The best example of open misrule in greater Calcutta is provided by those who run its autorickshaw empire. This is not confined to the owners and drivers of the autos, but extends, with varying degrees of shadowiness, to those who make and sell illegal fuel, local party offices and unions, the police, officials of the state transport department and of the pollution control board. And no amount of legislation and deadlines from the courts, or protests from civil-society groups, has made any difference to the shamelessness with which this anarchy continues to rule the city and its suburbs. The stakes are, of course, very high, and this explains a curious occurrence in Baruipur recently. Setting aside traditional hostilities, autorickshaw unions affiliated to the Trinamul Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) decided to join hands in opposing the various regulations drawn up by the Baruipur district administration. The auto unions got together with local leaders from both parties and jointly vetoed all the disciplinary measures imposed by the district magistrate. These included illegal parking (that had led to a fatal accident in the area a few days ago), picking up passengers from just about anywhere on the route, the use of adulterated fuel or katatel, and the banning of outdated or unauthorized vehicles. The unions have threatened the administration with bandhs all over the city, and it looks like they have been allowed to have their way yet again.

The money paid by the autos to the unions (with the illegal ones paying more to stay on the road) allegedly adds up to around Rs 15 crore. The katatel business (around 250 outlets all over the city, many close to police stations) is allegedly worth around Rs 150-160 crore. These figures explain the corruption and greed holding this sordid empire together, breaking down party-political enmities. What chance would law and order, public health and environment have against such powerful and unifying forces?