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2004 DIGILAW 384 (ORI)

Rabindra Kumar Ray v. Regional Transport Officer, Rourkela and two

2004-08-30

N.PRUSTY, P.K.TRIPATHY

body2004
ORDER 30.8.2004 — Mr. P. K. Panda, learned Standing Counsel (Transport) states that, as yet the opposite party members have given no instruction to him. Regard being had to the nature of the dispute, which is purely based on law, we heard the parties and dispose of this writ petition at the stage of admission. 2. Petitioner’s grievance, as stated by learned counsel for the petitioner, is against the instruction, Annexure-6, issued by the Transport Commissioner-cum-Chairman, S.T.A., Oris¬sa, Cuttack, vide his letter No.24291, dated 20.11.1997. On the ground of saturation/over-saturation of certain routes and non-availability of adequate transport services in some other routes in under-developed area in the State, opposite party No.3 has issued the above instruction, Annexure-6. The operative part of that instruction/letter reads as follows : “3. In view of the above facts it has been decided that before registration of a new stage carriage or old vehicles of other States in the above mentioned regions, the concerned opera¬tors should obtain a route permits clearance certificate either from the S.T.A. or R.T.A. where he wants to put his stage car¬riage in operation. Without such route permit clearance certifi¬cate, the vehicle should not be registered. The above instruction should be followed scrupulously.” 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner invites our atten¬tion to the provision in Section 41 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1980 and Rule 47 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, and states that there is no stipulation or restriction for registra¬tion of a vehicle as imposed by the opposite party No.3 in Annex¬ure-6. Accordingly he prays to quash that instruction. 4. Learned Standing Counsel (Transport) on the other hand states that the opposite party No.3 only with a view to regulate proper transport service and conveyance in all the localities, has issued that instruction as a matter of public policy and therefore, that does not offend the aforesaid statutory provi¬sion. 5. Upon hearing the contentions of the parties in the aforesaid manner, we find that the anxiety of opposite party No.3 is appreciable, but he has adopted a wrong method for ensuring proper transport conveyance for the public at large in the under-developed areas. Registration of vehicle has to be regulated by the aforesaid statutory provision and the authority cannot impose any additional condition being not so provided in the statute book. Registration of vehicle has to be regulated by the aforesaid statutory provision and the authority cannot impose any additional condition being not so provided in the statute book. However, to regulate plying of the stage carriages in different areas while issuing permanent/temporary permit, the opposite party members have the discretion to regulate the same in the manner the opposite party No.3 has thought. Therefore, that restriction, if found applicable or necessary, may be in¬voked or applied, as the case may be, while granting permanent/temporary permit, but that restriction cannot be im¬posed on the application for registration of the vehicle. Under such circumstance, we quash Annexure-6, so far as it relates to the instruction in directing the subordinate authorities not to register new vehicles. The writ petition is disposed of accordingly. Requisites by registered post along with copy of the writ petition be filed by tomorrow (31.8.2004), as undertaken by the petitioner, to communicate this order to the opposite party members. Petition disposed of.