The directorate of municipal administration (DMA) of metropolitan corporation Islamabad (MCI) has auctioned the raw material at throwaway price despite the matter pending with the Islamabad high court (IHC).
In February, DMA had auctioned the raw material comprising advertisement boards, pole signs and other objects at just Rs1 million.
Sources said that the material was taken into custody and sealed during anti-encroachment drive and drive against the defaulter advertisement companies which are not paying their decades old dues.
The material of ad agencies which were sealed and their material auctioned was approximately of Rs570 million.
In the aftermath, the ad agencies claimed that the dues claimed by the DMA are not accurate and said that the matter is already subjected to the judiciary.
An officer privy to the development said, “We had auctioned the raw material in a legal way following the public procurement regulatory authority (PPRA) rules, but if the IHC gives the decision in favor of the ad agencies and directs DMA to recover their pole signs, wallboards and panels, then it would cost millions of rupees to the authority”.
“What can I say if the municipal administration, which is supposed to be the most updated in rules and regulations of law and matters pending with lower and high court, have done this blunder,” said DMA official while requesting anonymity.
When contacted, Director DMA Ali Sufiyan admitted that this has been done. He said that the administration is of the view that the material which was collected during the anti-encroachment operations and in a drive against the ad agencies includes different types of billboards which were hanged or installed illegally without talking a prior permission by the DMA.
He said that not all the material which was auctioned is challenged or pending with IHC but some of it was.
