Illegal hoardings removed

Report submitted to High Court says 38 hoardings, digital banners removed

Thirty-eight unauthorised hoardings and digital banners in Chennai were removed in two days, the district administration has submitted before the Madras High Court.

Earlier, passing orders on a writ petition by K.R. Ramaswamy alias ‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy, a social activist, the court had directed the collector to remove all illegal hoardings, digital banners and placards immediately and also to take necessary action to penalise those who had contravened the rules and regulations under the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act. When the matter came up before the first bench comprising the Acting Chief Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice M. Venugopal, a report was submitted by the Chennai collector-in-charge and district revenue officer R. Seethalakshmi that she had instructed all tahsildars to identify and remove all unauthorised hoardings in the district.

She had also requested the Chennai Corporation commissioner to provide necessary machinery to the taluk officials to carry out the task.

Accordingly, on February 2 and 3, all tahsildars, in coordination with Corporation officials, removed 38 unauthorised hoardings and digital banners.

Further, she had instructed all tahsildars to file criminal cases against violators then and there. Action would be taken on a continuous basis to remove illegal hoardings and digital banners in Chennai district.

Of the 38 banners and hoardings removed, 30 carried private advertisements, including those of cinemas, oil brand, motor vehicles, jewellers and wedding receptions. Seven were political banners and one was that of an advocates’ association, the collector-in-charge submitted.