l Action sought against the then CEO for granting licence to erect ad boards in hoarding free zone
Madras High Court
Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the St Thomas Mount Cantonment Board to proceed against a former chief executive officer of the board for his involvement in granting licenses for erecting hoardings on a hoarding free zone along the GST Road near airport.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T. S. Sivagnanam said, “An inquiry shall be held by the Director-General of Defence Estates, New Delhi, in the matter of granting licenses by the then CEO of the Cantonment Board knowing fully that it is a free hoarding zone”.
The CEO had invited proposals for erecting advertisement board for a period commencing from April 1, 2015, and thereafter awarded licenses after obtaining license fees for several areas including outside airport, near Kathipara junction, near War Memorial, near Pallavaram post office and near Butt Road Kalyanamandapam. Thereafter, since most the areas were near the airport and declared as hoarding free zone, their licenses were cancelled. Challenging the same, the outdoor advertisers filed the present batch of petitions.
Holding that the then CEO cannot get away by merely being posted out as he was responsible for the mess, the bench recorded the submission of the counsel for the board that an impartial inquiry would be held against the then CEO and said, “We direct that the inquiry be held by the Director General, Defence Estates, New Delhi, in the matter and the result of the inquiry be placed before us to ensure that the matter could be taken to its logical conclusion”.
“We grant one month time for removal of hoards, which can be taken away by the persons who have installed it”, the bench added. Recording the submission of counsel for the board that the deposit amount paid by the advertisers will be refunded by the board within a month, the bench said, “We are of the view that this refund cannot be without interest as the contractors have suffered both on account of the license fee paid as well as the expenses for installation of the hoardings. We grant 9 per cent simple interest on the amount refunded which would be calculated from the period the contractors have not been able to enjoy the benefit of the license. It is open to the board to claim the interest paid from the delinquent officer”, the bench added.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
Next Story
