HC stays division bench's order

Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court today stayed a Division Bench's order directing the State Transport Department Principal Secretary to consider issuing free bus passes for Government Law College students.
A division bench of Justices M Jaichandren and M Venugopal, admitting a review petition filed by the state Chief Secretary and the Transport Department Principal Secretary, issued the interim direction.
Earlier a Division Bench of Justices N Paul Vasanthakumar and P Devadoss last month had issued the order to consider extending the free bus pass scheme to law college students based on a PIL filed by V Thisai Indiran, a Government Law College student here.

In their review plea, the officials claimed the division bench did not give them sufficient time to file their counter.
As per a government order on May 8, 1990, students studying in law colleges, recognised by the Director of Legal Studies, were entitled for 50 per cent concession in bus tickets, they claimed.
The government had passed an order in 2007 to issue free bus passes to students of government arts and science colleges and the scheme was not extended to students of government engineering colleges, as held by the division bench in its order, the officials added.
According to them, students of government engineering colleges, also a professional course, were entitled only for 50 per cent concession in bus tickets like law students.