UP to release seized Delhi buses with ''minimal penalty''

Lucknow, Nov 28 (UNI) Transport officials of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh today ended their first phase of talks to resolve the fortnight-long row over plying of buses between the two States with the latter agreeing to release Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses with ''minimal penalty''.

A six-member team, which included Delhi Transport Secretary R Chandra Mohan and managing director of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) Anshu Prakash, held talks with their UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) counterparts.

It was decided that while UP would release over 122 Delhi buses with a ''minimal penalty'' (reported to be Rs 150 per bus), Delhi would respond in a similar way by releasing 11 UPSRTC buses. Since UP had seized Delhi buses for operating illegally in this state, the imposition of penalty was must.

The next round of meeting is slated for Thursday in the National Capital. With buses being released until then, the next round is likely to concentrate on the plight of passengers and possibility of smooth plying of buses between the neighbouring states.

The Delhi High Court had directed the transport secretaries of both the states to resolve the imbroglio. The court directive came when the UPSRTC filed a case in the Delhi High Court seeking a directive to the Delhi government to provide CNG to UPSRTC buses in Delhi.

Hundreds of DTC buses, which were impounded by the UPSRTC in different parts of the State, had to be released on the court order.

People travelling between Delhi and the neighbouring towns of Noida and Ghaziabad in UP had been facing hardships following the dispute.

People were forced to change buses at the inter-State borders to reach their destinations as neither the DTC nor the UPSRTC buses crossed the inter-State borders.

UNI NAB HS BS1803