Amid the growing demand of extending the deadline for switch over of two-stroke autos to CNG,the state government is also keen to get the extension of the March 31 deadline for phasing out all the polluting 15-year-old buses,mini-buses,taxis and trucks. State Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen,who attended a meeting on transport chaired by Minister for Transport and Sports Subhas Chakraborty,revealed this on Tuesday. The state government has decided to be a party to an appeal made by transport operators in Calcutta High Court on December 9 seeking extension of the deadline. The government will also ask fuel companies to be a party to that. The transport minister,meanwhile,blamed global meltdown for the slow pace of conversion of auto-rickshaws from petrol to LPG. The banks are supposed to bear 85 per cent of the price of auto-rickshaws but they are creating problems. They are dillydallying in the disbursement of loans. Maybe its the effect of global recession that they are afraid of giving loans. I will invite them for talks on this issue very soon, the minister said. So far 14,000 applications have been submitted to the government for availing the package for the conversion of two-stroke autos. But the problem is that the auto-rickshaws which have applied for conversion are not getting new autos and they have to use their old vehicles to earn out their livelihood. According to the scheme,the price of a new auto-rickshaw has been fixed at Rs 1.26 lakh. While Bajaj,which will provide the new autos,will pay the auto owner Rs 12,000,the state government is supposed to pay Rs 10,000. And 85 per cent out of the remaining amount will be provided by the banks. Auto owners will have to pay the rest. Chakraborty also said the government would go slow in seizing autorickshaws from streets. We have not stopped the drive but we have slowed down. We are waiting for the courts decision, Chakraborty said.
