Title - Auto strike hits commuters

RANCHI: The 48-hour autorickshaw strike that began on Friday crippled public transport in the city, creating inconvenience to patients and passengers at railway stations, bus stands and airport. The strike has been called in the wake of seizure of 15-year-old autos by the traffic police following the direction of the Jharkhand high court. The amount of difficulties was perceived to be less on Friday, being a holiday for Krishna Janmashtami.Munna Gope, who brought his ailing son to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in a car, said, "I had to borrow money from a neighbour and hire a vehicle. I don't have money to eat. I wonder how will I repay the money," said the daily wage-earner. Gope's son is suffering from viral fever.Unaware about the strike, train passengers were the worst-hit. Sanjay Shekhar, who arrived from Jammu in the morning, had to change several rickshaws and walk a few kilometres with his luggage tugged on his back to reach his house.At Khadgarha bus stand, around 50 cycle-rickshaws were present for more than 2,000 people who arrived at the bus stand. Hundreds of passengers carried their luggage to walk back home. Around 70 buses that plied in the district were full of market-goers. A similar situation was witnessed at the airport. The strike has been called against a Jharkhand high court direction to remove all 15-year-old autos from roads. The court order asking the Ranchi district administration to withdraw such autos was passed a couple of months ago to bring the level pollution under control.

A police officer claimed that several new autos in Ranchi ply without permits, many of them run in no-auto zones and park at no-parking slots. "The seizure operation began on August 1 and more than 1,000 autos have been seized till now," said Ranchi SP (traffic) Chandra Shekhar Prasad.

Jharkhand Pradesh Diesel Auto Chalak Maha Sangh, which called the strike, claimed that over 7,000 autos had participated in the agitation. Organization's general secretary Sunil Singh claimed that the strike was successful. There are 8,000-odd autos in the district and of them 5,000-odd are 15 years' old.

The sangh is demanding that the seizure campaign be stopped. "There are around 5,000 autos which are 15 years' old. If the campaign does not stop where will they go? There is no other way they can feed their kids at home" said Singh.

Citing congestion, the administration has refused to give permits to new autos. The sangh has warned of severe protests if the demands are not fulfilled.

"We will meet MLAs and ask them to raise the issue in the assembly," said Singh.

The striking auto drivers would gherao the deputy commissioner of Ranchi also. "We will burn effigies of the district administration tomorrow (Saturday)," said a striking auto driver Gopal Prasad.