JUDGMENT

VERMA, J.:—Applications were invited by the Regional Transport Authority, Pudukkotta (in shortthe R.T.A.) for grant of one stage carriage permit on the route, Pudukkottai-Kottaipattinam, the total length of the route being 70 kms. There were in all 15 applicants including the appellant, S. V. Sivaswami Servai, and respondent No. 1, Hafez Motor Transport (firm). On 26-101979, the R.T.A. took up the case of all the applicants for consideration. The R.T.A. rejected the application of respondent No. 1 and some other applicants on the only ground that each of them had been grantd one other permit in the same sitting and, therefore, the R.T.A. did not deem it fit to consider their claim for grant of the permit. Out of the remaining applicants who were allotted equal marks, the R.T.A. found the appellant more suitable for the grant. Accordingly, the R. T. A. granted the permit to the appellant for a period of three years on 26-10-1979. The respondent No. 1 and some others, feeling aggrieved by the R.T.A.s order in appellants favour, preferred the appeals to the State Transport Appellate Tribunal, Madras (in shortthe S.T.A.T.). By the order dated 5-91981, the S.T.A.T. set aside th