Eviction drive at rly station called off

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 26

Members of the Railway Station Auto Rickshaw Union on Wednesday joined the ongoing agitation by the Railway Station Taxi Union after the local railway authorities tried to evict the auto operators from the parking lot of the railway station.

Railway officials along with law enforcement officers arrived to evict autos from the parking lot of the railway station. After strong resistance, the railway officials called off the eviction drive.

Officials of the local railway administration stated that these steps were being taken as per the development and beautification plan for the railway station. However, the auto and taxi operators were not cooperating.

Jasbir Singh Jagga, a leader of the auto union, said: “There is a parking space for around 200 autos in the station but the railway administration is trying to bring it down. Majority of drivers will lose their livelihood once the parking space was withdrawn.”

Meanwhile, Kuldeep Singh, a leader of the taxi union, said MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, former Cabinet minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla and former Congress leader Mandeep Singh Manna today participated in the protest.

He said Aujla spoke to senior railway officials over the phone and fixed their meeting for March 2.

Jagga said the auto drivers would continue their daily protest against the railway administration for removing their shed from the station premises.