The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Maharashtra government and all municipal bodies to submit a report on the steps taken by them against illegal hoardings and banners in the State.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice V.G. Bisht was hearing a public interest litigation plea filed by NGOs Janhit Manch, Suswarajya Foundation and others alleging that political parties had shown total disregard for all the rules and laws of municipal corporations and put up illegal hoardings and banners all over the State.
Noting that the last report was submitted in 2018, the court said, “Four years have passed. We want an updated report from the State government and commissioners of all municipal corporations and chief officers of all district councils on steps taken against illegal hoardings and banners.” The Bench posted the matter for further hearing on June 30.
Chief Justice Dutta remarked how in a movie he once saw, a man held up a hoarding in front of the CCTV camera just when the crime took place.
The court asked how authorities identified which hoarding was legal and which was not and how much revenue legal hoardings generated?
In January 2017, the High Court had, in a 97-page order, directed that the Superintendent of Police should issue directions within six weeks to police officers entrusted with the job of night patrolling, including beat marshals, to keep a constant vigil to prevent the activity of erection/display of illegal hoardings, banners, flexes, temporary arches and posters during night time.
In November, 2018, the court had issued show-cause notices to the Nationalist Congress Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Republican Party of India and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena asking why action should not be taken against them for putting up illegal hoardings and banners despite several orders passed by the court.
