Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann takes back order on banning 'jugad rehris'

PTI

Chandigarh, April 24

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday took back the order banning 'jugad rehris' in the state, saying his government's aim is to provide employment to people and not to make them unemployed.

Earlier, facing a backlash from the opposition political parties for banning the use of 'jugad rehris', Punjab Police on Saturday evening suspended its drive against the innovative carts made up of old motorbikes.

In a fresh direction, the additional director general of police (traffic) asked district police chiefs to take no action against ‘jugad rehri' owners till further order.

They were asked to spread awareness among drivers about their innovative vehicle's accidental nature and their illegality.

The development came after the opposition parties strongly condemned the police's earlier order banning the use of 'jugad rehris'.

In a letter dated April 18 to district police chiefs, the Punjab ADGP (Traffic) had asked them to launch a special drive against such carts, citing that they could become a cause of accidents.

The opposition parties earlier in the day had slammed the AAP-led government in the state, saying the ban would render thousands of people jobless.

Those who run 'jugad rehris' also condemned the state government's decision and questioned how they would earn their livelihood.

Several people across the state run 'jugad rehris' for selling fruit and vegetables, transporting materials such as cement, sand, electronic goods sometimes and often passengers too.

Senior vice president of Shiromani Akali Dal Daljit Singh Cheema, in a statement earlier on Saturday, said the ban had come as a shock for thousands of people.

Such people were selling vegetables, carrying waste in cities and were using such facilities, created by themselves, for transporting various things from one place to another, he said.

Merely issuing an order without studying the ground reality is not a sign of healthy governance, Cheema said.

He added that while ordering the ban, the Mann government should have devised some alternative means for ‘jugad rehris' owners to earn their livelihood.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, too, had earlier condemned the state government's ban on the innovative carts.

“Since this government has nothing constructive to do, it has been resorting to destructive action only,” he had said.

Expressing solidarity with tens of thousands of modified cart operators, Warring had said this would adversely impact their livelihood and his party would not let that happen.

Congress leader and MLA Sukhpal Khaira, too, had earlier called it a bad decision and said the AAP, which claims to represent ordinary and poor people, has inflicted havoc on the poorest of the poor and the move will affect the lives of one lakh families.

“The argument given by @BhagwantMann govt to ban these Engine Rehra's of poor vendors that they cause road accidents is illogical as most accidents are caused as there's neither rule or fear of law nor policing on roads, besides stray animals, drunken driving etc! Bad decision,” said Khaira in a tweet.