RTO at your doorstep: Kejri assures Gujarat auto drivers

Ahmedabad: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday promised auto-rickshaw drivers in Gujarat to bring Regional Transport Office (RTO) services to their doorsteps to check corruption and also to save them from harassment.

The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national convener was addressing a gathering of auto-rickshaw drivers in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat, where the Assembly polls are due later this year.

Kejriwal said the auto-rickshaw drivers had played a vital role in his victory in the Delhi elections, and urged them to do the same by promoting the AAP among their passengers and through social media.

He said his government in Delhi paid Rs 5,000 each to nearly 1.5 lakh drivers twice during the COVID-19 lockdown.

"In Delhi, you do not need to go to the RTO (Regional Transport Office) for works like renewal of licence, change of ownership, permit, or hypothecation. We have given a phone number. Give a call and a Delhi government officer will come to your doorstep. You will get your licence renewed in the same way you order a pizza on phone," he said.

Kejriwal said this will stop bribery.

The money given as a bribe to policemen, government officials will be saved, he said.

"You will not be required to pay any bribe. But for that you will have to form AAP's government," he said.

Some of the auto-rickshaw drivers present at the event claimed they were harassed by police under Indian Penal Code Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).

Free electricity up to 300 units as promised by the party will also help the auto-rickshaw drivers save money and help them deal with inflation, the AAP leader said.

Meanwhile, AAP leader Isudan Gadhvi has claimed local police raided the party office in Navrangpura area of Ahmedabad as soon as AAP's national convener Arvind Kejriwal landed here, but found nothing.

However, a police official refuted the claim and said when contacted, the AAP office-bearers did not give any details about who conducted the raid and what exactly happened.

Gadhvi, the AAP's national joint general secretary, in a tweet late Sunday night said, "Local police raided the AAP office in Ahmedabad as soon as Arvind Kejriwal landed here. They left after searching the office for two hours as they found nothing."