Andhra Pradesh High Court Restricts Monopoly Over APSRTC Commercial Spaces

The Andhra Pradesh High Court ruled that public resources cannot be concentrated in the hands of a single individual and such monopolisation is contrary to public interest.

The case arose from writ petitions filed by a licensee challenging the cancellation of his licences and the issuance of a new tender for commercial spaces at a bus stand.

The Court found that APSRTC had improperly allotted multiple open spaces to one person, allowing illegal sub-leasing for profit while failing to pay licence fees. It noted violations of tender conditions and suppression of material facts.

The Court directed APSRTC to implement a “One Person–One Open Space” policy for future tenders and upheld the cancellation of licences.