Chennai, July 9 (IANS) The Madras High Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation seeking modification of its July 8 order that prohibited TNSTC buses from using four toll plazas in the state’s southern part over unpaid dues amounting to Rs 276 crore.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh allowed the urgent listing of the case for Thursday after Additional Advocate General (AAG) J. Ravindran made an urgent mention.

The AAG informed the court that discussions would be held with the State Transport Department to find a resolution to the mounting arrears, which have remained unsettled for years.

The interim order had directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the police to stop TNSTC buses from passing through toll plazas at Kappalur, Etturavattam, Salaipudhur, and Nanguneri starting July 10.

It also instructed the Director General of Police and the Inspector General of Police (South Zone) to ensure sufficient deployment of police personnel at these toll booths to maintain order.

Justice Venkatesh said he was compelled to issue what he termed an “extreme measure” due to the repeated failure of the Transport Department to pay its dues.

He noted that the continuous accrual of penalties and interest had worsened the financial burden and that only a firm judicial intervention might push the department to act.

The order was passed in response to writ petitions filed by four tollway concessionaires — Madurai-Kanniyakumari Tollway Pvt. Ltd., Kanniyakumari-Etturavattam Tollway Pvt. Ltd., Salaipudur-Madurai Tollway Pvt. Ltd., and Nanguneri-Kanniyakumari Tollway Pvt. Ltd. — who alleged that TNSTC had failed to pay toll charges and also failed to comply with FASTag mandates on their fleet.

The court is scheduled to hear TNSTC’s request to modify the order on Thursday. The decision could have a significant impact on public transportation across the southern districts, especially if the ban continues.

–IANS

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