BMC told to remove ads from gantry gates

THE MP High Court has directed the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) to remove advertisements put up on gantry gates in the City within a fortnight.

THE MP High Court has directed the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) to remove advertisements put up on gantry gates in the City within a fortnight.

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A division bench comprising Justice Deepak Verma and Justice R C Mishra issued the directive after a five-member committee of officials from departments, including Transport, submitted its report claiming the advertisements put up on gantry gates cause disturbance attracting attention of drivers which may lead to accidents.

The committee was formed following the HC’s direction. The committee also said gantry gates should be used as indicator carrying information regarding place, distance and road directions.

Mohammad Farooq of Bhopal filed the PIL seeking direction for removal of such advertisements on grounds of causing accidents.

The petitioner’s counsel advocate Girish Shrivastava said gantry gates were generally meant for indicating names of places falling on the route, the distance and the direction informing the people.

In a similar PIL, the High Court has stayed installing advertisements on gantry gates in Jabalpur, the counsel said.