SDMC brings down media on public utilities, Laqshya calls action arbitrary

In what is being seen as an arbitrary action, South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) decided to dismantle media on certain public utilities as also free-standing media panels on which media owning firms like Laqshya Media Group held ad rights. According to Laqshya Media Group there was no prior notice or information that was served by SDMC before such action was taken, although the OOH firm was awarded legal media rights on the utilities as also the freestanding panels by the Delhi Tourism Department at the time of the Commonwealth Games held in the city in 2010.

Atul Shrivastava, Executive Director & CEO, Laqshya Media Group, told Media4Growth that the OOH firm is completely taken aback at the SDMC decision. “We have no clue what went wrong and what was the reason behind this sudden action taken by the authority. This is absolute autocracy. We have met the SDMC Commissioner but they don’t have any concrete reply or document of any order to present. If there was actually any issue with the media then there must have been any statement or order to that effect with them”.

Atul explained that the firm had made significant investments in the media which is now turning into a liability. There is also the risk of advertising clients assuming a wrong perception of the legality of this media and that might affect the payments that are due to Laqshya Media Group.

While talking to SDMC, a source claimed that the OOH firm was not utilising the property for the benefit of the masses but for their own profits. “The authority develops such public utilities for the benefit of the citizens and their service and providing advertisement is only a way to maintain such properties. Our main aim has never been to earn revenue from them. But the agency running wasn’t providing any service to the public but only running advertisements on them which didn’t gel with the motive of SDMC.”

Responding to this issue, Atul said, “We have been running this media for the past seven years and there hasn’t been any issue earlier.” However, this wasn’t the first time that SDMC had interfered on this media. As Atul recalled, “Earlier too SDMC tried to create hassles with regard to this media but with the Delhi Tourism Department’s involvement the matter was resolved -- clearly stating that this media is legal and properly tendered.”

Laqshya Media Group is now planning to claim damages from the authority. “We tried to file an FIR complaint, but the police said such a complaint would require prior permission from the LG. Therefore we are approaching the LG of Delhi on the matter,’ he said.