SRIKAKULAM: Irked by the drive launched by the district police to rein in wrongdoers, a group of autorichshaw drivers engaged in an altercation with the police at Komarti Junction in Narasannapeta mandal and staged a dharna at the police station in Ranasthalam mandal headquarters here Thursday.
Considering the increase in number of accidents, SP A S Khan had recently banned plying of autorickshaws on National highways. In a bid to enforce the order, police conducted intensive checks for the second day from Kandivalasa canal in Ranasthalam mandal to Itchchapuram border on the NH-16. The police had seized 183 autos in the jurisdiction of 16 police stations during a vehicle check conducted across the district, Wednesday.
Since there are reports that drunk driving has become a habit, drivers of all vehicles were subjected to breath analyser tests.
Irked over the continuing vehicle checks, many drivers stayed off the roads on Thursday. Meanwhile, some auto drivers questioned the police action at Komarti Junction in Narasannapeta mandal and alleged that the police denying the auto drivers their livelihood. The auto drivers staged a dharna in front of the police station at Ranasthalam mandal headquarters.
The drivers said that they had been paying taxes regularly and pleaded with the police not to drag them onto the roads. But the SP said that he had issued a warning to auto drivers not to ply autos on the national highway but they continued to ignore his warnings. Khan threatened to take stiff action against the erring drivers.