Self immolation in protest of harassment to the taximen by the RTO – Western & Central.

MOST URGENT

TIME BOUND

BY FAX

April 05, 2011

1.     The Hon’ble Governor of Maharashtra,

Governor House,

Mumbai.

2.     Shri Prithviraj Chauhan,

The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra,

Mantralaya,

Mumbai.

Sub: Self immolation in protest of harassment to the taximen by the RTO – Western & Central.

Respected Sir,

We would like to draw your attention that our Sangathan had sent several letters as well as published an open appeal to you in different newspapers regarding the harassment to the taximen and raised their legitimate demands.

We had also lodge a protest march before the STA as well as RTO Western region.  It is pertinent to note that the Secretary of STA – Mr. Shirish Thakur,  Mr. Mesh Ram, Dy. RTO, Western and RTO, Central are playing with the life of taximen.

It is further pertinent to note that Mr. Shirish Thakur, Addl. Transport Commissioner is the main culprit who is giving the directions to these officers that not to return the compounding fee to the taximen at large.  The total amount of the compounding fee is around 13.5 crores.  It is further pertinent to note that   the Hon’ble High Court of Bombay had passed the order in the year 2009 to return the compounding fee to the permit holders and the order passed by STA was declared null and void.

We further like to draw your attention that Mr. Shirish Thakur, Addl. Transport Commissioner had issued three LOI to one person and his associate Mr. Arun Sabnis under the Fleet Taxi Scheme 2006.  The companies are:-

1.     Mumbai Taxi Co. Pvt. Ltd in which he was the Director and he had sold the company to another director.

2.     Mumbai Gold Cabs Pvt. Ltd & Smart Cabs Transportation Pvt. Ltd. In both the companies the founder/directors are four poor men, they are living in the slum are and they are unable to buy a single taxi.  Without completing a single condition of fleet taxi scheme, due to that the state had lost lakhs of rupees revenue.  The Mumbai Gold had cheated Union Bank of India, Mulund West Branch worth Rs. 8.00 crores but till date no action has been taken against Mr. Shirish Thakur, Mr. Sanjay Sassane, Dy. RTO  (earlier attached to RTO, Central).

Our Sangathan members had exposed the scandal of the STA, hence, the STA was forced to cancel their provisional licence.  It is pertinent to note that Mr. Arun Sabnis is indulging in the illegal sale/purchase of the taxi permit and Mr. Shirish Thakur, Addl. Transport Commissioner knew very well about the same.  But he is not ready to take any action against Mr. Arun Sabnis and Ms. Shilpa Athavle for cheating with end numbers of taximen but your whole department is not ready to take any legal action against them. 

You can see more than 150 cars dump on the Mumbai roads as unclaimed, the RTO west & central are not bother about the same which are dangerous to Mumbai city. 

Now the taximen are demanded their permits which are under the illegal custody of Mr. Arun Sabnis / Mr. Shirish Thakur and your RTO’s knew this fact very well.

The Mumbai Taximen Sangathan raise the following legitimate demand are as under:

1.     To return the compounding fee to the permit holders / taximen without any further delay as per the order of the Hon’ble High Court, Bombay.

2.     To renew the permit who had paid the fee before 31/3/2010 without any further delay.

3.     To issue duplicate permit of the permit holders who had given their permit to the Mumbai Gold Cabs Pvt. Ltd without any further delay.

4.     Take necessary immediate legal action against Mr. Shirish Thakur, Addl. Transport Commissioner cum Secretary STA, Dy. RTO, Western Mr. Mesh Ram, Dy. RTO, Mr. Sanjay Sassane (earlier attached to RTO Central) and RTO Central for their illegal and corrupt activities.

5.     To renew all the permits of the taximen which were expired since 1995.

6.     To stop discrimination among taximen and Fleet Taxi companies.

7.     To provide parking space for the taximen for their taxis and primary facilities.

Under the above mentioned facts & circumstances, our open appeal and end number of request letters / applications, to your goodself as well as the Hon’ble Governor of Maharashtra, it proves that your Government is failed to give a justice to the taximen.

We further like to draw your attention that we reach a conclusion that our Sangathan need to take an extreme step so that the Government will open their eyes and solve the problems of poor taximen.  Hence, we declare that our Sangathan General Secretary will commit a self immolation before Mantralaya or your resident Varsha on 21/04/2011 to protest against the illegal & corrupt activities of Mr. Shirish Thakur, Addl. Transport Commissioner cum Secretary – STA, Mr. Mesh Ram – Dy. RTO, Western and RTO central. In case of any causality during the self immolation protest then Hon’ble Chief Minister will personally liable for the same.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

For Mumbai Taximen Sangathan

Shiv Adhar Yadav

Vice President

Copies to:

1.     The Addl. Commissioner of Police,

Western Region,

Bandra (W), Mumbai.

2.     The Dy. Commissioner of Police,

Zone - VIII

3.     The Dy. Commissioner of Police,

Zone - X

4.     The Regional Transport Office,

Western Region,

Andheri (W), Mumbai.

5.     The Regional Transport Office

Central Region,

Tardeo, Mumbai.