and drivers said that they struggled a lot to buy the auto-rickshaws with bank loans and they were earning just Rs 200 to Rs 300 per day.
"We are facing hard times to meet the daily requirements of the family and educational expenditure of children in addition to the monthly repayment of loan amounts from our meagre income", the auto-rickshaw drivers said.
It was at this juncture, five different groups demanded 'annual taxes'.
"The amounts demanded by these groups are different.
While some groups are demanding Rs 3000, others are demanding Rs 2000 .
Under such circumstances, we would not be in a position to repay bank loans", they lamented.