Inspect if hoardings complying with norms: HC to MCDs

The Delhi High Court today directed the three municipal corporations in the city to carry out a visual inspection of the hoardings allowed by them to ascertain if they are in compliance with the norms.
A bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Yogesh Khanna directed the corporations to file tabulated reports of their findings.
The court also said that an official, not below the rank of Additional Deputy Commissioner, from each corporation, along with a Chief Inspector, be present on the next date of hearing which is July 12.
Directions were also issued to the Delhi Police to file a status report on the complaints received by it against hoardings and the action taken in each case.

The court was hearing a PIL by a retired army officer who contended that advertisements, hoardings, banners, posters and billboards were being put up on residential buildings in violation of the law and policy.
In May 2015, the court had ordered the corporations to remove all hoardings, billboards, unipoles and other forms of outdoor advertising which were in violation of the Outdoor Advertising Policy (OAP), 2007.
In September 2015, the court had again directed the municipal corporations to remove all illegal hoardings at public and private advertisement sites in the national capital within eight weeks by uniformly applying the OAP and provide from time to time status reports on the progress made.

It had also directed removal of superstructures which are left behind after the hoardings were taken off, saying they either be removed by the corporations or the occupant of the premises where they have been put up.