"The petitioner was the respondent in an appeal filed by the respondent in this Civil Revision Petition before the State Transport Appellate Tribunal. The subject-matter of the appeal related to the grant of renewal of a stage carriage permit for bus MDS 4009 (since replaced by MDU 8713) in respect of the route Kambainallur to Hogainaikkal via Dharmapuri for a period of five years from 9th June, 1971. The respondent herein had also applied for the grant of a stage carriage permit to him to ply on the same route. The relevant dates may now be noticed. The normal permit of the petitioner was to expire on 9th June, 1971. He made an application for renewal on 9th February, 1971. Representations were called for under section 57 (3) of the Motor Vehicles Act on 5th April, 1971 and the last date for filing such representations was fixed at 30th April, 1971. The respondent herein sent his representations on 28th April, 1971 and also made a counter application for the grant of the permit in his favour which was also notified in the usual manner on 4th May, 1971. Again representations on the counter application made by the respondent were called for and a date for filing such represen