Contract for LED screens has no Gurbani clause

Amritsar : Even as the liquor ad row has triggered a verbal duel between the Congress and the SAD, officials have revealed that Gurbani telecast is not part of the contract for the LED screens set up along the Heritage Street leading to the Golden Temple.
The project titled “Development of LED façade for advertisement purpose under PPP mode” was conceived as a commercial venture during the SAD-BJP rule. The project cost of around Rs10 crore was to be borne by Jaipur-based NS Publicity India Pvt Ltd, which was picked through the bidding process. Officials preferring anonymity said a “pro-SAD” news channel had initially been allowed to air programmes on the screens. The channel used to telecast Gurbani for several hours daily. After the change of guard in the state earlier this year, another private news channel was hired by the firm to air its programmes. The firm, which installed five LED screens in January, got 15-year rights to air content for 22-and-a-half hours a day, whereas the remaining time was reserved for the state government. The firm was also allowed to sub-let the screens. The company was liable to pay Rs5 lakh per annum to the state government as rent for utilising the space, in addition to advertisement tax to the tune of around Rs46 lakh per year, calculated at the rate of Rs 55 per square foot per month for the 7,000-ft-long LED façade. Meanwhile, it is learnt that lapses were committed in implementing the clause of seeking content approval from the Galiara project director-cum-Amritsar Deputy Commissioner prior to telecast on the screens.