The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has directed the Zirakpur municipal council (MC) to supply names of officers who failed to act against illegal hoardings and submit an action-taken report.
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), which alleged the installation of illegal hoardings in Zirakpur and other places on national highways in the city, the court made it clear that it is not concerned whether police force is provided by the administration. It is for the municipal council to use its “good offices to ensure the availability of the police force” for removal of illegal hoardings, the court held.
On April 18, the court had directed the MC executive officer to ensure removal of all billboards, unipoles, bipoles and gantries installed unlawfully in areas where they are not permitted and file a compliance report, along with photographs, before the May 8 hearing.
The executive officer had indicated towards partial compliance of the order and added that certain advertisement devices could not be removed due to traffic congestion and because some were installed on private houses. Police help, as sought by the MC, was directed to be provided by the district magistrate, Mohali, but was not made available by senior superintendent of police (SSP), the EO had said.
Now, posting the matter for hearing on May 26, the court has directed the MC to file an affidavit providing the names of those officers or employees who were duty-bound to prevent the setting up of illegal hoardings. “The affidavit should also disclose as to what action has been taken against them by the MC so that recurrence of such illegality does not take place in future,” the bench ordered.
{{/usCountry}}Now, posting the matter for hearing on May 26, the court has directed the MC to file an affidavit providing the names of those officers or employees who were duty-bound to prevent the setting up of illegal hoardings. “The affidavit should also disclose as to what action has been taken against them by the MC so that recurrence of such illegality does not take place in future,” the bench ordered.
{{/usCountry}}Petitioner Arjun Shukla had alleged installation of numerous illegal hoardings/billboards/unipoles on the roads connecting Lalru to Zirakpur, Kalka road and Banur-Zirakpur road.
“These illegal hoardings and unipoles fall under Zirakpur MC and are a clear violation of Punjab municipal outdoor advertisement policy 2018 and various orders of the high court,” The PIL also referred to an incident reported in June 2025 in which seven cars were damaged when two unipoles in Zirakpur fell on these vehicles due to a dust storm and demanded that authorities be asked to immediately take remedial steps.