Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Aug, 17
A joint deputation of All J&K Transport Welfare Association, J&K and Kashmir Transporters Welfare Association called on former Minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla and submits him memorandum of demands. The deputation comprises of President Gajan Singh, Krishan Gopal Pandho, Amar Singh, Vijay Kumar Gupta, Bopinder Singh, Manmohan Bhattia, Krishan Singh, Partab Singh beside others. Deputation put forth several issues and demands related to transport sector in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The deputation raised several issues pertaining to Budgetary Support for replacement of old Buses/ mini Buses, penalty on renewal of transport companies licenses, reduction of one-time tax on all commercial/ public service vehicles and allotment of parking places for mini / medium buses and auto rickshaws.
Former Minister while interacting with the deputation assured that the genuine issues projected by them would be taken up before concerned authorities and their early redressal. The Association also appealed the former Minister to provide succour to the transporters by compensating them uniformly for the loss, which they face since the Covid-19 breakdown in J&K. Gajan Singh Khajuria, President J&K Motor Transport Companies Association (JKMTCA) demanded decent insurance cover for truck drivers and cleaners carrying essential supplies in various parts of country during Covid-19 lockdown.
He sought a relief package from the government, including giving Rs 15,000 to each driver to sustain his family during the COVID-19 lockdown. He added that truck drivers and helpers are feeling scared of their future as they need to visit different areas to ensure that the consignments are picked up and unloaded. Most of them are sole breadwinner of the family and they have exhausted all his savings to survive the back-to-back phases of the lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said that because of incompetence on part of the Transport authorities, renewal of the registration of old vehicles continues to remain stalled for the last around one year amid confusions are being invited over the Token Tax and roadworthiness of the vehicle notwithstanding clarifications over the same by the Finance Department and the Motor Vehicle Act.After remaining puzzled over the Finance Department’s clarification regarding levying of the Token Tax on old vehicles for renewal of their registration after 15 years, the Transport authorities have now slipped into another confusion triggered by the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board, which has gone overboard and advised against allowing any vehicle of above 15 years to ply.Despite the fact that as per the Motor Vehicle Act, only Central Government has the power to fix the age limit of different types of motor vehicles, the Transport authorities in Jammu and Kashmir are allegedly complying to the J&K Pollution Control Board’s observation of discouraging registration of the old vehicles.Lakhs of people are suffering because of no renewal of registration of their vehicles.
Bhalla further said that notwithstanding the fact that Section 59 of the Motor Vehicle Act makes it very clear that Central Government has power to specify different ages for different classes of different types of motor vehicles, the Transport authorities in J&K are complying the observations of Pollution Control Board in discouraging registration of vehicles above 15 years and thus harassing lakhs of people, whose vehicles are lying idle because of no renewal of registration.
Majority of these aggrieved people are from middle income families who have an entry level vehicle and not luxury one for showing off. Around two lakh applications for different categories of vehicles have piled up across the Regional Transport Authorities in Union Territory of J&K and the number was increasing with the passage of time. While the aggrieved people are running from pillar to post for ascertaining fate of the registration , the RTO authorities are allegedly suggesting them to sell their good condition old vehicles as scrap thus adding salt on their wounds, added Bhalla.
Before the issuance of new SRO, the motor vehicles were being given registration for initial 15 years against the payment of one time token fee of Rs 8700 for the vehicles upto 1300 CC capacity and Rs 22800 for the vehicles above 1300 CC.
After 15 years, the registration of old vehicles used to be renewed for next five years against the payment of Rs 3000 and then for three and two years.
As transport remained off the roads, private bus/matador drivers and conductors with meagre /no savings were staring at an uncertain future.
Families of the transporters are running out of stocks, savings and are on the verge of starvation and if no immediate step is taken by the government, they will be left with no other option, but to launch an agitation.What has made the situation worse for transporters across the UT is the back-to-back lockdowns, first due to abrogation of Article 370 and now, the deadly virus.
“They were just coming out of the Article 370 induced lockdown and now, this. They are the carriers of essential commodities and yet, the government is paying no attention to us,” said Bhalla.He said that they were badly affected by the lockdown and demanded waiving interest on the loans taken by transporters for vehicles, waiving off the insurance and other fees during the lockdown period besides withdrawing all the toll plazas in Jammu and Kashmir”.In the new guidelines on the lockdown, public passenger transport including buses, tempos, travelers, cab aggregators, auto rickshaws, etc. were allowed to move in the green zones, but with only 50% passengers. Bhalla said the main demands of the association included a financial package for the drivers, cleaners and other allied workers of the transport industry, waiving off interest of the loans taken by transporters for vehicles and waiving off insurance and other fees during the lockdown period.”Transportation sector has been one of the primary victims of COVID-19. From rickshaw pullers, sumo drivers, all have been affected economically by the pandemic in Kashmir.He appealed the Lieutenant Governor administration to pay attention towards the transporter sector. “Various sectors have been given some package but they have been totally ignored. They are being forced to come to the streets,” he added.
Bhalla asked the government to come up with concrete relief measures for a larger section of the society whose livelihood has got affected by inter district transport ban and other restrictions imposed by the authorities in view of Coronavirus outbreak in Jammu and Kashmir.Congress is concerned over the plight of families whose livelihood has got badly hit due to these mandatory restrictions. Unfortunately, the Jammu and Kashmir government seems to be a mute spectator to their miseries and sufferings. Like other governments , J&K government should also come up with measures to help the people who are unable to sustain their families in these hard times,” Bhalla demanded.He said that a vast section of the society including labourers, daily wagers, vendors, ITI trained labourers, transporters and shopkeepers whose livelihood has been drastically affected by the restrictions on public gatherings, assembly and the movement of people both in cities and other district headquarters and towns across Jammu and Kashmir need to be helped out by the government in these pressing times.
“The central government must extend all possible financial support including free ration and other essential commodities to such families who are otherwise compelled to come out from their homes to make a living. Such families be provided with free ration and monthly financial assistance till the situation normalizes and the restrictions are eased out on public movement,” Bhalla observed. He remarked that the novel Coronavirus was causing terrible financial stress to the poor in Jammu and Kashmir like other parts of the country and the government must announce extra ration from government depots and fair-price shops to the BPL and other underprivileged families free of cost.“Similarly, the government must release enhanced pensions for widows, differently-abled and elderly people in view of the lockdown caused by the pandemic,” Bhalla demanded, adding that the central government must support the J&K residents with its liberal financial help to tackle the outbreak of the Coronavirus which has hugely impacted the public life across the world.
