HUNDREDS OF auto rickshaw drivers staged a dharna at the district magistrate’s office here on Friday.
They were protesting against the alleged harassment by police in the name of checking overloading of passengers in their vehicles.
They urged the district magistrate to check the harassment. They criticised police for issuing challan and said that the police imposed fine on more 125 auto rickshaw drivers during the last two days.
The district magistrate issued order to stop overloading of passengers to streamline the traffic system.
The strict implementation of the directive by district magistrate created a problem for the auto rickshaw drivers who went on a strike, causing inconvenience to the passengers.
At some places, the drivers beat up their colleagues for driving vehicles during the strike. Meanwhile, secretary of the Auto Rickshaw Operators Association Surendra Yadav said the police imposed a fine on an auto rickshaw thrice in three hours.
He said this was indicative of the fact that police were harassing the auto rickshaw drivers.