Telangana plans welfare board and electric-vehicle support for auto drivers

Telangana will establish a welfare board for auto-rickshaw drivers, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said on Saturday. Speaking at a meeting with the Hyderabad City Auto Drivers’ Associations Joint Action Committee at Praja Bhavan, Bhatti said the board would provide social security and welfare benefits to drivers and other transport workers. Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and SC Development Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar attended the meeting.

Bhatti said the proposal had already been discussed by the Cabinet and would be implemented after the required legislative and funding processes were completed. He said the government had recently approved an increase in the auto fare from ₹11 to ₹14 per kilometre. The decision followed representations from drivers and discussions in the Cabinet, according to the Deputy Chief Minister.

Bhatti said nearly 20 lakh families depended on the transport sector. He also assured auto workers that their other demands would be examined and that the government would take appropriate decisions. The government has allocated ₹200 crore under the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam programme to support the transition from diesel-powered autos to battery-operated vehicles.

It is providing a subsidy of ₹1.5 lakh per auto. Bhatti said the programme would encourage the adoption of electric, solar-powered and compressed natural gas vehicles as part of efforts to promote cleaner urban transport. He criticised the previous government, alleging that it had failed to address auto drivers’ concerns despite repeated protests over the past decade.

Bhatti also praised Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar for pursuing the welfare of transport workers. The source material does not specify a date for the welfare board’s formal launch.