Telangana fails to clear vehicle hire bills

Hyderabad: At least eight government departments have not been clearing bills of hired vehicles for the last six months to one year. As a result, the drivers who borrowed money from banks to purchase vehicles are defaulting on their repayments. Some of the newly formed districts like Kamareddy have said that they couldn’t clear the bills since they did not receive the budget yet.

According to the Telangana Four Wheelers Drivers Association, the transport, rural water supply, commercial taxes,  women and child development, roads and buildings, prohibition and excise, panchayat raj and rural development departments owe them money. Mr G. Raja Goud, who works for the rural water supply and sanitation department at Kamareddy, has not received any money since December last year. When the drivers’ union approached the officials, they were told that they would be paid for four months first. Even this was not done, he said. “We have to manage our families and pay the EMIs for the vehicles. We have not got not any amount as hiring charges,” Mr Goud said. 

When contacted, a department official said they had not received funds from the government. Transport joint commissioner C. Ramesh said that bills were pending for more than 10 months. “We have also written to the government requesting for funds. We might receive it in the next 20 days and the issue would be resolved,” he said.

According to a government order issued by the finance department on June 16, 2017, the rent for vehicles was enhanced to Rs 34,000 in cities and Rs 33,000 in rural areas, but many drivers are still receiving the old amount of Rs 24,000. 

Telangana Four Wheelers Drivers Association president Shaik Salauddin said, “There have been instances where financiers have seized our vehicles as we couldn’t pay the EMI. Whatever the amount we get we need to manage everything in that, including diesel, maintenance, vehicle and our salary. We can manage all, only if we get maintenance charges on time.”