PCB axe on 10 illegal hoardings set up on Defence Estates land

The board administration stated that the hoardings had illegal power connections and were erected in defence land in violation of rules

In a major crackdown on illegal hoardings put up by private advertisement agencies eating into the revenue of Defence Estates Office (DEO), the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) on Saturday carried out a day long drive and demolished ten illegal hoardings erected at strategic locations in the area, officials said.

The cantonment board took action as the DEO office has been short staffed for the past several years. (HT PHOTO)

The cantonment board took action as the DEO office has been short staffed for the past several years.

The board administration stated that the hoardings had illegal power connections and were erected in defence land in violation of rules.

According to cantonment observers, these hoardings erected were unauthorised and collected around a lakh rupees per month or even more as rental income.

The illegal hoardings were pulled down professionally with the help of gas cutters in presence of policemen to avoid retaliation from the violators.

Subrat Pal, chief executive officer, PCB, said that a detailed probe has been ordered into the demolition of illegal hoardings.

“We are finding out who put the hoardings and where did the rental income go. Also, these hoardings were illegally set up on defence estate land and had unauthorised power supply. So far, ten hoardings have been removed and action will continue further. The boardings have been set up more than a year ago in violation of the law,” said Pal.

Pal who is also the officiating DEO besides being PCB CEO said that the DEO was short staffed due to which the action was delayed.

“We have appointed a nodal officer and dedicated team of 20 persons to take strict and immediate action against the violators . In such cases , nobody comes forward and hence strict action is being initiated to get to the roots and recover the amount earned as rental by the violators,” he said.

Across the city, there has been action against illegal hoardings in the past few days.

After a couple of hoarding collapse mishaps in the city, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) too has two months ago instructed to conduct the safety audit of all the hoardings in the city.

In April this year, a hoarding collapse incident was reported in Kiwale area along the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway killing five persons.

Similarly, in 2018, a hoarding-related accident at Juna Bazar Chowk near regional transport office (RTO) killed five people.