IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Civil Writ Petition No.14107 of 2010 Date of Decision : November 19, 2010. Baljinder Singh .....Petitioner versus The State Transport Appellate Tribuna, Punjab and others ....Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SURYA KANT. Present : Mr.Baldev Kapoor, Advocate, for the petitioner. -.- 1. Whether Reporters of Local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? --- Surya Kant, J. (Oral) The petitioner holds a Stage Carriage Permit under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 for plying Mini Buses from Raikot to Bhadaur via Lameh-Jatt Pura, Lameh-Manuke, Lakha, Hathur, Burj Kalaran, Machhike, Bilaspur, Bhagike, Talwandi and Kharaksinghwala route. The petitioner sought and was granted the modified route permit by the State Transport Commissioner deleting a part of the original route permit from Raikot to Manuke; Machhike to Bilaspur and Bilaspur to Bhadaur. His route permit, as per the site plan (Annexure P-7), was further modified and straightened by increasing it from Manuke to Jagraon. However, on a revision petition preferred by respondent No.2, the order passed by the Transport Commissioner was set-aside by the State Transport Appellate C.W.P.No .14107 of 2010 2 Tribunal vide order dated 19.5.2010 (Annexure P-3), inter-alia, observing that:- “....After completing the necessary formalities, as required under the Act, respondent No.1 heard the matter in the meeting held on 8.1.2009 at Patiala and the application of respondent No.2 was allowed vide the impugned order. Then it is the case of the petitioner that the extension portion from Manuke to Jagraon Bus Stand comes to 17 Kms. After the curtailment and diversion of the route, the remaining portion of the route, as per the impugned order comes to 9.9. Kms. By adding extension in this remaining route, the total length of the route comes to 26.9 Kms, which does not fall within the purview of the Punjab Mini Bus Service Scheme, 2007. Then, it is the further case of the petitioner that Bhadaur and Jagraon both terminus of the route are municipal towns and whereas according to clause 6 (d) of the Punjab Mini Bus Scheme, 2007, one of the terminus of the route is to be a village. Further the petitioner has taken the plea that he is operating his bus on Jagraon to Hathur via Akhra, Bhamian, Manuke, Lakha route. As such, he is an aggrieved person by the order of respondent No.1 thereby granting variation in the conditions of permit in favour of respondent No.2 illegally....” Aggrieved, the petitioner has approached this Court. I have heard learned counsel for the petitioner at some length and perused the records. In addition to the reasons assigned by the Tribunal, I have considered the petitioner's claim for modification of the route-permit on C.W.P.No .14107 of 2010 3 the touch stone of public interest and public convenience. In my considered view, the original route permit allotted to the petitioner was meant to provide transportation services to the remote areas/villages falling on Raikot to Bhadaur road as also Bilaspur to Talwandi Kharaksinghwala road. The route permit as modified by the State Transport Commissioner is bound to cause immense hardship to the residents of the afore-stated villages as the transportation facilities to them would be substantially reduced. No case to interfere with the Tribunal's order is made out. Dismissed. November 19, 2010 (SURYA KANT) Mohinder JUDGE