86 Private Buses Seized as Crackdown Continues

Intensifying their crackdown on private bus operators across Andhra Pradesh, the authorities Wednesday seized 83 buses plying in violation of rules. The Road Transport Authority (RTA) conducted raids in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Eluru, Adilabad and other towns. The seized buses include 43 private travel buses and 40 school buses.

 

The authorities also booked cases against operators which have not paid tax and those who were not maintaining a record of the passengers. Taking serious view of the spurt in bus accidents, RTA officials launched a drive against the private operators three days ago. Special teams of RTA employees checked the buses of private schools and colleges on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

RTA officials said buses which were plying without permits, fitness certificate and other documents and carrying passengers and luggage in excess to permissible limits were seized.

The Private Travels Association condemned the RTA action against the operators, saying they were rendering service to people as state-run Road Transport Corp (RTC) was unable to meet the demand.

The government started the crackdown after a private bus carrying Shirdi pilgrims from Hyderabad met with an accident Saturday in Maharashtra, killing 30 people.
There was utter confusion after the accident as police found that the private operator, Sri Kaleswari Tours and Travels, had no data of the number of passengers. The RTA Tuesday seized 36 buses including 18 belonging to Sri Kaleswari Tours and Travels.
 

Modi Is Not Our PM: Owaisi

MIM is a recognized state political party based in the Indian state of Telangana, with its head office in the old city of Hyderabad, which has its roots in the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen founded in 1927. Unlike most of the regional and national level parties, MIM party leaders ‘fight’ only for the well-being of Muslims, whereas no other party has such communal feelings. In their each and every speech, MIM leaders speak only about Muslims. If these leaders are here to fight for Muslims, then why there are no development works are happening in old city area for decades. Akbaruddin Owaisi faced criticism for making hate remarks on Narendra Modi and Hindus. Recently, his elder brother Asaduddin Owaisi made some notorious annotations. In a one-on-one debate between BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra and Asaduddin Owaisi on the topic of demonetization in a popular Hindi channel, the former left no stone unturned in exposing the latter’s communal designs. Owaisi claimed how most of the Muslim community still remains unbanked and that demonetization has caused severe inconvenience to Muslims. He even went on to say that ATM’s in Muslim-dominated areas weren’t fed enough money. He indirectly alleged that the Modi government hadn’t done anything for Muslims. Even after being pressurized Owaisi didn’t call Narendra Modi as his Prime Minister. He went on said, “Your Prime Minister…” On the other hand, Sambit spoke wisely and called Owaisi a leader of small stature because he talked only of Muslims. He said that no area was Muslim or Hindu and that all areas belonged to India. Owaisi was constantly quoting an RBI report, to which Sambit challenged him to show where the RBI had used the word ‘Muslim’. Sambit even said that if a Muslim leader speaks of Muslims it’s not an issue, but the moment a VHP leader speaks of Hindus people go crazy accusing them of imposing the Hindutva ideology. The most amazing of his counters was to Owaisi’s claims of Muslims not having been brought into the banking system. Sambit said that when banks or ATMs are to be opened in Muslim areas leaders like Owaisi shout that banking is un-Islamic and that Muslims should refrain from it! This video of debate between Sambit Patra and Asaduddin Owaisi is going viral in social media.