The Madhya Pradesh High Court has stayed the functioning of the State Transport Authority (STA), observing that the state government's own stand indicates that the notification constituting the body may not withstand judicial scrutiny. A division bench of Justice G.S. Ahluwalia and Justice Pushpendra Yadav passed the order while hearing a petition challenging the February 9, 2026 notification issued under Section 68(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act.
The development came after the state government sought additional time to file its reply. In an application before the court, the Transport Department said a legal opinion from the office of the Additional Advocate General had identified certain irregularities in the impugned notification and advised suitable amendments.
The state informed the court that steps were required to amend the notification and issue a fresh one in accordance with statutory provisions. Taking note of the submission, the bench made a strong observation. "It is clear that impliedly the State has accepted that the impugned notification will not withstand judicial scrutiny and the State will not be able to justify the impugned notification," the court said.
The judges further observed that once the government itself had admitted that the notification required modification, amendment, replacement or a fresh notification, the committee constituted under the challenged notification could not be permitted to continue functioning. Accordingly, the court stayed the February 9 notification and restrained the authority constituted under it from functioning until further orders. The petition was filed by Harishankar Singh Patel and others, who challenged the legality of the notification reconstituting the State Transport Authority.
The matter assumes significance because the STA is the statutory body responsible for transport-related regulatory decisions, including the grant of stage carriage permits. The court granted respondent No. 7 one week's time to file a reply and fixed June 24 for the next hearing.
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