The taxi union’s sit-in launched against the new traffic system enforced from 15 May has entered its fourth day on Monday. The union activists staged a massive rally, alleging that the Pauri municipality president Yashpal Benam is acting like a dictator. Benam was also burnt in his effigy near the sit-in site. They said that the district administration has failed to act on the assurances given to the taxi unions on the sites earmarked for parking buses and taxis bound for different destinations.
Sub- divisional magistrate P l Shah came with Pauri police Kotwali in-charge Chandra Mohan Singh to the agitation site and assured that the administration would consider their demands. Mahendra Bhandari for Tata Sumo union and Kotwal Singh Negi for Pauri taxi union served a memorandum, containing five point charter of demands, to S D M. They said they would end the dharna once their demands are accepted.
SDM Shah is said to have accepted four demands. However, the union leaders stressed that their main demand is that all the buses running for Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Devprayag, Kot, Kaljikhal and Khanskhet should be allowed to be parked in the new bus station along with the taxis. Besides, they demand that both buses and taxis should be allowed to operate from the new bus station located on Devprayag Road.
SDM is said to have tried to persuade the agitators to withdraw the stir while assuring that their demands would be considered. However, the union activists refused to comply, saying that the demand should be met first. The agitators further stressed that the taxi union’s agitation is mainly against the autocratic functioning of municipality president Yashpal Benam and not against the administration.