Punish those who put up hoardings illegally: Court
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said those putting up political hoardings and banners illegally should be prosecuted irrespective of their stature.
The court has asked the commissioner of police to initiate prosecution, as mandated by law, against the offenders named in the BMC’s complaints against illegal hoardings.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Janhit Manch had sought the enforcement of a suggestion made by the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court that had, in another PIL, said that politicians featuring on the hoardings put up on public roads should be prosecuted if the hoardings are found to be illegal.
An affidavit submitted to the court by BMC’s Superintendent of Licenses Dinkar Kharat stated that the corporation has granted permission to 918 banners and 241 boards to political parties for displaying birthday wishes to their politicians. However, between January and December 2010, the corporation had removed 1,24,408 illegal banners and boards from all over the city. Kharat’s affidavit stated that only 20 hoardings are permissible in each ward.
Arguing in person, Bhagwanji Raiyani of Janhit Manch said the order of the Aurangabd Bench should be enforced in order to check the menace of illegal hoardings in the city. Raiyani sought to make leading politicians including Mumbai Congress chief Kripashankar Singh, Congress MP Priya Dutt, BJP’s Mumbai President Gopal Shetty, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena’s executive president Uddhav Thackeray respondents in the PIL and urged the court to issue notices to them.
The counsel for Priya Dutt, however, informed the court that she had instructed all her party workers not to put up public hoardings and banners to applaud her. Impressed with the move, Justice PB Majmudar and Justice Amjad Sayed said other politicians must also follow suit. However, Raiyani said no change will come about unless the court issues strict orders and insisted that the politicians should be dealt in accordance to the provisions of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1989.
As per the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, the petitioner had contended that fine for putting up illegal hoardings was as little as Rs 100 under one section and Rs 50 in another. Kharat’s affidavit, however, stated that the fine has been revised since 2006 and the minimum fine is now Rs 1,000 while the maximum is Rs 5,000.