BMC courts trouble on hoardings……Linah Baliga
MUMBAI: A contempt petition was filed in the Bombay high court against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), state of Maharashtra and the police, over the civic body’s inaction against illegal political hoardings in the city.
Many politicians enjoy free publicity through skysigns, posters, banners, arches and hoardings, to announce party rallies, to greet national leaders on birthdays and for elections, besides greeting communities on their festivals.
The petitioners, the Society for Fast Justice, along with the Federation of Retail Trader’s Welfare Association and other NGOs, stated th at the BMC loses thousands of crores annually due to non-recovery of charges against the illegal display of advertisements during religious festivals and for discourses.
“I had filed four petitions and the orders were not implemented by the BMC. Hence, I am filing a contempt petition against the BMC and the government, which have not implemented the order. I am determined to ensure that Mumbai’s skyline is not defaced with illegal political hoardings,” said Bhagwanji Rayani, managing committee member, Society for Fast Justice.
He added, “I have travelled across the world, and nowhere is there such a free play, and reckless defacement of cities by the politicians.
Rayani said the fee for display of advertisements was a kind of tax. “Evaders of income-tax, sales-tax, excise or customs are not the only thieves. Our politicians can equally be categorised as tax thieves for not paying for publicity on roads and at other public places,” he said in the petition.
The petitioners stated that the apathy of the civic licencing authorities was being misused by religious outfits for festivals and religious discourses.
On June 17, following a high court directive, the BMC had stated that it would prosecute political leaders and their parties who defaced the city. The HC had recently ruled that a political leader who appears on an illegal hoardings could be held re sponsible.
“By July 27, the Shiv Sena-ruled BMC had forgotten its promise. Between Andheri and Bandra, there were at least 1,356 banners put by political parties; the maximum of 987 by sainiks wishing their leader Uddhav Thackeray on his 50th birthday,” said Rayani.
The petitioners have taken 10 photographs of political and commercial hoardings along the Juhu Tara Road stretch on February 27, which showed a violation of municipal guidelines of 2007 (modified up to November 2009).
They also covered a public parking lot opposite Palm Grove hotel and the adjoining Shivsagar restaurant.