Autorickshaw drivers seek transparency from leadership

NONGPOH, Aug 27: Autorickshaw drivers from Nongpoh area, representing six different units, held a meeting on Tuesday to express their growing frustration with the leadership of the Nongpoh Region Auto Owners and Drivers Association (NRAODA). The drivers accused the association’s president and leaders of neglect and failure to address their concerns despite being given a 15-day ultimatum to clarify issues and hold a public meeting.
The drivers involved in gathering, which represented the Nongpoh, Saiden, Pahamrioh, Shangbangla, Umsawnongkharai, and Marngar units, voiced their anger over the association’s failure to organise meetings or provide financial transparency, leaving them in the dark about the activities and financial status of the association.
On August 9, the drivers sent a formal letter to the NRAODA president, demanding a meeting with all autorickshaw drivers and requesting a detailed financial account of the money collected from them. The drivers pointed out that each autorickshaw in the Nongpoh area is charged Rs 10 daily, and with approximately 300 autorickshaws under the NRAODA, this amounts to Rs 3,000 per day and over Rs 7 lakh annually. Over the past 13 years, the total collection would have exceeded Rs 1 crore.
What further enraged the drivers was the association’s leadership questioning the validity of their neglect claims. The drivers responded by stating that the absence of meetings and financial transparency over the past 13 years clearly demonstrates neglect. They emphasised their right to know where the collected funds have gone and who has benefitted from them.
In view of this, the drivers have issued a five-day ultimatum to the NRAODA leadership, demanding a meeting at a location of their choice to clarify the financial accounts and to reorganise the association’s leadership.