HC slams Ghaziabad agencies on hoardings

GHAZIABAD: Taking a serious view of the illegal hoardings defacing the city, the Allahabad high court on Friday lambasted the civic authorities for “turning a blind eye” to the menace.
The court directed officials of the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam (GNN) and the district magistrate to list the steps taken by the civic body to remove the illegal hoardings at the next hearing, scheduled for December 10.
The court also sought a response from the civic bodies of Allahabad, Varanasi and Kanpur on the issue of illegal banners in those cities, taking cognizance of a plea filed in September by a social activist.
The Ghaziabad-based petitioner, Alok Kumar, alleged that unauthorized banners, hoardings and posters, installed at public places across the city, have been ostructing road signs and impeding traffic movement, leading to a higher risk of road accidents.
When contacted, GNN commissioner RK Singh said that the civic body would study the court’s order carefully and then present its case. He said the corporation has prepared a complete list of legal hoardings in the city as “it is important to first make the distinction between them and illegal hoardings”.
According to Singh, there are currently 1,400 major hoarding spots in the city for which the corporation floats tenders every two years.
“As per GNN 2002 guidelines, religious or political hoardings cannot be called illegal if displayed three days before an event and removed within 24 of the completion of the event,” he said, adding that GNN will shortly take action against all illegal hoardings.