Softening its stand on diesel auto-rickshaws plying in the city, the UT Administration on Tuesday lifted the ban on their entry in Chandigarh.
Now, a joint committee of adviser to the UT Administration and Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Haryana would frame a policy to sort out the issue of plying of diesel autos in the city.At a high-level meeting under Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj Patil held on Tuesday, it was decided that till the policy is framed for autos in coordination with Punjab and Haryana Governments, the ban on entering of diesel autorickshaw in Chandigarh would be lifted.
During the meeting attended by senior officials, Patil discussed the issued related to diesel autorickshaws at length and directed the UT Administration to lift the ban on plying of diesel autos in Chandigarh till a policy is framed. Patil has said that a joint committee of adviser to Administrator and Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Haryana would frame a policy to solve the issue of diesel autorickshaw.He said after that the issue would also be discussed with the auto-rickshaw drivers and till the policy is framed, the ban on entering of diesel auto-rickshaw in Chandigarh would not be implemented.
The autorickshaw associations of the Tricity and UT Administration are at loggerheads over the issue of ban imposed by the latter on plying of diesel autos in Chandigarh. They also gave a call for strike which continued for five days leaving the city residents in lurch.At present, more than 5,500 diesel-run autos from Punjab and Haryana are plying in the city.