The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday expressed sharp dissatisfaction over the continued presence of illegal hoardings across the city, questioning the lack of enforcement despite repeated judicial orders and directing the municipal commissioner to explain action taken against erring officials.
Court Hearing and Contempt Petition
Hearing a contempt petition filed by Dinesh Naidu, secretary of NGO Parivartan, a division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode noted that 'even today, a large number of illegal hoardings are visible on roads,' raising concerns over administrative inaction. The court granted time until Thursday, April 30, for the commissioner to file a detailed response.
Tushar Mandlekar appeared for the petitioner, while Sudhir Puranik represented the municipal corporation and Deepak Thakre appeared for the state government.
Background of the Case
The issue stems from earlier directives issued during the winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur, when the court took serious note of more than 60 illegal hoardings mounted on Metro pillars along Wardha Road. At the time, the bench had given the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) a final opportunity, ordering removal of all unauthorised hoardings within 24 hours.
While the civic body submitted a list of 135 individuals and organisations responsible for erecting such hoardings, it informed the court during the latest hearing that notices still had not been served to some of them. This disclosure drew strong criticism from the bench, which questioned the effectiveness of enforcement measures.
Court's Questions and Directions
The court asked pointedly what action was taken against those who continued to install illegal hoardings and what steps were initiated against officials who failed to act. The absence of a 'positive response' prompted the bench to specifically seek details of accountability within the civic administration.
In the last hearing, the HC had widened the scope of its ongoing action against illegal hoardings, extending scrutiny from Nagpur city to all 11 districts of Vidarbha and appointing 11 court-appointed commissioners to submit district-wise ground reports. The court, which repeatedly passed strict orders against unauthorised hoardings in Nagpur and even directed the municipal corporation to issue notices proposing Rs 5 lakh fines for contempt of its directives, observed that the problem was not confined to the city.
Next Steps
The court has given the municipal commissioner until April 30 to file a detailed response on the action taken against erring officials and individuals responsible for illegal hoardings. Further hearing is scheduled after the submission of the report.
