The Hindu : Private bus operators' writ appeals dismissed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 13, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Private bus operators' writ appeals dismissed

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, FEB. 12. A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court today dismissed a batch of writ appeals filed by various private bus operators and associations against the ban on the operation of more than 15-year-old buses in the State.

While dismissing the appeals, the Bench comprising Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice K. Padmanabhan Nair held that the Regional Transport Authorities (RTAs) were competent enough to issue guidelines on the age of vehicles. The petitioners had challenged the power of the RTAs.

The RTAs could not fix the age of the vehicles as a condition of grant or renewal of permits, the petitioners contended. The request of the operators who approached the court for extension of time was rejected by the respective RTAs.

The court, while finding that there was no illegality in the action taken by the RTAs, observed that the High Court had earlier granted two years' time for the replacement of vehicles. The court dismissed the contention that there was discrimination as contract carriages and school buses had been exempted from the restrictions. The Bench said that the distinction could not be said to be arbitrary.

Petition adjourned

Justice G. Sasidharan adjourned to next week a petition filed today at the Kerala High Court, seeking a CBI probe into the corruption charges levelled against the Education Minister, Nalakath Soopy, and the Industries Minister, P.K. Kunhalikutty, in connection with the grant of No-objection Certificates for starting self-financing B.Ed. colleges in the State.

The petition was filed by K. Hamsa of Koothuparambu, Kannur. According to him, though there were charges of bribery against the Ministers in connection with the sanctioning of B.Ed colleges, the Government has not so far taken any step to conduct a probe. The petitioner said that in fact, the Vigilance department or the Government had not ordered an inquiry because of the involvement of two Ministers in the issue. Though the allegations against the Education Minister had been referred to the Lok Ayukta, he had no jurisdiction to order an inquiry into the criminal charges made against the Ministers, the petitioner alleged.

Abduction case

A Division Bench comprising Justice K. A. Abdul Gafoor and Justice J. M. James observed that the police should conduct an investigation into the case relating to the abduction of Sree Ganesh, an engineering student, from Muvattupuzha. The police today produced the student before the court. He submitted that he had been abducted by a group of persons, known to his mother, and that he had managed to escape from his abductors.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala