Overthe issuance of new permits in Rishikesh by the Transport department, two groups confronted each other outside the camp office of Garhwal Commissioner here on Monday, where the meeting of Regional Transport Authority (RTA) was being organised.
The Transport department has recently issued some new permits in the Rishikesh area of Dehradun district. On Monday many private bus owners arrived at the venue of RTA meeting and protested against issuance of new permits on the plea that the routes are already overcrowded. They were opposed by those seeking new permits. The members of the association belonging to Vikram and Tata magic also arrived on the spot and chaos prevailed at the venue of the meeting. The protestors also tried to block the vehicle of the Garhwal Commissioner CS Napalchiyal when was coming to chair the meeting of RTA. The police personnel deployed on the spot tried hard to control the chaotic situation.
The president of Vikram association, Satish Sharma said that the transport department officials have imposed penalties on many Vikrams and cancelled their permits due to which the Vikram operators are facing financial hardships. leading the agitators the State Youth Ambassador (BJYM), Rajendra Singh Dhillon said that city bus operators are engaging in rampant violation of the rules and are posing threat to the safety of the people but the transport department officials turn a blind eye toward the violations done by them. He demanded that the section 86 of transport department is being misused by the officials and the Vikram and Tata magic operators are unnecessarily harassed by the department. Dhillon said that the Vikram owners are under the burden of bank loans and due to the suspension of their licenses they are on the brink of bankruptcy.
The Regional Transport Officer Dehradun Dinesh Chandra Pathoi said that the RTA discussed 11 point agenda in the meeting. The pleas of the different stake holders were heard by the RTA, he said.