The Kerala High Court on Thursday ordered that all flex boards and other advertisement boards, big or small, including banners and flags of political parties, installed illegally at public places in the State be removed on or before October 15 by all local bodies as per the government directives in this regard.
Justice Devan Ramachandran observed that erection of any illegal board or hoarding should be seen as an offence and persons who did so should be prosecuted in terms of the law.
Besides, the applicable tariff would have to be recovered from them on the ‘polluter pays’ principle so that the State or the local self-government institutions did not incur the expenses required for the disposal of such illegal boards.
The court passed the order when a case relating to the removal of hoardings and bills boards came up for hearing.
The court also directed the secretaries of local bodies to file an affidavit explaining the number of illegal flex boards and advertisement boards that had been removed in their area.
