Summarize the following court judgment. Appeal No. 1278 of 1969. Appeal from the judgment and order dated March 13	 1969 of the Allahabad High Court in Special Appeal No. 1060 of 1967. C.K. Daphtary		 Yogeshwar Prasad	 S.K. Davon and section Bagga	 for the appellants. H.R. Gokhale	 J.P. Goyal	 Ilyas Hussain and V.C. Prashar	 for respondents Nos. 1 and 2. The Judgment of the Court was delivered by Shelat	 J. The question arising in this appeal	 by certificate	 may be stated thus: When an applicant applies for a permit to run a passenger bus service on the ground that the route for which he applies	 though one not yet opened	 is necessary in public interest	 but the Regional Transport Authority comes to. the conclusion that it does not	 and thereupon rejects his application	 whether his order is one under section 48 of the 	 4 of 1939 and is	 therefore	 appealable under section 64(a) of that Act ? The route involved in this case was the one between Meerut and Dankaur which had no direct passenger bus: service. There were	 however	 two routes which were being operated	 namely	 one from Meerut to Bulandsharhar and the other from Siana to Dankaur	 one crossing the other	 so that if one wanted to go from Meerut to Dankaur there was no direct service	 and therefore	 he would have first to travel in the bus running from Meerut to Bulandshahar	 get down at a place near Gulsothi and catch the bus running from Siana to Dankaur. This was the position when the appellants	 amongst others	 applied to the Regional Transport Authority for permits to operate. a direct service from Meerut to Dankaur. This was	 therefore	 not a case where the R.T.A. had already decided upon opening the new route	 fixed the number of permits necessary for such a route and then invited applications from operators. Nevertheless	 the R.T.A.	 follow 245 ing the procedure laid down in section 57 of the Act	 published these applications	 to which objections. were raised amongst others by those who were operating on the routes. earlier referred to. These applications came up for consideration in the meeting held before the R.T.A. on July 28	 1965 when Item 3 of the Agenda for that meeting was: "To pronounce decision regarding recognition and classification of M eerut to Dankaur via Hapur Gulsothi Sikandarabad route. and grant of permits thereon. " It is apparent that Item 3 involved two questions for determination of the R.T.A.; (a) whether the route proposed by the appellants and others should be opened	 and (b) if so	 to whom	 amongst the applicants	 should permit or permits	 depending upon the number of permits he. should decide upon	 should be granted. After hearing the applicants and those who opposed them	 the R.T.A. was satisfied that there was no sufficient demand for such a direct service	 and therefore	 there was no justification for opening the proposed new route. Having arrived at that ' conclusion the question of granting or not granting permits to individual applicants did not arise and he rejected the applications of the ' appellants and other applicants. Appeals having been filed before the Appellate Tribunal	 the Tribunal reversed the order of the R.T.A. and granted permits to the three appellants. The respondents thereupon filed writ petitions in the High Court for quashing the order of the Tribunal contending that no appeal against the order of the. R.T.A. lay under section 64(a)	 and that con sequently	 the Tribunal had no jurisdiction to entertain such appeals and grant permits to the appellants. The learned Single Judge of the High Court	 who. heard the writ petitions in the first instance	 dismissed them	 but on appeal against his order the Division Bench of the High Court came to the conclusion that no appeal against the said order of the R.T.A. lay under section 64(a)	 and accordingly	 allowed the writ petitions and quashed the Tribunal 'section order. This appeal is directed against this order. Counsel for the appellants urged that there was. no provision in the Act separately providing for the R.T.A. to decide first as to whether particular route proposed by an applicant should be opened or not. It was argued that the provisions of Ch.	 IV	 and in particular sections 47 and 57	 show that once an application for a permit is made and is published and objections thereto are invited and the R.T.A. applies his mind to it and rejects it	 no matter what his reasons for such rejection are	 his order amounts to. a refusal under section 48 and is appealable under section 64(a). The rival contention	 on the other hand	 was that section 47(3)	 which . C1/70 4 246 contains the power of the R.T.A. to first determine the number of permits necessary for a particular route	 [which decision	 as held by this Court	 is not appealable under section 64(a)]	 contains also the power to decide whether a proposed route should be opened or not	 and that it is only after these two points are first 	decided	 that the question	 who amongst the applicants should be granted permits	 arises. It is at this latter stage that the question of granting or refusing to grant a permit arises under section 48	 and it is against an order under that section that an appeal under 64(a) is provided. The. argument was based on the principle that a right of appeal is not something which is inherent	 but is that which and to the extent it is provided for by the statute. The provisions of the Act relevant to the questions raised in this appeal as also their scheme have been more than once examined by this Court. There is therefore	 no necessity to analyse them once more. In Abdul Mateen vs R. K. Pandey(1) the 	question was whether the Bihar Government acting under section 64 A	 as amended by the Bihar Amendment Act	 1950	 had the power to increase the number of permits for which applications had been invited by the R.T.A. In negativing the claim that the State Government had such power	 this Court inter alia held that section 47 (3) was concerned with a "general order" limiting .stage carriages on a consideration of matters specified in section 47	 and that such an order can be modified by the R.T.A. if it so decides one way or the other. But such a modification is not a matter of consideration when it is dealing with the actual grant of permit under section 48 read with section 57	 for	 at that stage what the R.T.A. has to do is to choose between various applicants who may have applied under section 46. The Court held that that is not the stage when the "general order" passed under section 47(3) can be reconsidered	 for	 the order under section 48 is subject to section 47 including the provisions of section 47 ( 3 ) under which the "general order" limiting the number of permits is passed. At page 531 of the Report	 the Court further held that the appeal contemplated under section 64 is by a person who is aggrieved by the order specified therein and does not contemplate any appeal against "the general order" passed under section 47 (3 ). On this view of section 47	 it was lastly held that when an appeal is taken from an order under section 48 and a revision is ' applied for under section 64 A of the Bihar Amendment Act	 the power of the Appellate Authority	 as also of the State Government as the revisional authority	 is as much subject to section 47(3) as the power of the R.T.A. under section 48	 i.e.	 it cannot grant a permit beyond the limit. already .decided upon under section 47(3). In M/s. Java Ram Motar Service (1) ; 247 vs section Rajarathinam	.(1) the R.T.A. had already introduced the new bus route and then had invited applications for permits. 34 applicants applied for permits. The R.T.A	 however	 rejected them all on the ground that there was after all no need for the new route. On these facts the question was	 whether a person	 whose application is rejected by the R.T.A. on the ground that there was no need for a new route	 in spite of his decision previously arrived at that such a route was necessary	 could appeal under section 64(a) against such rejection. Following the decision in Abdul Mateen 's case(2) we held that: "the Authority had already resolved to introduce a new bus route and invited applications for a permit under sec. 57(2). It could no doubt have acted under sec. 47 ( 3 ) and modified its earlier decision. instead	 what it did was that while considering the question as to who amongst the 34 applicants should be granted that permit	 i.e.	 at the stage not under section 47(3) but under sec. 48 ( 1 )	 it decided to refuse all applications on the ground that there was no longer any need for any such permit. In other words	 though the earlier order was still intact	 the authority rejected the applications on the ground that there was no need for any fresh permit. The order was clearly contrary to the previous order passed under sec. 47(3) and therefore cannot be said to be in consonance with sec. 47 as required by sec. 48 ( 1 ). The order was not one under sec. 47(3) but under sec. 48(1) refusing thereby the applications including those of the appellant and the respondents and was therefore subject to an appeal under sec. 64(a). " Does it make any difference to. the principle laid down in these decisions whether the R.T.A. invites applications having previously decided to introduce a new route or whether an applicant proposes such a new route and applies for a permit. Abdul Mateen 's case(2) and the case of Java Ram Motor Service(1) were cases where the R.T.A. had first decided to introduce A new route and had then invited application. On the other hand	 in R. Obliswami Naidu vs The Addl. State Transport Appellate Tribunal	 Madras(3) no such decision had been previously taken by the R.T.A. and the appellant had applied for a permit on a new route. The question canvassed there was whether the R.T.A. had first to decide the necessity of such a new route	 and then having come to such a decision proceed (1) CA 95 of l965 decd. on October 27	 1967. (2) ; (3) C.A. 1426 of 1968	 dec. on Feb. 17	 1969. 248 to examine the question whether an applicaNT should or should not be ' granted the permit. The Appellate Tribunal had held that the: procedure followed by the R.T.A. was not in accordance with law as it had failed to determine the question of the need for a service for the new route applied for by the appellant before deciding his application for permit	 and had contravened the provisions of section 47(3). The appellant challenged the order by a writ petition in the High Court which was dismissed. In the appeal in this Court against that order	 Hegde	 J.	 speaking for the Court	 upheld the view of the Appellate Tribunal and held that though section 47 (3)	 if read by itself	 did not throw light on the question	 secs. 47 and 57	 when read together	 made it clear that the R.T.A. had first to arrive at a decision whether there was the necessity for. the new route	 and then decide under section 48 whether the appellant should be granted a permit or not This decision clearly shows that it makes no difference between cases where applications are invited by the R.T.A. after having come to the conclusion as to the necessity for a new route	 or where an applicant himself proposes a new route and applies for a permit. In both the cases	 the R.T.A. has to decide	 before reaching the stage of section 48 when he considers individual applications for deciding as to whom amongst the applicants the permit should be granted	 whether the new route is necessary in the interest of the public. The decisions referred to above	 in our opinion	 clearly lay down that the R.T.A. has first to make "a general order" as stated in Abdul Mateen 's case(1) under section 47(3) as to the number of permits necessary for a new route and he cannot exceed that limit while he is at the next stage when he considers.rs under section 48 read with section 57 as to who amongst the applicants shouId be granted the permit or permits. Such a "general order" limiting the number of permits presupposes that he has come to a decision that the new route either proposed by him or by an applicant or applicants is necessary in public interest. Obviously	 he does not have to decide the number of permits necessary for such a new route unless he first decides that the new route should be opened. If the order as to the number of permits is a "general order" passed under section 47 (3)	 in respect of which the individual applicants are not concerned with and is anterior to the stage under section 48 when applications of the individual operators are taken into consideration	and therefore	 not appealable under section 64(a)	 it must follow a fortiori that the decision as to whether the new route is necessary. or not is equally a "general order" arrived at either earlier or contemporaneously with the decision as 10 the number of permits. If the latter order is not appealable	 (1) 249 it cannot be that the former	 i.e.	 the decision whether the new route is necessary or not	 is not an equally "general order" with which individual applicants are not concerned	 and can appeal against it under section 64(a). On this view	 it would at first sight appear as if the R.T.A. has an unlimited or unbridled power in connection with the decision as to whether a proposed route should be opened or not. That it is not so is clear from section 64 A introduced in the Act by Act 100 of 1955 which confers revisional power on the State Transport Authority	 either on its own motion or on an application made to it	 to call for the record of any case in which an order has been made by the: R.T.A. and in which no appeal lies	 and if it appears to the State Transport Authority that such an order is improper or illegal	 to pass such order as it deems fit. In our view the Division Bench of the High Court correctly interpreted sections 47	 48	 57 and 64	 and the decisions of this Court in Abdul Mateen 's case(1) and the case of Jaya Ram Motor Service(2). The appeal	 consequently	 must fail and has to be dismissed. The Appellants will pay to the respondents the costs of this appeal. R.K.P.S. Appeal dismissed. (1) ; (2) C.A. No. 95 of 1965 decd. on Oct. 27	 1967.

The appellants	 among others applied to the Regional Transport Authority for permits to operate a direct bus service on. a route in Meerut District	 U.P.	 which had no direct passenger bus service. After hearing the appellants and those who opposed them	 the Regional Transport Authority was satisfied that there was no sufficient demand for such a direct service	 and therefore	 there was no justification for opening the proposed new route. The. applications of "the appellants and other applicants were therefore rejected. The Appellate Tribunal reversed the order of the Regional Transport Authority and granted permits to the three appellants. The respondents therefore filed writ petitions in the High Court for quashing the order of the Tribunal contending that no appeal against the order of the Regional Transport Authority lay under section 64(a) of the and that consequently	 the Tribunal had No. jurisdiction to entertain such appeals	 and grant permits to the appellants. A Single Bench dismissed the petitions but the Division Bench held that no appeal against the order of the Regional transport Authority lay under section 64(a) and accordingly	 allowed the writ petitions and quashed the Tribunal 's order. On appeal to this Court	 HELD: The appeal must be dismissed. The decisions of this Court clearly lay down that the R.T.A. has first to make "a general order" as stated in Abdul Mateen 's case under section 47 (3) as to the number of permits necessary for a new route and he cannot exceed that limit while he is at the next stage when he considers under section 48 read with	 section 56(7) as to. who among the applicants should be granted the permit or permits. Such a 'general order ' limiting the number of permits presupposes that he has come to a decision that the new route either proposed by him or by an applicant or applicants is necessary in the public interest. If the order 'as to the number of permits is a 'general order ' passed under section 47(3) with which the individual applications are not concerned and is anterior to the stage under section 48 when applications of the individual operators are taken into	 consideration	 and therefore is not appealable under section 64 (a) it must follow a fortiori that the decision as to whether the new route is necessary or not is equally 'a general order ' arrived at either earlier or contemporaneously with the decision as to the number of permits. If the latter order is not appealable	 it cannot be that the former i.e. the decision whether the new route is necessary or not	 is not an equally 'general order ' with which individual applications are not concerned and can appeal against it under section 64 (a). However	 the powers of the R.T.A. in connection with the decision as to whether a proposed route should be opened or not are not un 244 limited and unbridled. The power is subject to the revisional power of the State Government under section 64 A. [250 E 251 C] Abdul Mateen vs R.K. Pandev ; ; M/s Java Ram Motor Service vs section Rajarathinam C.A. 95 of 1965	 dec. on October 27	 1967; R. Obliswami Naidu vs The Addl. State Transort Appellate Tribunal Madras C.A. 1426 of 19 '68	 dec. on Feb. 17	 1969	 applied.