Hyderabad: Law makers from Telangana, including five ministers and several people’s representatives and politicians, broke the Central Motor Vehicle Rules and Acts, and some rules related to the State Government which were introduced by the Department for Roads and Buildings. On Wednesday, Ministers and party workers started rallies with thousands of tractors from various districts, to attend the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) plenary meetings at Warangal. As per the MV Act, tractors are supposed to have limited tillers in specific sizes, and are supposed to be used only for farming or transporting goods.
An official from the Transport Department, on condition of anonymity, said that the use of tractors for transportation of passengers was a violation of rules. “As per the rulebook, the load on the tractor, including the actual height, should not exceed 3.85 metres. But, the tractors going to the TRS plenary had more height than that. Farmers had installed roofs to turn the tillers into caravans,” the official said. A retired official from the Transport Department said that tractors were allowed to carry 12 labourers while transporting goods, for loading and unloading. and that the vehicles were not allowed to go out from the district of registration.
Minister Jupally Krishna Rao led a massive rally of tractors from Mahbubnagar. As per rules, tractors are not allowed on ORR. But, the Minister’s rally entered ORR at Tukkuguda, and exited at Ghatkesar. Minister C. Laxma Reddy along with MP Jitender Reddy, Mahbubnagar MLA A. Venkateswar Reddy, and other leaders began a rally of tractors from Bahadur-guda, and took the diversion on ORR at Tukkuguda. TRS workers also joined law makers in breaking rules. Some workers, who were on tractors, posted pictures on the Net in which they were consuming alcohol. As per the rules, the consumption of alcohol in a moving vehicle is a crime.
