A. K. SIKRI, J.

The petitioner in this petition, filed under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (for short 'the Act'), is aggrieved against the action of the respondent no. 2-Delhi Transport Corporation (hereinafter referred to as 'DTC') in inviting tenders from national and international firms/joint ventures/consortium for allotment of about 225 shelters/sites on BOT basis against display of commercial advertisement thereon, as according to the petitioner it is given the contract for these sites and during the currency of the licence agreement with the petitioner, the respondent no. 2 cannot take such a step. First, the factual matrix to appreciate the grievance of the petitioner. As per the averments in the petition, DTC had earlier issued a tender pursuant whereto the petitioner had also submitted its bid. This tender was for grant of advertisement rights on all the shelters (BQS/TKB) of the DTC falling in various zones and was for a period of three years. The petitioner was successful bidder in respect of ten zones and the DTC issued letter of award in respect of these zones on the monthly licence fee. The particulars of these zones, security deposit by the petitioner in respect thereof, monthly licence fee payable and the contract period for these zones are indicated in the following table :

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S. No. Zone Security Licence Fee/ Contract Period (Rs.) Month (Rs.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Rohini-II 36,12,504 12,04,168 03.11.2004-08.11.2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Shahdara (N)-I 15,12,504 5,04,168 08.11.2004-07.11.2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. City Zone-I 66,87,504 22,29,168 08.11.2004-07.11.2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. West Zone-I 23,75,004 7,91,668 08.11.2004-07.11.2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Civil Lines-II 24,48,126 8,16,042 08.11.2004-07.11.2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. City Zone-II 20,87,502 6,95,834 09.11.2004-08.11.2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Najafgarh-I 18,12,504 6,04,168 08.11.2004-07.11.2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. South-I 61,62,504 20,54,168 07.11.2004-08.11.2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9. South-III 81,75,000 27,25,000 08.11.2004-07.11.2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10. South-IV 82,55,001 26,51,668 08.11.2004-07.11.2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 4,31,28,153 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The monthly licence fee, as per the terms of the allotment, was payable in equal proportion to the DTC and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which according to the petitioner it has been paying from time to time. In the year 2000, DTC had invited bids in respect of certain other zones and the petitioner bagged contract in respect of two such zones, particulars whereof are as under :

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S. No. Zone Security Licence Fee/ Contract Period (Rs.) Month (Rs.) -----------------------------------