1. The appellant, the 1st respondent and 8 others had submitted applications for a stage-carriage permit for the route Chalakudy - Malayattur via Kalady in response to a notification dated 9-11-1955 of the Regional Transport Authority, Trichur (who will be referred to hereinafter as the R.T.A.). After due notification, receipt of representations, and a public hearing as per S.57 of the Motor Vehicles Act, the R.T.A. granted the permit to the 1st respondent by its order Ext. R1 dated 5-5-1956. Four of the disappointed applicants appealed to the appellate authority, the Central Road Traffic Board, Trivandrum, and the latter by their order Ext. R2 dated 14-8-1956 vacated the order of the R.T.A. on the ground that the order did not give reasons for the rejection of the applications other than the one which was allowed by the R.T.A. During the pendency of the appeal before the Central Road Traffic Board there was a stay of operation of the order of the R.T.A., but in the meanwhile the 1st respondent was given a temporary permit to ply a bus on the route. It is admitted that that temporary permit was extended from time to time in favour of the 1st respondent till a pucca perm