Kerala HC stays KSRTC decision cutting down concession in ticket fares for CBSE school students
Kochi (PTI): The Kerala High Court has put on hold for a month a decision of the state road transport corporation cutting down the concession in travel fare for students of CBSE schools and making the management of such institutions liable to pay 35 per cent of the ticket price.
The High Court said that the petitioner association of managers of CBSE schools made out a prima facie case for an interim order and stayed the operation of clause 4 of the KSRTC's February 27 memorandum for one month.
Clause 4 of the February 27 memorandum issued by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) stated that in respect of self-financing colleges, unaided schools and recognised schools, 35 per cent of the ticket fare shall be paid by students, 35 per cent by the management of the institution and only a 30 per cent concession would be granted.
The court also issued notice to the Kerala government and the KSRTC, represented by advocate Deepu Thankan, seeking their stand on the claims in the petition by August 9, the next date of hearing.
The petitioner association in its plea has claimed that the memorandum was "classifying students based on the institutions in which they study and offering different rates of concessions."
"Such a classification among the students travelling in the same bus is discriminatory and arbitrary. That apart as per clause 4 of the memorandum, CBSE/ ICSE school management are made liable to pay 35 per cent of the ticket fare in respect of their students travelling in KSRTC bus.
"There is no authority to the 3rd respondent (KSRTC) to impose such a condition on the management of CBSE/ICSE schools," the petition has contended.
The petitioner association has said that under the memorandum, students of government and aided schools would get full concession irrespective of the income of their parents.
It has also contended that when the CBSE school managements were not receiving any services from the KSRTC, the transport corporation cannot demand any ticket fare from them for their students' travel on KSRTC buses.
The petition has sought quashing of clause 4 of the memorandum and a direction to the KSRTC to ensure students travelling on their buses are not discriminated against based on the institution in which they are studying.
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Death toll from Israeli strikes in northeast Lebanon rises from 8 to 24, Lebanese news agency says
Deir al-Balah, Nov 1: Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed at least 24 people in northeastern Lebanon, the country's news agency said, raising the death toll from eight there.
It was the latest deadly toll in the area since the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah escalated last month.
Israel's military has said that its operation in Lebanon is targeting Hezbollah's military infrastructure.
Lebanon's state National news Agency reported four airstrikes in different villages across country's northeast, saying rescuers were still searching for survivors in Younine, a town in the Bekaa Valley, from the rubble of a targeted house.
Hussein Haj Hassan, a Lebanese lawmaker representing the region in Baalbek-Hermel region, said that 60,000 people have already fled their homes in the area due to Israeli bombardment.
