Auto fare revision: HC issues contempt notice to TN govt

Expressing dissatisfaction over Tamil Nadu government's failure to revise auto fares periodically, the Madras High Court today issued a contempt notice and directed the concerned IAS official to appear before it on October 8.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M. Sathyanarayanan, issud the notice to Transport Commissioner Sathyabrata Sahoo on a contempt petition for not implementing its guidelines issued in April last.
The bench was hearing the contempt petition filed by Coimbatore-based Consumer Voice Secretary Logu and also a petition by the government seeking review of one of the eight-point guidelines issued by it.
The contempt plea sought to punish officials for failure to implement the court's eight-point guidelines, including one on periodic review of fares based on variation in fuel prices.

When the matters came up for hearing, the Chief Justice, who headed the bench, expressed dissatisfaction over not taking steps to revise auto fares periodically.
"In this time and age, you say you need one year to do revision. Fuel prices are varying every fortnight. Do not make me to state the reason why autorickshaws are everywhere. It is because enforcers are the owners of the vehicles. It is the same everywhere," he said.

He directed the officials to file an affidavit within two weeks as to why they should not be proceeded against and be punished in accordance with law.

The petitioner submitted that though the guidelines were issued six months ago, there was no indication from the government with regard to their implementation.
He had already taken up the matter with transport authorities but there was no response, which he alleged was in utter disregard and disrespect to the orders of the Court.
The guidelines included setting up of toll-free numbers for complaints regarding auto fares, display of fare conversion table and name of the driver/owner along with their addresses and photographs in the vehicles.