Government ordered to remove hoardings by Friday

A division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice M Sundar, before whom a plea moved by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy alleging installation of hundreds of hoardings against the prescribed rules inconveniencing road users and public came up, directed the state to ensure that all hoardings which had been put up after obtaining necessary permission is also removed by Friday.

It may be noted that when the case came up for hearing in the morning, the Advocate General (AG) Vijay Narayan had sought time to file a report following which the case was posted at 4.30 pm. Thereafter, when the matter was taken up the AG submitted that apart from the 200 banners allowed from the Airport to the function venue another 20 banners were permitted to be erected by various government departments as it is a government function. However, a fallacy in the submission ensued with the AG submitting an older copy of the Act, which stated that permission for installation of hoardings ought to be obtained at least 15 days prior to the function. 

Even as the AG was submitting that it was a temporary function and the banners would be removed immediately, the bench on expressing reservation over the enforcement of the guidelines.

The Madras High Court on Thursday refused to take up an urgent hearing of the appeal moved by the Chennai Corporation challenging the single judge’s order, which had imposed a ban on use of photos or pictures of living persons on banners, flex boards and sign boards. Immediately after the division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice N Seshasayee commenced its hearing for the day, the Corporation’s standing counsel made a mention that they intend to file an appeal against the single judge’s order and sought for an urgent hearing. 

The bench on orally observing that several orders have been passed regulating the installation of such hoardings since 2008, but none of them have been followed, said the issue does not require an urgent hearing. The bench then directed the counsel to go ahead and file their appeal and it would be taken up in the regular course. Justice S Vaidyanathan on October 24 asked the government to ensure that “photos or pictures of such persons who are alive shall not be depicted by way of those banners.”