New Delhi, Oct 31: The Delhi High Court has sought
full details from city government on steps taken for removal
of illegal hoardings from the National Capital Territory (NCT)
for which CBI has registered a case after an MLA had accused
the government of involvement in a Rs 100 crore scam.
"We are told that CBI has registered a case on February
4, 2002 regarding the so-called Rs 100 advertising scandal
involving Delhi government.... We expect an affidavit from the
public works department in regard to the entire affair," a
bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice R S Sodhi
in an order said.
The court said that petitioner MLA Jagdish Anand has
"inter alia" claimed that the NCT government had entered into
an agreement on Jaunuary 4, 1999 with a private company --
Green Line Advertising (GLA) -- awarding it a contract to put
up advertisements on tree-guards, kiosks, electric poles and
railings erected on the central verges of roads free of cost
with the obligation to maintain green belts.
Petitioner's counsel Ashok Kumar Singh said, "This was
nothing but illegal utilisation of spaces on tree guards, iron
grills, electric poles and government kiosks in violation of
the Centre's 1996 notification and the Supreme Court order
prohibiting erection, expansion, fixation and display of
commercial advertisements on public places."
Bureau Report
