Karnataka government lifts ban on Ola cabs

Vartha Bharati | 24-03-2019 | 23:16:00 IST

New Delhi: The Karnataka government Sunday allowed cab aggregator Ola to resume its service which was suspended two days back for running bike taxis without permission.

"Olacabs will run their business as usual from today. However there is an urgent need for policies to catch-up with new technologies & also industries too should work closer with Govt to help evolve policies for innovations," Karnataka Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge said in a tweet.

Matrix Partners India, an investor in Ola Cabs, appreciated quick resolution of the issue.

"This speed of resolution is much appreciated and augurs well for the new India! Great to see younger ministers shedding the ways of the older ones and promoting speed and innovation," Matrix Partners India Founder and Managing Director Avnish Bajaj said.

The Karnataka transport department had on Friday suspended the licence of taxi aggregator Ola for six months, saying it was running bike taxis without permission.

"As Ani Technologies Pvt Ltd (Ola Cabs), Bangalore, has violated the Karnataka On-demand Transport Technology Aggregators Rules, 2016, and in the backdrop of the report submitted by the Deputy Transport Commissioner and senior Regional Transport Officer, Bangalore (South), the aggregator licence issued to it till June 19, 2021 has been suspended for 6 months under the rules," the order dated March 18 had said.

Ola in response to the order had said it is a law-abiding company that has always worked with the government to develop livelihood, improve mobility, and enable a new technology industry.

Noting that the Karnataka On-demand TransportTechnology Aggregators Rules, 2016, has come into effect from April 2016, the department had said the licence issued to OlaCabs under rules was only for app-based taxi service (motor cabs), and not for bike taxi services.

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TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee moves Calcutta HC over transfer of IAS, IPS officers by Election Commission

20-03-2026 ¦ 20-03-2026 IST

Courtesy: PTI

Kolkata (PTI): TMC MP and senior lawyer Kalyan Banerjee on Friday moved the Calcutta High Court questioning the Election Commission's transfer order of several IAS and IPS officers in West Bengal soon after the announcement of assembly polls in the state.

The petitioner named Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar a party respondent in the matter.

Mentioning the matter before a division bench presided by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, the lawyer prayed for an early hearing of the petition.

The petition, which questions the transfers without consulting the state government before the EC took the decisions, is likely to be heard early next week, a lawyer connected with the matter said.

A large number of senior IAS and IPS officers, including the state's chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police (DGP) were replaced by the Election Commission within hours of announcement of the assembly elections in West Bengal on March 15.

The elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases - on April 23 and 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.