The Delhi High Court has put a hold on a demand letter from the NOIDA authority requesting Rs 100 crore from the Noida Toll Bridge Company Limited, the developer of the DND flyway, related to alleged advertisement license fees. Justice Jasmeet Singh issued the interim stay on the letter from the Outdoor Advertisement Department of NOIDA, which also called for the removal of outdoor advertisements displayed by the petitioner on the Delhi-NOIDA-Delhi (DND) Flyway. The court noted that the petitioner appears to have a right to display advertisements and that the balance of convenience favors the petitioner.
It stated that if the interim orders were not granted, it could result in irreparable damage and loss that could not be compensated financially. The court’s September 25 order specified that no coercive actions would be taken against the petitioner based on the September 10 letter until the next hearing. The court has instructed the NOIDA authority to submit a reply within four weeks, with the next hearing set for January 16, 2026. The petition from Noida Toll Bridge Company Limited claimed that it was authorized by the respondent to display outdoor advertisements on the Noida side of the DND flyway at a specified rate, which had been increased at later dates, and that payments were made regularly.
An Allahabad High Court ruling on October 26, 2016, had prohibited the petitioner from collecting user fees from DND Flyway commuters, a decision that was upheld by the Supreme Court in December 2024. The petitioner’s counsel argued that despite NTBCL losing the right to collect tolls, it still retained the right to display advertisements, as the Supreme Court did not restrict the petitioner’s rights. The petition also stated that on January 10, the NOIDA authority had retrospectively raised the advertisement license fee from April 1, 2024, which the petitioner argued violated principles of natural justice, and demanded Rs 100 crore as outstanding fees.
The petitioner’s counsel emphasized that the agreement between the parties for developing the flyway did not include a clause allowing NOIDA to unilaterally alter advertising rates.