HC directs Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 24 (UNI) In no uncertain terms, the Delhi High Court today directed the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Governments to resolve their inter-state transport crisis keeping the plight of the daily commuters in the National Capital Region(NCR) in mind, otherwise the Chief Secretaries of both states would be summoned to appear before it.

A bench of acting Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Kailash Gambhir issued notices to the Chief Secretaries of both the states and asked them to resolve the crisis by December 1, the next date of hearing.

If the transport row was not resolved amicably keeping the interest of the citizens and people in mind, both the top officials of the states would be directed on the next date of hearing to be present in the court to explain the reasons for not arriving at a solution.

The Court directed the Delhi Government to allow the UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) buses to come to the capital to fill CNG fuel and the UP transport department to release the impounded buses of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) immediately.

''It is a strange matter. The governments of both UP and Delhi have reached such a flashpoint that they did not bother to think about the plights of the common people,'' said the order.

''Interest of the citizens and people should be the paramount importance and ego should be subservient to the cause of justice,'' said the Judges.

The Court had summoned the Delhi Transport Commissioner, DTC Chairman and UP Transport Secretary in person to be present in the court during the hearing.

The UP Government had filed a petition yesterday in the High Court seeking direction to the Delhi Government to allow its buses to enter the Capital to fill Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) fuel.

The petition filed by Regional Manager of the UP Road Transport Corporation at Noida alleged that the Delhi government did not allow its fleet of CNG buses to come to Delhi to fill their tanks with gas.

The Delhi Government did not allow the UP Government to ply its newly-acquired fleet of CNG buses on local routes between the Capital and NOIDA and Greater Noida on November 13.

Both the state governments are at loggerheads for the past eleven days after the UP Government started impounding Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses in its territory, demanding permits.

The DTC had been operating local buses in the NOIDA, Ghaziabad and other towns of UP for the past several decades for the conveniece of the public.

UNI PAT MIR GC1849