The Supreme Court dismissed a batch of appeals moved by private bus operators of Andhra Pradesh challenging the nationalisation of some important routes in the state.
While doing so, the apex court narrowed down the scope of objections to the policy of state governments which want to nationalise lucrative bus routes.
The objection of the private bus operators was that they had been running the stage carriages on those routes when the roads were bad and they were incurring losses. But when the roads were improved, the state government nationalised them without properly hearing them. This was contended to be against their fundamental right to engage in trade and profession. They moved writ petitions in the Andhra Pradesh high court, but they were dismissed.
On appeal, the Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice D P Mohapatra and Justice Brijesh Kumar said the objection against nationalisation must relate to questions of public interest. In a case of nationalisation of bus routes under the powers granted to the state governments by the Motor Vehicles Act, it could not be argued that the operators were losing financially.
According to Section 100 of the Act, the only ground to oppose nationalisation is in relation to public interest.
The state government is required to see whether the step it is taking would provide
