e-rickshaw drivers raise RAHI curbs with officials

Amritsar, April 6

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City-based e-rickshaw drivers today held a meeting with Municipal Corporation Commissioner Sandeep Rishi, Regional Transport Authority (RTS) secretary Arshdeep Singh and traffic police officials at the Ranjit Avenue office of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation. The e-rickshaw drivers led by social activist Mandeep Singh Manna expressed their difficulties over the restrictions being imposed on e-rickshaws under the Rejuvenation of Auto-Rickshaws in Amritsar through Holistic Intervention (RAHI) scheme.

In the meeting, Commissioner Sandeep Rishi made it clear to the e-rickshaw drivers that the RAHI is government’s own project. Under the project, the city of Amritsar has been selected and crores of rupees have been provided as subsidy by the government under the smart city project to promote the use of e-autos to keep the city’s environment clean and pollution-free. Under the scheme, old diesel auto drivers, who are residents of Amritsar city — and whose diesel auto rickshaws were registered under PB02 series — can get a new e-auto within a day by leaving their old diesel auto rickshaws.

MC Commissioner Rishi also clarified that the government’s intention is not to make old diesel auto drivers jobless with the RAHI Scheme because this scheme has been started from the year 2019 and since then, old diesel auto drivers have been given e- autos. The adoption of e-autos is being encouraged by providing a government subsidy of Rs 1.4 lakh in addition to the social welfare schemes of the Centre and the state government. Now, the government is pushing for the time-bound adoption under RAHI scheme in Amritsar. The district administration and the police administration have joined hands to that end.

The administrative officials explained to the e-rickshaw drivers present in the meeting that all the e-rickshaws currently plying in the city are not registered anywhere. The officials stressed that the practice is against the law.