P SENTHILNATHAN Vs. SECRETARY LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner is having Cable TV Network and called in the name and style of Moon Star Cable. The petitioner is also servicing the quarters in which the members of the Legislative Assembly are situated within the Omanthurar Government Estate at Chennai-2.

(2.) THE petitioner was given a permission letter dated 20.08.2001 by the Deputy Speaker on behalf of the Principal Secretary of the Assembly Secretariat asking him to provide the cable TV connection to the MLA quarters on an Experimental Basis that too under the orders of the then Hon'ble Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. By a further letter dated 22.10.2001 certain conditions were imposed on the petitioner for grant of cable connection. It was stipulated that he should not give room to any complaints from the Hon'ble Members of the Legislative Assembly and if any complaint comes that telecast is not having clarity, then the license given to him is liable for cancellation without notice. When his term came to an end, without calling for any tender, by a letter dated 12.11.2002, he was given one year extension from the last date of expiry. Subsequently, once again on 11.11.2003, he was given further extension of one year. Likewise, on 30.09.2004 and 04.10.2005, he was given extension continuously on a year to year basis. Subsequently, on 18.10.2006, the petitioner sent a letter seeking for extension of his Cable Service to the MLA quarters. That letter was considered by the Secretary to the Legislative Assembly and by a letter dated 30.10.2008, he was given extension of one more year from 22.10.2006 with the conditions stipulated earlier. Once again on 24.10.2007, 14.10.2008 and 14.10.2010, he was granted extension.

(3.) HEARD the arguments of Mr.AR.L.Sundaresan, learned Senior Counsel appearing for the petitioner and Mr.A.Navaneetha Krishnan, learned Advocate General assisted by Mr.E.Sampath Kumar, learned Special Government Pleader appearing for the respondents.