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PETITIONER: UNION OF INDIA & ORS,

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: M/S SHARMA COAL CO

DATE OF JUDGMENT:       10/05/1996

BENCH: RAMASWAMY, K. BENCH: RAMASWAMY, K. G.B. PATTANAIK (J)

CITATION:  1996 SCALE  (5)199

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT:                  THE 10TH DAY OF MAY, 1996 Present:           Hon’ble Mr.Justice K.Ramaswamy           Hon’ble Mr.Justice G.B.Pattanaik C.B.Babu, B Krishna Prasad and P.Parmeshwaran, Advs. for the appellants.                          O R D E R The following Order of the Court was delivered: Union of India & Ors. V. M/s. Sharma Coal Co.                          O R D E R      Leave granted.      Though the  respondents have  been served, none appears either in  person or  through the  counsel.  We  have  heard counsel for the appellant.      This appeal arises from the order of the Division Bench of the  Guwahati High  Court in  a batch  of writ  petitions being Civil  Rule No.1153/83  and batch passed on dated July 30,  1990.   The  Railway   administration  had  prepared  a preferential traffic  scheme (PTS),  by general  order No.71 categorizing the  priority articles for carriage by railways and  allotted   different  priorities   which  are  made  in alphabetic orders  A  to  E.  Sponsored  coal  movement  was mentioned in  Category  C  priority  and  priority  E  would include  non-sponsored  coal.  Subsequently  by  proceedings dated March 1, 1989 the Railways modified its earlier scheme and issued general PTS Order No.77 with effect from April 1, 1989 under  which priorities  were  redetermined.  It  would appear that  subsequently non-priorities  coal  item  E  was deleted from  the priority  scheme. When the respondents and others challenged  its validity  on the anvil of Art.19 ( g) of the  Constitutions the  Division Bench  of the High Court without disturbing  the validity  of  the  order  had  given direction observing that after all the priorities enumerated in the  scheme are  exhausted  and  if  the  wagons  remains

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unutilised,  the  unutilised  wagons  may  be  kept  at  the disposal of  non-priority articles  for carriage.  Thus this appeal came to be filed by special leave.      It is  seen that  in order No.75 priorities A to E were made which included sponsored coal within the meaning of the order and non-sponsored coal within the meaning of the order and non-sponsored  coal provided in priority E for allotment of  wagon.   With  regard   to  non-Priority   item  E,   it subsequently deleted  as mentioned  in paragraph  E  of  the special leave  petition  which  reads  as  the  Order  No.77 relates to PTS for allotment of wagons which came into force from 16.7.86. but non sponsored coat referred to in priority E of PTS No.75 was removed". It would thus be seen that non- priority  coal  came  to  be  removed  from  the  priorities mentioned in  Items  A  to  E.  Therefore,  the  High  Court obviously was  of the  intention to direct that if after the wagons allotted  for movement  to priority articles remained available,  the   same  may  be  allotted  for  non-priority articles for  carriage. We  do not  think that  there is any impediment  in  the  way  of  administration  to  give  such allotment, instead  of keeping  them idle.  It would  be  in commercial interest of the Railway administration.      The appeal is accordingly disposed of. No costs.