DMK conference: AIADMK moves HC to ensure transport service

Chennai, Dec 12 (UNI) The Opposition AIADMK today moved Madras High Court, seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu Government to ensure transport services by private bus operators throughout the State from December 13 to 17 to ensure that the general public were not affected by the proposed DMK youth wing conference in Tirunelveli, slated for December 15 and 16.

In his PIL, former Minister D Jayakumar, MLA, prayed the court to restrain the State Home Secretary, Transport Secretary and Transport Commissioner from permitting private bus operators to ply buses in routes other than those permitted by the Government, pending disposal of the PIL.

He submitted that the State Government authorities were forcing private bus operators to provide buses for transportation of the ruling party cadre for attending the conference. This would cause much inconvenience to the general public and student community as examinations in schools and colleges were scheduled in December, besides religious functions in various temples.

Mr Jayakumar submitted that the AIADMK Youth Wing Secretaty had filed a writ petition to forbear the Government and the DMK from conducting the conference in the Tirunelveli Medical College Sports Ground and the same was disposed by a Division Bench of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court with ten conditions. However, there have been large scale violations like erection of banners and arches along the road, despite the Government banning such acts. The party functionaries were threatening private bus operators, particularly in Coimbatore, Erode, Salem and Namakkal districts, to ply buses to Tirunelveli to ferry the party cadre, he added.

The petitioner contended that the private bus operators have been given permits to ply buses in particular routes as mentioned in their permits and any move to divert the buses would adversely affect the public, besides violating the permitted routes, authorised by the Licencing Authority.

The PIL was likely to come up for hearing tomorrow before the first bench.

UNI