Andhra CM to launch 'Auto Driverla Sevalo' scheme offering Rs 15,000 annually to 2.9 lakh drivers

Amaravati, Oct 3 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to launch 'Auto Driverla Sevalo' scheme on Saturday, offering Rs 15,000 annually to over 2.9 lakh eligible auto and cab drivers, officials said on Friday.

The programme, aimed at financially supporting drivers of autorickshaws, motor cabs and maxi cabs, will be inaugurated in Vijayawada Central constituency.

"Naidu will launch the Auto Driverla Sevalo (in service of auto drivers) scheme tomorrow, providing Rs 15,000 annually to more than 2.9 lakh auto and cab drivers," said an official release.

As no beneficiary should be left behind, the NDA coalition government has decided to increase both financial support and the number of beneficiaries, he said.

More than 2.9 lakh beneficiaries have been identified under the scheme, with the state government allocating Rs 436 crore to transfer benefits directly into drivers' accounts.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu contrasted this with the erstwhile YSRCP government, asserting that it gave only Rs 10,000 annually to over 2.6 lakh beneficiaries spending around Rs 261 crore, noting that the NDA coalition government has "expanded coverage and increased financial aid by 50 per cent".

According to officials, the current scheme will cover over 2.2 lakh auto drivers, nearly 39,000 three-wheeler passenger vehicle drivers, around 20,000 motor cab drivers and 6,400 maxi cab drivers, with Visakhapatnam district alone accounting for almost 23,000 beneficiaries.

Though the promise was not part of the NDA alliance manifesto, Naidu said the scheme was designed to protect auto drivers from getting affected by the recently launched 'Stree Shakti' scheme that provides free bus travel for women across the state.

He recalled that the NDA alliance government has already reduced green tax on old vehicles from Rs 20,000 to Rs 3,000 and spent Rs 1,000 crore on road repairs, significantly easing the burden on drivers.

The government has also issued instructions to ensure that all eligible drivers receive the benefit, he said, adding that a grievance redressal system, including a WhatsApp-based mechanism, has been set up for drivers left out of the list. PTI STH ADB