Madras High Court dismisses as withdrawn a plea to declare ‘Vettri Payanam’ scheme unconstitutional
The Madras High Court dismissed a petition challenging the Tamil Nadu government's 'Vettri Payanam' free bus travel scheme for women after the petitioner chose to withdraw it. The court noted procedural flaws in the challenge and granted the petitioner liberty to pursue other legal remedies.
Why it matters
The case highlights the legal challenges faced by private transport operators when competing with state-subsidized public welfare schemes.
The Madras High Court on Monday (October 5, 2026) dismissed as withdrawn a writ petition filed by a private bus operator from Erode district , challenging the constitutional validity of the Tamil Nadu government’s ‘Vettri Payanam’ scheme, which provides for no-fare travel to 84.32 lakh women every day on 12,695 government buses across the State.
The First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, however, granted liberty to the petitioner, N. Kalamani, to work out other remedies available to her under the law. The petitioner’s counsel chose to withdraw the case after the judges wondered how she could challenge a scheme applicable to the entire State.
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