M/S Astute Media Pvt. Ltd. v. State Of Haryana And Others

267-3 THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision: 15.04.2024 M/s Astute Media Pvt. Ltd.

..... Petitioner

Versus

State of Haryana and others ..... Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH BHARDWAJ ***

Present:

Mr. Neeraj Gupta, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Rajneesh Chadwal, AAG, Haryana.

Mr. Samarth Sagar, Advocate for respondents No.2 and 3.

*** RAJESH BHARDWAJ, J. (ORAL) Present writ petition has been filed for setting aside the notice dated 02.07.2020 (Annexure P-13) issued by respondent No.3 directing the petitioner to deposit the advertisement fee for various outdoor media devices, for the period after 01.05.2020 within 15 days from the date of issue of the notices, failing which the Municipal Corporation, Gurugram will encash the bank guarantees given by the petitioner after the expiry of the notice period. Further prayer has been made for directing respondent No.2 to exempt the payment of advertisement fee with regard to the outdoor media devices for which permission letter have been granted by it to the petitioner from the period commencing from March 1st, 2020 till the withdrawal of all the

-2restrictions/conditions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in the area of Municipal Corporation, Gurugram in exercise of its powers under Section 148 of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted before this Court that though the petitioner had filed representations dated 21.05.2020 and 26.05.2020 (Annexures P-14 and P-15), no action has been taken on the same till date.

Learned counsel for respondents No.2 and 3 has submitted that representations of the similarly situated persons have already been dealt with by the respondent authorities, however if representation filed by the petitioner is not decided, the same would be decided expeditiously in accordance with law.

Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the present petition is pending since 2020 and he may be allowed to take up additional points in the representation which he has prayed in the present petition. He further submits that the petitioner be granted liberty to file a detailed representation for the redressal of its grievances before respondent No2 i.e. the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Gurugram and he be directed to decide the same expeditiously. Learned counsel for respondents No.2 and 3 has submitted that if the petitioner files any representation elaborating his grievance, the same would be decided expeditiously.

After hearing both the parties and perusing the record, the present petition is disposed of with liberty to the petitioner to file his detailed representation taking all additional grounds as prayed for

-3before respondent No.2 within a period of one week from today. If any such representation is filed by the petitioner within the stipulated period, then respondent No.2 i.e. the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Gurugram is directed to decide the same expeditiously on hearing the petitioner in accordance with law preferably within a period of four weeks from the date of its filing.

(RAJESH BHARDWAJ) JUDGE 15.04.2024 rittu Whether speaking/reasoned :

Yes/No Whether reportable :

Yes/No