Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 9: High Court has allowed Srinagar Municipal Corporation to give bidding period for hoarding upto two years, modifying its earlier order.
A Single Bench of the High Court comprising Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar during the proceedings of hoarding case titled M/s Helpline Advertising Agency versus State gave direction on its earlier order of January this year and extended the bidding period to two years from six months.
SMC Commissioner Dr G N Qasba who was present during the proceedings submitted to the court, saying it (SMC) will take one month to complete tendering process and after that compliance report will be filed before the court.
The court had ordered in January this year to give six months for bidding. It has also observed that the authorities of SMC throw norms to winds while allotting the hoarding permission to the petitioner, Helpline.
The court had observed that it appears “absurd, highly illegal and unconstitutional” that public property is vested for a period of ten years with one person. SMC had allotted the hoarding permission to Helpline advertisers for ten years.
The court had also directed the SMC to “take control/charge/possession of all sites, which are used for installation of hoardings and kiosks, and have been allotted to Helpline and GK Communications.”
The court had also directed the SMC to invite offers from interested persons and allot these (hoarding) sites to those persons who offer highest bid/ amount initially for a period of six months.
Advocate Mian Tufail appeared for the petitioner, Helpline Advertising Agency, Advocate Firdous Mir for SMC and Advocate Bashir Ahmad Bashir for GK Communications.
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