India News | Punjab: SAD Seeks Financial Relief for Drivers

Chandigarh, Jun 11 (PTI) The Shiromani Akali Dal on Thursday asked Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to extend a financial relief of Rs 5,000 per month to drivers of cabs, auto-rickshaws and school buses.

SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said drivers and owners of thousands of taxis and auto-rickshaws in all towns and cities of Punjab have been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

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Similarly, drivers of school and private buses, trucks, mini-buses, maxi cabs as well as other freight carriers have been rendered jobless, he said.

The Congress government should extend a financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per month to all drivers possessing a valid licence till the situation normalises, he said.

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Cheema in a statement here said the government should also forgo all commercial taxes from owners of these vehicles, be it road tax, permit fee or municipal tax, for a six-month period, including the past three months.

“The vehicle owners should be liable for refund of any tax paid by them during this period," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)