Autos stop; Congress stalls
Statewide auto strike from midnight as unions press for a welfare board, ₹12,000 support and insurance. Hyderabad march today. Minister says a board is “being set up” and promises ₹1.5 lakh for retrofits — drivers say promises need dates, not posts.
Auto unions have called an indefinite statewide strike over welfare promises and support measures.
Auto unions announced an indefinite statewide strike from Sunday midnight, with a Hyderabad protest march from Sundarayya Vignana Kendram to RTC Cross Roads on Monday, August 24. The Auto Workers JAC, led by Vemula Maraiah of the BRTU Auto Workers union, said the Congress government has not delivered on what drivers were told to expect — a welfare board, annual support of ₹12,000, and insurance cover. According to Maraiah, around 25 lakh auto workers depend on this; that figure is his union’s estimate.
Cab and school‑van drivers were also called to join the action from August 24, widening the disruption beyond autos. Organisers have not announced an end date and no police traffic advisory for the march was available in the public domain at filing time.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar publicly appealed to drivers to call off the strike and talk, saying a welfare board is being set up and a new scheme will give ₹1.5 lakh assistance for retrofitting petrol and diesel autos. No government order constituting the board or detailing eligibility was cited in his remarks.
On insurance, the state’s own 2022 statistical record shows an Accidental Death Insurance Scheme for auto drivers with 11,65,459 registered beneficiaries and ₹640 lakh paid across 128 settled claims — ₹5 lakh per claim by simple division. Whether that cover continued after 2022 is not on record here.
Unions say the Congress’ free‑bus scheme has cut into livelihoods and want a dedicated app and comprehensive welfare, not just assurances. The Congress government in Telangana has had eight months to move from appeals to orders; commuters will notice which one shows up first this morning.