Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand Mahesh Poddar today raised the issue of hand pulled rickshaws in Kolkata demanding alternative employment opportunities for the rickshaw pullers and ending the inhuman tradition. Raising the issue during zero hour in Rajya Sabha on Thursday he suggested providing e-rickshaws on 100 per cent or minimum of 90 per cent subsidy.
Poddar said that in the ‘city of joy’ such a transportation system exists where one person gets ‘joy’ and the other person pulls the cart. “The image of uncivilized and cruel system exists in the land of civilized people even after 72 years of independence. In these 72 years, those who take credit of making the country independent never thought of freeing the rickshaw pullers. They never ended the practice of oppression,” he said.
Poddar said that the hand pulled rickshaw came into existence in Japan near the year 1860s and later it reached Kolkata through Shimla. According to official figures, the number of people who pull the rickshaw in Kolkata is around 6000, while many say that the number is around 15000.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation has restrained the process of issuing new licenses for hand pulled rickshaws and renewal of old licenses since 2005.
He said that labourers from neighbouring states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bangladesh have been doing the work in Kolkata, most of whom spend their lives on footpath.
