Auto rickshaw drivers protest in Hyderabad over LPG shortage

Hyderabad auto rickshaw drivers protested since Sunday night demanding faster LPG refills amid long queues. Tensions escalated at Rajendranagar and PVNR Expressway, prompting police action. Social organizations and locals provided food and water to drivers enduring hours-long waits.

Hyderabad: The auto rickshaw drivers in the city took to the streets since Sunday night, demanding streamlining of auto LPG gas supply and ending hours-long wait at the dispensing stations.

On Sunday night, tension prevailed at Rajendranagar Road after three auto rickshaw drivers climbed on a cell tower around midnight, demanding streamlining of the auto LPG at the dispensing stations.

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On coming to know about it, several hundred auto drivers gathered at PVNR Expressway Pillar No 291 and blocked the road for around half-an-hour. The police rushed to the spot and resorted to a mild lathi-charge to disperse the auto drivers. Additional forces were rushed to the spot to control the situation that seemed to be spiralling out of control, with auto rickshaw drivers trying to regroup again to vent their ire on the authorities.

“We are sleeping outside the fuel dispensing stations at night, waiting to get the auto tank refilled. The government is least bothered to resolve the issue, the police should adopt a humanitarian approach and instead of using lathis to increase our sufferings, inform the concerned about our problems,” complained Mahesh Babu, an auto rickshaw driver.

On Monday, small protests were held at different places in the city with auto rickshaw drivers attempting to block the road and sit in protest. “We are standing in long lines for long hours without food and water. We are being treated worse than animals. Is this the way a State responds to the issues faced by the citizens?” asked Mohd Jaweed, another auto driver, who waited for close to 12 hours outside a gas dispensing station at Falaknuma.

Noticing the plight of the auto rickshaw drivers, several social and religious organisations in the Old City arranged free drinking water and food for the drivers near the gas dispensing stations. Local shopkeepers and residents also kept drinking water jars outside the shops and houses for the auto drivers.