MUMBAI: Controversy over the proposed installation of 35 LED hoardings along the Carter Road promenade in Bandra west has turned into a blame game between the maritime authorities and the civic administration, after local residents dug in their heels against the plan.
A day after state ports development minister Nitesh Rane categorically said that the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) had not issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the hoardings, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) claimed it had issued a licence only after receiving an NOC from the board.
The MMB, the owner of the sea-side promenade, has since issued a stop-work notice to Star Electric, the agency installing LED hoardings. The BMC hit back, saying it would revoke the licence granted to the company only after receiving a written copy of the stop-work notice or a formal cancellation of the NOC from the MMB.
Milind Surve, the MMB’s port inspector, said, “Permission to erect hoardings is granted by the BMC. MMB has only granted permission for operation and maintenance, not for installation. We will not allow commercialisation of hoardings. The BMC should have consulted us before allowing these hoardings to be installed. We have issued a show-cause notice to this company to stop the work.”
A senior official from the BMC’s licence department insisted that the MMB had granted an NOC and that there was a one-year agreement with Star Electric. “There is a clause in the agreement to collect revenue for the display boards. We issued a licence only after their NOC was issued. The deputy collector has conveyed to us that a stop-work notice has been issued and that the licence must be cancelled. Once we receive a copy of the stop-work notice, we will revoke the licence granted for the LED hoardings,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}A senior official from the BMC’s licence department insisted that the MMB had granted an NOC and that there was a one-year agreement with Star Electric. “There is a clause in the agreement to collect revenue for the display boards. We issued a licence only after their NOC was issued. The deputy collector has conveyed to us that a stop-work notice has been issued and that the licence must be cancelled. Once we receive a copy of the stop-work notice, we will revoke the licence granted for the LED hoardings,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The installation of LED hoardings had triggered outrage among local residents, who argue that the move would forever alter the character of the 1.2-km promenade, a cherished public space where citizens walk, jog and gather for community activities.
Former corporator Asif Zakaria, who is leading the charge for the residents, has raised concerns over the “commercialisation” of the Carter Road promenade. “BMC and MMB are passing the buck here, while citizens have been left in the lurch. Ports minister Nitesh Rane said no NOC has been granted, although the BMC’s licence department says permission was granted only after receiving an NOC from MMB. However, in the written permission of the BMC, there is no mention of the MMB’s NOC. There is no clarity,” Zakaria said.
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