Addressing reporters on Tuesday, Ashoka said while the department was in the process of initiating 40,000 more ‘green autos’ in Bangalore City, it had decided to scrap autos with two-stroke engines registered before 2000.
He said that the pollution levels would come down by at least 50 per cent, once two-stroke engine autos were replaced by four-stroke autos, which would be fitted with digital meters.
“The department has taken note of the popular demand from customers who have written to us saying that the green autos are much preferred. We have also taken note of the perennial complaints pertaining to meter tampering, air and noise pollution, auto drivers refusing to take passengers to destinations,” he said, adding that the department had kept aside Rs 22 lakh for this purpose.
Ashoka also said that those applying for the green autos should pay only Rs 500 for permit, as opposed to paying Rs 30,000.
KFD to be banned
Ashoka said that the government was seriously considering banning outfits like Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD), the members of which had recently kidnapped and murdered two students in Hunsur. He also said that KFD was under the radar of the Indian Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), which was screening all outfits suspected to have terror links across the country.
The minister said that the Hunsur police had recently found that KFD was also involved in the murder of a businessman named Tyagaraja Pillai in May 2010. “The case had not been solved all these months. The members involved in the murder of the Hunsur students have admitted that KFD was also involved in Pillai’s murder.” Karnataka is extending full cooperation to ATS, he added.