Citu backed rickshaw pullers not to pay parking fees

MALDA, Aug. 27: Hundreds of rickshaw pullers backed by the Citu finally decided not to pay parking fees at Malda town station imposed by the English Bazaar Municipality (EBM). More than 2000 rickshaw pullers under the banner of Citu staged demonstration in front of the English Bazaar municipality today and their leaders submitted memorandum on various issues including parking fee collection. The leader of Citu Mr Indrajit Mitra argued that the civic body was not in position to claim parking fee from ‘manually controlled vehicles’ like rickshaw based on Municipal Act. Besides parking fees, the rickshaw pullers demanded a simple method of renewal of rickshaw license and to stop unnecessary harassment in municipality office. Criticising the system of fitness tests of rickshaws before renewal of its license the rickshaw pullers demanded restoration of bad road across the Malda town and repairing of potholes. The rickshaw pullers argued that a councillor, having no mechanical degree, was not an expert to issue fit certificate of a rickshaw before renewal of license. n SNS