The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice and sought response from the Kerala government, Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Travancore Devaswom Board on a plea by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) seeking permission to operate free bus services for Sabarimala pilgrims from Nilakkal to Pampa.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice K.V. Vishwanathan issued notice in the Special Leave Petition. The bench further directed the petitioner to file an additional affidavit mentioning that it will render free service of pick up and drop without any intermittent halts.
The petition stated that the pilgrims who want to reach the holy shrine of Ayyappa are forced to depend on KSRTC buses for their journey from Nilackal to Pamba. It also argued that the buses offered to the pilgrims were in a dilapidated condition.
Owing to this, the VHP had offered free bus services from Nilackal to Pamba and then back to Nilackal without any halt midway or park at Pamba. Nonetheless, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court refused to grant permission for the same and dismissed the Writ Petition filed by VHP for the said purpose.
The Division Bench held that granting a special permit to a contract carriage would tantamount to permitting stage carriage with corridor restriction. Consequently, the VHP approached the Supreme Court challenging the Kerala High Court’s judgment.
Appearing for VHP, Senior Advocate V. Chitambaresh and Advocates Annie Mathew and Govind Venugopal argued that the pilgrims were earlier allowed to go in private vehicles upto Pamba which is the foothills of Sabarimala. However, since Covid, the entry of private vehicles was stopped 22 kilometres ahead of Pamba at Nilackal.
The counsel stated that the pilgrims were therefore forced to depend on KSRTC buses for their journey from Nilackal to Pamba, adding that KSRTC was collecting a higher fare as ghat charges and festival charges.