Author: Rahul Noronha
Publication: Indiatoday.in
Date: January 4, 2018
URL:   http://m.indiatoday.in/lite/story/danteshwari-electric-auto-rickshaws-service-naxals-dantewada/1/1123553.html?__twitter_impression=true

The autos can be driven only by women. The drivers wear uniforms, have GPS-enabled phones and earn Rs 300-400 per day.

Dantewada's Greenline First auto service in Naxal land

In Maoist-infested Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, the first organised public transport system is an all-woman preserve. The Danteshwari electric auto rickshaws service, launched in the district in October, aims to provide connectivity from nearby villages to Dantewada town, helping women access marketplaces, enhance income and, in a way, also fight Naxalism.

The service has been provided to women self-help groups, with the government financing 80 per cent of the cost, the remaining 20 per cent being paid by the beneficiaries. The district mineral fund is to be used to finance the project. The autos can be driven only by women. The drivers wear uniforms, have GPS-enabled phones and earn Rs 300-400 per day.