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2018 Supreme(MP) 904
IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH, GWALIOR
SANJAY YADAV, J.
Moh. Ansar (Anwar) - Appellant
Versus
The State Transport Appellate Tribunal & Ors. - Respondents
MP.722 of 2018
Decided On : 13-12-2018
For the Appellant : Shri R.D. Sharma, learned counsel.
For the Respondent:Shri Praveen Newaskar, learned Government Advocate, Shri M.S. Jadon and Shri Santosh Agrawal, learned counsel.
The main legal point established in the judgment is that part route operators have no locus to challenge the grant of a permit, and the court emphasized the importance of fulfilling the criteria under Rule 72(3) of the Rules of 1994.
Headnote:
Regular Permit - Challenge to order quashing regular permit No.SCP 79/2015 - Madhya Pradesh Motor Vehicles Rules 1994 - Rule 72(3) - The court discussed the criteria under Rule 72(3) and the locus of part route operators to challenge the grant of permit. The court relied on the decision in M/s Sukh Sagar Transport Proprietor – Sunit Khatod Vs. State Transport Appellate Tribunal and others, Mohd. Ibrahim, etc. Vs. The State Transport Appellate Tribunal, Madras, etc., Munnawar Jahan Begum (Smt.) and another Vs. Union of India and others, and The Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Guntur and another Etc. Vs. E. Rama Rao and others Etc.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner applied for a fresh permit on a specific route, which was granted. Part route operators filed objections, and the State Transport Appellate Tribunal quashed the permit on the grounds that the petitioner did not fulfill the criteria under Rule 72(3) of the Rules of 1994.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the part route operators had no locus to challenge the grant of permit and that the Tribunal erred in entertaining the revisions. The court set aside the Tribunal's order and dismissed the Revision Petitions by the part route operators.
Issues: The issues revolved around the fulfillment of criteria under Rule 72(3) of the Rules of 1994 and the locus of part route operators to challenge the grant of permit.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the part route operators had no locus to question the grant of the permit and that the Tribunal erred in entertaining the revisions.
Final Decision: The court set aside the Tribunal's order and dismissed the Revision Petitions by the part route operators. Other legal issues raised in the petition were kept open to be decided in an appropriate case. The petition was disposed of finally in the above terms with no costs.
JUDGMENT :
1. Shri R.D. Sharma, learned counsel for the petitioner.
2. Shri Praveen Newaskar, learned Government Advocate, for respondent/State.
3. Shri M.S. Jadon and Shri Santosh Agrawal, learned counsel for respondents No.3 and 4.
4. With the consent of learned counsel for the parties, the matter is finally heard.
5. Challenge is to an order dated 03.01.2018 passed by the State Transport Appellate Tribunal; whereby, while allowing the revisions filed by respondents No.3 and 4, the Tribunal quashed the regular permit No.SCP 79/2015 issued by order dated 22.04.2015 for the period from 11.07.2015 to 10.07.2020 on Sultanganj to Bhopal (Region) route for one return trip daily.
6. The petitioner had applied on 05.01.2015 for the grant of fresh permit on said route proposing to put new vehicle of 2014 or 2015 model with seating capacity 32+2 under Rule 72 of Madhya Pradesh Motor Vehicles Rules 1994. Respondents No.3 and 4, part route operators filed objections. The Regional Transport Authority vide order dated 22.04.2015 rejected the objections and granted permit No. SCP 79/2015 issued thereunder on vehicle No.MP04PA3088 of 2015 model having seating capacity 32+2 w.e.f. 11.07.2015 to 10.07.2020.
7. Aggrieved, respondents No.3 and preferred revision before the State Transport Appellate Tribunal. The Tribunal vide order dated 03.01.2018 quashed the order of grant of regular permit on the findings that on the date of application under Rule 72, the petitioner had not fulfilled the criteria laid down in sub-rule (3) of Rule 72 of the Rules of 1994. The Tribunal observed:-
^^¼08½ nksuksa gh fuxjkfu;ksa esa vkyksP; vkns'k dks bl vk/kkj ij pqukSrh nh xbZ gS fd eŒÁŒ eksVj;ku fu;e 1994 ds fu;e 72¼3½ ds Áko/kkukuqlkj vko';d nLrkost is'k ugha fd;s x;s ,oa vkosnu ÁLrqr djrs le; rFkk vkyksP; vkns'k ikfjr djrs le; rd okgu vfLrRo esa gksdj Lis;j esa ugha Fkk bl dkj.k ls Áfr fuxjkuhdrkZ Øekad 2 dk vkosnu Lohdkj ;ksX; gh ugha FkkA bl laca/k esa Áfr fuxjkuhdrkZ Øekad 2 dk vius fuxjkuh ds tokc esa ;g dguk gS fd vuqKk Lohd`fr vkns'k ikfjr gksus rd okgu Lis;j esa gksuk vko';d ugha gS] cfYd vuqKk Lohd`fr ds i'pkr vuqKk i= tkjh djkrs le; okgu Lis;j esa gksuk pkfg;sA bl Ádkj ls Áfr fuxjkuhdrkZ Øekad 2 dk Lo;a ;g dguk ugha gS fd vkosnu ÁLrqr djrs le; ;k vkyksP; vkns'k ikfjr djrs le; ftl okgu ij vuqKk i= tkjh fd;k x;k gS] og vfLrRo esa gksdj ÁfrfuxjkuhdrkZ Øekad 2 ds vkf/kiR; esa FkkA bl ckor~ fjdkMZ dk Hkh voyksdu fd;k tk;s rks Áfr fuxjkuhdrkZ Øekad 2 us tks vuqKk gsrq vkosnu is'k fd;k] mlesa fdlh Hkh okgu Øekad dk mYys[k ugha fd;k gS dsoy U;w okgu gksuk ys[k gS u gh vkosnu ds lkFk fdlh okgu ds nLrkost is'k fd;s x;s gSaA vkyksP; vkns'k esa Hkh vkjŒVhŒ,Œ Hkksiky us vkns'k ds iSjk&6 esa mYys[k fd;k gS fd vkosnd }kjk vuqKk i= lapkyu gsrq dksbZ okgu ÁLrkfor ugha dh gSA vkyksP; vkns'k fnukad 22-04-2015 ds Lohd`r gksus ds i'pkr Ákf/kdkj ds fjdkMZ esa Áfr fuxjkuhdrkZ Øekad 2 }kjk fnukad 10-07-2015 dks vkosnu nsrs gq;s okgu Øekad ,eŒihŒ&04&ihŒ,Œ&3088 ij ij LFkk;h vuqKk i= tkjh fd;s tkus dh ÁkFkZuk dh xbZ gS] ftlds lkFk bU'kksjsal dh QksVksdkih is'k gS ml vuqlkj ;g U;w okgu gS rFkk fuxjkuh Øekad 291@2015 esa fuxjkuhdrkZ us bl okgu dks ifjogu foHkkx ds csolkbV ls fudkys x;s fooj.k dh Áfr ih&05 is'k dh gS] ml vuqlkj ;g okgu fnukad 09-07-2015 dks iathc) gqvk gS ftl laca/k esa Áfr fuxjkuhdrkZ Øekad 2 us dksbZ vkifRr ugha dh gS blfy;s fjdkMZ ls gh ;g rF; Áekf.kr gS fd vkyksP; vkns'k fnukad 22-04-2015 dks Hkh Áfr fuxjkuhdrkZ Øekad 2 us u rks dksbZ okgu ÁLrkfor fd;k vkSj u gh mlds ikl dksbZ okgu Lis;j esa Fkk rFkk ftl okgu ij vuqKk i= tkjh djk;k gS og vkyksP; vkns'k fnukad dks vfLrRo esa gh ugha Fkk] cfYd ckn esa Ø; dj iath;u djk;k x;k gSA
¼09½ fuxjkuhdrkZx.k dh vksj ls ekuuh; eŒÁŒ mPp U;k;ky; dk U;k;n`"Vkar inepUn xqIrk o vU; cuke ,lŒVhŒ,Œ o vU; 2014 ¼1½ ,eŒihŒ,yŒtsŒ 124 is'k fd;k gS] ftlesa ekuuh; mPp U;k;ky; us bl vk'k; dk vfHker O;Dr fd;k gS fd vkosnu ij lquokbZ ds le; okgu Lis;j esa gksuk vko';d gS ftldh vko';drk eŒÁŒ eksVj;ku fu;e 1994 ds fu;e 72¼3½ ds Áko/kkukuqlkj gksuk Hk
