Madras High Court dismisses as withdrawn a plea to declare ‘Vettri Payanam’ scheme unconstitutional

Image used for representation | Photo Credit: R. Ragu

The Madras High Court on Monday (October 5, 2026) dismissed as withdrawn a writ petition filed by a private bus operator from Erode district, challenging the constitutional validity of the Tamil Nadu government’s ‘Vettri Payanam’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.

According to the petitioner, she held permits to operate private buses on a 47-km route from Erode to Vellithiruppur and another 88-km route from Kakapalayam to Andhiyur. Hence, her prayer against the non-collection of fare from women passengers in government buses alone, much to the disadvantage of private operators, should have been confined to those two routes, the judges said.