In a statewide online lottery for auto rickshaw permits that will be streamed live to all RTOs in the state today, Pune transport office arranges for police security, LED screens
The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) is all set for its online lottery to issue 887 auto rickshaw permits in the city today. The state-level lottery for 59,309 auto rickshaw permits will be issued starting 12 pm on Wednesday by the state regional transport department from their head office in Mumbai.
'Not fair': Auto rickshaw unions protest at the Pune RTO against the lottery system for permits yesterday. Pics/Mohan Patil
The live streaming of this process will be shown directly to all RTO offices in Maharashtra. One can also see the online lottery procedure at www.autorickshawlottery.in noon onwards.
Pune regional transport officer Jeetendra Patil said, “We have installed an LED screen in the Sahakar Sabhagruha inside the main office building. Screens will also be put up outside the office for the rush.
We have got more than 8,000 applications for the 887 vacant auto-rickshaw permits under Pune RTO. For transparency in the selection process, the government has decided to show the entire lottery process at all the RTOs across the state.”
“As per the system, names of applicants will be randomly selected and displayed at the office. The process will go region-wise, starting with MH-1, MH-2 and so on,” said Patil.
“Anticipating a rush of auto drivers, owners and applicants on Wednesday, we will deploy police force for crowd control. Similar arrangements have been done at the Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO, which has 625 permits to be issued,” added Patil.
But city’s auto rickshaw drivers deem the lottery system unjust, and their unions protested at the Pune RTO yesterday. “There are thousands of auto drivers who have been residing in Pune for more than 25 years, have an RTO badge, but they do not have permits.
The RTO cannot cancel permits and reissue new ones through lottery. This is injustice for these auto drivers. Though the lottery system is online, it is baseless. We will be appealing against it in the high court,” said Vijay Rawale, a member of an auto rickshaw union.
Regarding the protest, Patil said the system has been decided upon ny the government. “We have spoken to the union leaders and have got their demands in writing.
Issuing permits through lottery is the government’s decision applicable to all RTOs statewide, so we cannot take any other decision for Pune division. The unions’ demands will be forwarded to the head office and the reply will be given to them,” he said.
Permit stats
59,309 No of permits to be given across state
625 No of permits for Pimpri-Chinchwad
8,000 No of permit applications the Pune RTO received for the lottery
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