Punjab: SAD seeks financial relief for drivers

SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said drivers and owners of thousands of taxis and auto-rickshaws in all towns and cities of Punjab have been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Cheema in a statement here said the government should also forgo all commercial taxes from owners of these vehicles, be it road tax, permit fee or municipal tax, for a six-month period, including the past three months.

The Shiromani Akali Dal on Thursday asked Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to extend a financial relief of Rs 5,000 per month to drivers of cabs, auto-rickshaws and school buses. SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said drivers and owners of thousands of taxis and auto-rickshaws in all towns and cities of Punjab have been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Similarly, drivers of school and private buses, trucks, mini-buses, maxi cabs as well as other freight carriers have been rendered jobless, he said

The Congress government should extend a financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per month to all drivers possessing a valid licence till the situation normalises, he said. Cheema in a statement here said the government should also forgo all commercial taxes from owners of these vehicles, be it road tax, permit fee or municipal tax, for a six-month period, including the past three months. “The vehicle owners should be liable for refund of any tax paid by them during this period," he said.