HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION No.24878 of 2009 ORDER: Heard Sri C.R.Sridharan, Learned Counsel for the petitioner and Sri A. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, Learned Standing Counsel for the first respondent-Corporation. Both counsel would agree that the subject matter of this writ petition is covered by a judgment of this Court in Rama Devi Multi Specialty Dental Clinic, Hyderabad v. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Hyderabad[1]. Following the said judgment, this Writ Petition is allowed holding that: a. the advertisement fee levied by the first respondent-Corporation is in the form of a tax referable to Section 197 of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955 (for short ‘the Act’) and it could not have been levied without specific authority and in accordance with the prescribed procedure; b. the notice impugned in the writ petition does not accord with Sections 169, 633 and other relevant provisions of the Act and is, accordingly, set aside; and c. the first respondent-Corporation is entitled to insist on permissions being obtained for erection and display of advertisements subject, however, to the exception covered by the proviso of sub-section (1) of Section 421 of the Act; and to stipulate fee therefor, commensurate with the service or regulatory activity and in its discretion to levy tax, under Section 197(f), duly following the prescribed procedure. However, in the circumstances, without costs. RAMESH RANGANATHAN, J Date:27.04.2010 usd [1] 2010(2) ALD 856