Rift over social security to auto drivers deepens

Serious differences have cropped over the issue of granting social security to auto rickshaw drivers The rift between Rickshaw Panchayat President Dr Baba Adhav and Sharad Raoled auto union came to the fore during the statelevel convention of AutoRickshaw OwnersDrivers Federation held in the city yesterday The meeting took place at the Assembly hall Azam Campus in Cantonment Over 300 rickshaw drivers were present at the conference u00a0Raorsquos supporters are of the opinion that Adhavrsquos proposal of providing social security is of no use to the statersquos 15lakh rickshaw owners and driversu00a0 Divided While speaking at a meet in the city yesterday Sharad Rao executive president auto rickshaw ownersdrivers federation called for the scrapping of the proposal to provide social security to rickshaw drivers Speaking at the meet Rao said ldquoWe want to scrap Adhavrsquos idea which he had proposed to the State Labour Commissioner asking for a social security provision for rickshaw drivers and owners under the law This law is applicable only for those below the poverty line BPL Drivers or owners who do not fall under the BPL category will not get benefits I have a difference of opinion with Adhav on the proposalrdquo ldquoIf the government enforces Adhavrsquos proposal we shall go on a strike on July 1rdquo Rao said Generating further heat the Federation also passed an official resolution to oust Adhavrsquos righthand man Nitin Pawar from the post of general secretary of the Federation as he had kept Rao in the dark over this proposal which was sent to the Labour Minister recently Training his guns at the general secretary accusing him of deceit Rao said ldquoNitin Pawar is a big liar Pawar along with Congress MLC Mohan Joshi visited the State Transport Commissioner V B More on April 12 in Mumbai He Pawar told the commissioner that I was unable to come for the meeting since I was in Ahmednagar which was a big lie Actually I was in Mumbai and More told Pawar that we had a telephonic conversation a few minutes ago This is not acceptablerdquo He further said ldquoIf Adhav fails to conduct an election in the next three months Kamble and I will automatically get the rights to do so as per the resolution passed at the meeting The decision of passing the resolution regarding scrapping Adhavrsquos social security proposal and ousting of Pawar from the Federation would be officially conveyed to Adhav by a letterrdquo Rao said ldquoBaba Kamble will replace Pawar till the Federation election whereas Baba Shinde and Noor Mohammad Rangraj will be the conveyors for Pune districtrdquo Rao said at the meet Meanwhile Adhav who is recuperating at home following an eye surgery said ldquoI donrsquot have any idea about the Federationrsquos meeting even though I am the president I will extend my reaction only after getting thorough information When contacted Pawar lambasted the conference and resolution passed against him as unconstitutional and illegal He said ldquoNeither I nor Adhav were informed about the conference Being general secretary of the Federation the authority to call a conference lies solely with me So the resolutions passed at the conference is illegal Secondly I am not a liar as Rao himself had conducted a parallel meeting in Mumbai on the same day when I went to meet Transport Commissioner More The conference also did not have any representation from Vidharbha and Marathwada areas Many members of the Federation are against Rao and want him ousted from the organisationrdquou00a0