Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: Authorities are authorized to take action against illegal hoardings, including those on roads, by the Bombay High Court in Goa. If the respective owners of the hoardings fail to remove it within the allotted time, criminal prosecution may result.
In response to a suo motu writ petition and public interest litigation, the Court has additionally included a well-known builder for erecting illuminated hoardings on top of buildings and an event management business for placing unapproved advertisements on electrical poles as respondents.
Following consultation with the SP Traffic and other relevant parties, the Division Bench of Justice M S Karnik and Justice Valmiki Menezes asked Advocate General Devidas Pangam to seek instructions from the relevant highway authorities regarding proposed measures against illegal hoardings during the Friday hearing.
“…document the steps taken to stop the threat, including taking legal action against those who erect such illegal hoardings beside the highway.” The order states that “we make it clear that the authorities are free to take action against such illegal hoardings in the interim and requests a report by June 28.”
Senior Advocate Saresh Lotlikar and Amicus Curiae apprised the Court of the constant appearance of many unapproved hoardings on makeshift, moveable platforms along National Highway 66 in Goa.
Meanwhile, the Corporation of City of Panaji informed the Bench that of the 64 hoardings that were found to be under its jurisdiction, 41 have already been taken down, two have filed appeals with the Secretary of the Urban Department for review, and five more have petitions pending in this Court. Regarding the sixteen hoardings, on June 20, the CCP removed five of them and the owners removed one.
According to the CCP official, if the owners of the remaining hoardings do not take down their structures within 48 hours, they would be forced to remove them by force.
In response, the Bench said that, based on the affidavit submitted during the Friday hearing, it expects the CCP to act promptly and, in any case, within eight weeks.
