J. BALASUBRAMANIAN Vs. DISTRICT COLLECTOR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE prayer in these writ petitions is for the issuance of a writ of certiorarified mandamus to quash the proceedings of the second respondent in Na.Ka.No. 155/2014/A3 dated 10.06.2014 and to direct the respondents to extend the further period of lease upto 31.03.2015 as per the petitioner's oral request.

(2.) THE case of the petitioners is that they were the successful bidders in the tender conducted by the respondents for the year 2013 and 2014 for collection of toll from the vehicles entering Yercaud and the period of tender expired on 31.03.2014. According to the petitioners, the period was further extended upto 30.06.2014 due to the bye -election in Yercaud constituency and the subsequent Parliament election without conducting any fresh auction as the modal code of conduct came into force. Now, the second respondent has issued auction notice for the auction to be held on 20.06.2014 and the petitioners are seeking to quash the said notice and for a further direction to extend their lease period for a period of nine months, so to say, upto 31.03.2015 without conducting any auction as per their oral requests.

(3.) LEARNED Government Advocate appearing on behalf of the respondents brought to the notice of this Court that there is no provision for extension of the lease period and only because of the code of conduct came into force due to the Parliament election without conducting any auction, the lease period of the petitioners were extended upto 30.06.2014 on payment of some extra amount. She would further submit that it is always open for the petitioners to participate in the auction.