Bhubaneswar: The state government had started the pink auto service with much fanfare aiming to ensure safe transportation of women in the twin cities. However, the service has been surreptitiously stopped in the city since 2018. This was revealed through a reply to an RTI query.
The project had been flagged off by Chief Minister June 27, 2014. Even Minister of State for Home Divya Shankar Mishra seems unaware of the closure of the project. While answering to a question in the Assembly, Mishra had informed the house that the government has been running ‘Pink Auto’ service along with several other measures for safety of women in the city.
Odisha Police’s website says, there were as many as ‘353 pink autos successfully operating from the nodal areas of Bhubaneswar’. It also mentions that five pink auto kiosks were set up at prominent locations like railway station, Acharya Vihar, Vanivihar, Baramunda and KIIT with telephone facilities to aid women to avail these services.
It claimed the project was supported by public and corporate sectors like Paradeep Phosphates Ltd. However, the scheme, popular among women, was folded due to apathetic approach of the authorities.
The RTI reply revealed that the authorities showed no interest in the scheme after its lone financial sponsor PPL Ltd declined to fund the scheme. In another development, Sharma was also transferred as the Director of the State Vigilance Department. His successors showed no interest in finding corporate partners to fund the project.
While providing reasons for the rollback, the RTI reply said auto rickshaw owners did not show interest in the project. However, Khirod Sahoo, a pink auto owner, said, “Women preferred to choose our autos over normal autos. The authorities showed interest in the project during first two years. Later, they did not call us for the annual meeting or even did not renew our insurances and licenses. Many women still prefer to travel in our vehicles despite zero support from or awareness by the government.