Man moves HC on lax implementation of illegal hoardings order

A social worker today approached the Bombay High Court seeking a direction to all municipal corporations and district councils to strictly implement its March order to remove all illegal hoardings in the metropolis.
The High Court had in March this year directed all municipal corporations and district councils to remove illegal hoardings in their city within a day and see to it that they are not put up again.
Social worker Bhagwanji Rayani today approached a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha stating that several hoardings have mushroomed once again during the ongoing Ganesh festival.

Rayani told the court that after the March 2013 High Court order, the civic bodies had cracked a whip on illegal hoardings but have now become lax once again.
The bench posted the matter for hearing on September 19.
A division bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar had on March 13 this year directed, all illegal hoardings to be removed after observing that it was defacing the city.

The direction was passed when the court was hearing a suo moto (on its own) public interest litigation on the issue after perusing a compliance report submitted by the chief of Satara municipal corporation indicating that they have removed all unauthorised hoardings in Satara within a week.

"Everywhere we are seeing hoardings defacing the city's skyline. Majority of these banners are of political parties. The municipal commissioners, by not initiating action against such illegal hoardings, is becoming a co-conspirator in the offence, the court had said.
"We want the municipal corporations and district councils to remove all illegal hoardings within 24 hours and issue notice to the name or picture of the person printed in the hoarding. If the hoardings are not removed then we will contemplate initiating action against the concerned commissioners and district council chiefs," the court had said.