HC puts Malout-Chandigarh Volvo bus service on hold

MUKTSAR: The Volvo coach bus of Punjab Roadways, which was started from Malout to Chandigarh via Gidderbaha with much fanfare by Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh ‘Raja Warring’ about two months ago, has been stopped by the Punjab and Haryana High Court till the next hearing of the case filed by Orbit Aviation Private Limited.

File photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, January 5

The Volvo coach bus of Punjab Roadways, which was started from Malout to Chandigarh via Gidderbaha with much fanfare by Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh ‘Raja Warring’ about two months ago, has been stopped by the Punjab and Haryana High Court till the next hearing of the case filed by Orbit Aviation Private Limited.

Notably, this super integral coach was started in a clash of timing with a similar-route bus of Orbit Aviation Private Limited, owned by SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.

In the petition, the counsel for Orbit Aviation Private Limited had contended that the bus was run in violation of the mutual bilateral agreement between the state government and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. He had said the inter-state route permit could not be granted by the state government unless it is countersigned by the UT. He further claimed that the temporary permit was granted on the orders of the Transport Minister.

The Division Bench of Justice Kuldip Singh and Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi issued a notice of motion to the state government for January 28. Meanwhile, it ordered that the route permit, for one stage career permit from Malout to Chandigarh via Gidderbaha, Bathinda, Patiala route, for super integral coach in favour of Punjab Roadways, Muktsar, shall not be operative unless it is countersigned by UT Chandigarh or incorporated in bilateral agreement between the state government and the UT.

Jagdish Singh, general manager, Punjab Roadways, Muktsar, said, “The bus has gone to Chandigarh today, but it will not go from tomorrow (Sunday). However, we have got the route permit countersigned from the UT. We will present the document in the High Court on Monday.”

Petition filed by Orbit Aviation

This bus was started in a clash of timing with a similar-route bus of Orbit Aviation Private Limited, owned by SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Their counsel had contended that the bus was being run in violation of the agreement between the state government and UT Chandigarh.