The Bombay High Court today directed civic bodies across Maharashtra to take up from December 5 a special drive to remove illegal hoardings, posters and banners, which should be completed by the Republic Day.
"Making the municipal areas hoarding-free should be the objective of every Corporation or Council and if this happens, it would be an ideal way to celebrate the Republic Day," said a bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Gautam Patel while hearing two public interest litigations.
The PILs, filed by Suswaraj Foundation and Bhagwanji Riyani of Janhit Manch, alleged that political workers, NGOs and private organisations put up illegal hoardings, banners and posters all over the state in complete violation of civic rules, defacing private and public properties and spaces.
The judges asked the civic bodies to give wide publicity to the grievance redressal mechanism adopted to remove illegal hoardings such as e-mails, letters, toll-free numbers etc.
The HC also allowed the citizens to file anonymous complaints in this regard, if they wanted to.
The judges directed the civic bodies to introduce a dedicated website where complaints or photographs of such illegal hoardings can be uploaded for necessary action.
Such websites should be on the lines of those websites already introduced by the civic bodies for complaints about potholes on streets and roads across the state, the judges said.
The bench further asked the heads of the municipal bodies to act promptly on complaints of court commissioners appointed to remove illegal hoardings. Such complaints should be dealt within a week, the Judges said adding that response should be given to these issues within 72 hours.
The bench issued notices to BJP state president Ashish Shelar and other political leaders asking them to show cause on January 8 why contempt action should not be initiated against them for violating High Court orders on putting up illegal hoardings.
The allegations against them were that illegal hoardings on public roads had displayed their photographs.
The HC noted that three parties-- BJP, MNS and NCP-- had come forward before it to give their response to the issue of illegal posters.
The court directed NCP and BJP to nominate one worker
from their respective parties in each municipal area to take note of illegal hoardings and bring it to the attention of municipal administration for their removal.
The bench issued notices to Shiv Sena, Congress, BSP and RPI (A) to appear before the HC on the next occasion and file their responses to the issue of illegal hoardings.
The court asked the heads of municipal administration to issue appropriate directions to civic bodies on the basis of court orders relating to removal of illegal hoardings.
The judges further directed the state government to provide two armed police constables to Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) in each ward to carry out the removal of illegal hoardings.
MNS lawyer pointed out that such illegal hoardings were put up at night and therefore the persons displaying them could not be identified and taken to task.
Responding to this allegation, the high court asked the state government to ensure that night patrolling should be carried out in all the wards of municipal bodies to stop this illegal practice of putting up hoardings without permission.
The judges also suggested the civic bodies ensure that illegal hoardings are not displayed when they give permission to the organisations for erecting pandals during Ganeshotsav and Navrati festivals. The matter has been posted for compliance on January 8.
The court had earlier warned political parties of contempt action after it was informed that despite tendering apology and undertakings that no illegal hoardings will be put up, workers of BJP, MNS and NCP were found to have erected hoardings at several places in the city.
"Political parties and their leaders have complete disregard for the rule of the land and the orders passed by the court. Why don't you appoint one leader in each ward who will be held responsible if any illegal hoarding is put up? Do this, then we will know that you are genuinely dedicated," the court said.
"If tomorrow every citizen starts spraying black paint on the hoardings and on the faces of the leaders whose photos are on the hoarding, then nobody can do anything. Then it is not defacement as the hoarding itself is put up illegally," Justice Patel had said.
"The hoardings have names of the people who claim to have put it up. Give us their addresses and we will issue contempt notices against them," the high court had observed.
