KAN SINGH MAHAVIR TRANSPORT COMPANY JAGDISHKUMAR Vs. STATE TRANSPORT APPELLATE TRIBUNAL:STATE TRANSPORT APPELLATE TRIBUNAL:STATE TRANSPORT APPELLATE TRIBUNAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Special Leave granted. Appeals are disposed of by this order.

(2.) The three appellants had been granted permits on a route from Bhadra to Hissar via Adampur. This route lay both in the State of Rajasthan and in the State of Haryana and was thus an inter-State route. When the permits were about to expire the petitioners filed applications for their renewal in accordance with the provisions of S. 58 of the Motor Vehicles Act (hereinafter called 'the Act'). At the same time, the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (hereinafter referred to as 'the Corporation') also moved applications before the Regional Transport Authority, Bikaner, for the grant of fresh permits to it on the same route. The applications for renewal of permits made by the petitioners as well as the applications for the grant of permits by the Corporation were heard together by the Regional Transport Authority, Bikaner (R.T.A.) on several dates, the last of which was the 6th of November, 1981. On that date, orders were reserved by the R.T.A. The R.T.A., however, passed its order only on 27th November, 1982, about a year after the date of the hearing. It rejected the renewal applications of the petitioners and granted permits to the Corporation in respect of the above route.

(3.) Aggrieved by the orders of the R.T.A., the petitioners filed appeals before the State Transport Appellate Tribunal (S.T.A.T.). The S.T.A.T. dismissed the appeals preferred by the petitioners and confirmed the order of the R.T.A. The petitioners filed writ petitions in the High Court of Rajasthan, which were dismissed by a single Judge on 21st July, 1986. Further appeals preferred by the petitioners and certain other operators were dismissed by a Division Bench of the High Court of Rajasthan by its judgment and order dated 8th December, 1986. These Special Leave Petitions have been preferred against the order of the Division Bench dated 8th December, 1986.