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Telangana HC deliberates on RTC privatisation of routes

The HC asked for justifying the contention that the privatisation of certain routes falls under the definition of natural resources.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of petitions challenging the privatising of RTC routes to Friday. It had directed that the status quo will continue till Friday on the privatisation of routes.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy was hearing the PIL by retired professor, P.L. Vishweshwara Rao, challenging the privatisation of 5100 routes.

Chikkudu Prabhakar, counsel for the petitioner, citing an order of the Supreme Court which says that the state has no power to entrust tapping of natural resources viz., water, air gas, crude oil etc., to private entrepreneurs at the cost of welfare of common man, submitted that in this issue, the privatising 5100 permits pertaining to the RTC is also one of the natural resources.

Apparently not convinced by the arguments that the TSRTC is a natural resource, the bench asked the advocate to justify his contention that the privatisation of certain routes in RTC falls under the definition of natural resources.

B.S. Prasad, advocate general, submitted that the PIL challenging the Cabinet decision is premature because, until and unless the decision taken by the Cabinet is fructified by way of the issuance of a GO, it cannot be challenged or subject to judicial review. He submitted a series of judgments to substantiate his contention.

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