SUSHIL CHOUDHURY Vs. STATE OF TRIPURA & ORS.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The writ petitioner is the publisher and proprietor of a daily newspaper namely, Dainik Ganadoot, published from Agartala and he has challenged the action of the State in allotment of classified and display advertisements to the said newspaper. Previously, the writ petitioner filed another writ petition being Civil Rule No. 455/1995, which was disposed of by the judgment and order dated 02.05.1997 (Annexure-1 to the writ petition) with the directions as under:

(2.) Even thereafter, according to the writ petitioner, discriminatory allotment of the advertisement continued and he has been forced to file this writ petition for implementation of the said judgment and order dated 02.05.1997 and for compensation or the compensatory advertisement to make good of the loss that newspaper had suffered for such State action. At the relevant time i.e. from May, 1997 to 24.11.2000, apart the news-paper of the petitioner, other four newspapers namely, Dainik Sambad', Daily Desher Katha', 'Syandan Patrika' and 'Tripura Darpan' were in the category 'A' as per the Government policy as reflected in the notification No. F.65(166)- ICAT/93/Advt/5788 dated 18.03.1996, which was published in suppression of the earlier Notification No. F.65(19)-ICAT/89(P-II) dated 07.10.1989.

(3.) At the outset, Mr. A.K. Bhowmik, learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that at present the writ petitioner has no grievance so far the allotment of the classified advertisement is concerned, but he has serious grievance so far the allotment of display advertisements is concerned. In paragraph-3 of the writ petition, the writ petitioner asserted as under: