Hoardings: HC peruses status report

The Madras High Court today observed that authorities who issue licenses for erection of hoardings so far has not been found to enforce the law enough as the persons erecting them seem to believe that violation is a norm and when detected they can carry out rectification.
"This shows that there appears to be no fear of consequences of breaking the law," the court said.
A PIL was filed seeking a direction to the District Collector of Chennai to recall all the licenses issued for erection of Hoardings insofar as they are in violation of the Chennai City Municipal Act.

After perusing the status report filed by Chennai Corporation, the court said today "We are informed that from September 1 the power to take action in respect of the digital banners and placards and to grant licenses for hoardings, levy and collection of advertisement tax now vest with Corporation of Chennai."
"Naturally the AAG seeks to pass on the blame on the piquant situation, but it was the District Collector, who was earlier in charge and that is hardly an acceptable position! Be that as it may, Corporation inherits the problem created by the District Collector. The status report has referred to various licensed boards to state that in a number of cases there were no violations and wherever the violations were found action has been taken."

"A committee for grant of license for erecting hoardings is stated to have been formed on October 28 and the Single Window System Committee would operate," the court said.

Counsel for the petitioner produced some photographs of the Hoardings with violations.
The court after going through the photos said "Suffice to say that there are some obvious violations in respect of heights and hoardings on Hoardings etc."
The court observed that it was the petitioner who is doing the job for the authorities and referred to Chapter XII-A of the Chennai City Municipal Act, 1919, more specifically 326-I dealing with penalty. "In view of the violations, recourse to Section-326-I becomes necessary to act as a deterrent to ensure that compliance should be the norm and violation should be an aberration."

The court directed that the committee dealing with the matter would keep all these aspects in mind before considering the grant of license. From the photos, "we find a number of them (hoardings) are clearly monstrosities," it said.
Calling further status report, it fixed the time limit for taking action in respect of any application for license or complaint of unauthorised hoardings as one month and posted the matter for further hearing to January 19.