Telangana Auto Strike From Aug 24 as JAC Demands Welfare Board, Insurance

Auto-rickshaws across Telangana will stop operating from Monday, August 24, after the Joint Action Committee (JAC) announced a state-wide strike to pressure the government into meeting long-pending demands.

The JAC is pushing for the immediate establishment of a welfare board for auto-rickshaw and private transport workers, an annual financial assistance of Rs 12,000 per driver, and accident insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh.

JAC leader Arla Sathireddy said the government's continued inaction has pushed drivers to a breaking point. "The government's policies have caused us severe financial distress. Around 200 drivers have taken their own lives in the state over the past three years," he said.

The union accused the state government of ignoring the community's repeated appeals, saying that the financial hardship faced by auto drivers has reached a critical level. Commuters in Hyderabad and across Telangana are likely to face disruption as the strike begins Monday morning.