Telangana govt gives contradictory figures on auto‑rickshaws, retrofitting costs

The Congress government’s shifting statements on the number of auto‑rickshaws and retrofitting costs in Hyderabad have left drivers anxious. While Chief Minister Revanth Reddy earlier claimed two lakh autos were operating, the latest Cabinet figures put the number at just 18,766.

Hyderabad: Contradictory statements by the Congress government on the retrofitting of auto-rickshaws in the Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) limits have left auto drivers worried. In a span of three months, the number of autos has been reduced substantially and the retrofitting cost has increased from Rs.1.20 lakh to Rs.1.50 lakh.

In May this year, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had said there were nearly two lakh auto-rickshaws in Hyderabad. He also said a majority of them were operated by people from the minority community. Auto drivers spend between Rs 300 and Rs 400 every day on fuel, he had said. Converting diesel autos into electric vehicles would help them save nearly Rs 10,000 a month, he said at a programme at Haj House in Nampally.

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“The retrofitting cost for each auto is about Rs 1.20 lakh,” Revanth Reddy had said.

In contrast, the State government now says there are 18,766 petrol and diesel auto-rickshaws in Hyderabad. The State Cabinet approved a special scheme, with an outlay of Rs 200 crore to convert existing auto-rickshaws into electric vehicles (EVs). 

Under the scheme, eligible auto-rickshaw drivers would receive a subsidy of up to Rs.1.5 lakh per vehicle, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said after the Cabinet meeting.

The scheme allows either retrofitting an electric kit onto an existing auto-rickshaw or scrapping the old vehicle and purchasing a new electric auto-rickshaw.