THE MP High Court here today restrained the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) from constructing gantries (arches across roads) on main roads for purpose of putting up advertisements on them it till further order. The court’s order came on a PIL seeking direction to ban installation of advertisements on the gantries.
With this direction, a division bench comprising Chief Justice A K Patnaik and Justice Ajit Singh served notices on the Bhopal Municipal Corporation and the State Government after hearing the petitioner’s counsel Girish Shrivastava arguments.
The counsel argued that if advertisements were put on the gantries it would divert the attention of motor drivers, inviting road accidents. Further, the counsel said generally the name of place and distance is mentioned on the gantries and not advertisements.
The PIL stated that the BMC recently invited tenders for construction of some 200 gantries for purpose of putting up advertisement alongside name of places and distance would be mentioned over it.