Stories
Vetri Payanam Scheme Case Withdrawn; High Court Dismisses Plea!
- •Kalaamani, a private bus owner from Erode, filed a case against the Vetri Payanam scheme in the Chennai High Court.
- •The petition claimed the scheme would cause losses to private bus owners and violated the right to equality by not collecting fares from women.
- •It was also stated that the government refused to extend similar compensation to private buses, despite bearing an annual cost of ‘6,000 crore for the scheme.
- •The case was heard by the bench of Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arulmurugan.
- •Following the withdrawal of the case, the Chennai High Court dismissed the petition against the Vetri Payanam scheme.
Key Questions Answered
Chief Minister Vijay inaugurated the Vetri Payanam scheme in Koyambedu, Chennai, allowing women to travel for free on 69% of buses across Tamil Nadu. The government has taken on an annual cost of 6,000 crore rupees for the beneficiaries of this scheme.
Kalaamani, a private bus owner from Erode, filed a case arguing that the scheme would cause losses to private bus owners, force them out of business, and violate the constitutional right to equality by not collecting fares from female passengers. The petition requested that the scheme be declared unconstitutional.
During the hearing, the judges questioned how a private bus owner operating on only two routes in Erode could challenge a statewide scheme, noting it was not a public interest litigation. Following this, the case against the scheme was withdrawn and dismissed by the Chennai High Court.
