Hyderabad: A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar of the Hyderabad High Court on Friday made it clear that the management of the AP Road Transport Corporation has no power to insist its drivers to perform the duties of conductors, in the absence of any such provision under the Motor Vehicles Act and Rules. Only the state government can prescribe some conditions in the Act, but until such conditions are prescribed, the APSRTC shall not allow any driver to discharge function of the conductor.

On Friday, the counsel representing the Corporation urged the bench to relax the order till framing of conditions by the state government. When the bench refused to relax the order, the counsel sought permission to withdraw the appeal and the bench accorded permission.

P. Damodar Rao, general secretary of APSRTC union said that the management has been continuing the practice for the past eight years and due to the order of the court, it has to recruit 7,500 conductors in AP and Telangana.

HC gives a week to passport officer

Justice Ramesh Ranganathan of the Hyderabad High Court on Friday granted a week’s time to Hyderabad regional passport officer Ashwini Sattaru to consider an application of a petitioner to rectify his date of birth.

Ms Ashwini Sattaru appeared before the court following a case filed by Naravula Kishore Kumar of Chittoor, seeking to punish the official under contempt of court for willfully disobeying court orders.

The High Court in June, 2013 directed the passport authorities to consider fresh application of the petitioner along with the original and copies of the Secondary School Certificate showing the correct date. The authorities failed to consider his application. The judge found fault with the authorities for not considering his application and passing the rejection order without reference to the circular.