Anti-hoarding drive: Cops under Bombay high court lens over safety of civic staff

The Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to list police stations that have failed to provide protection to civic officials during anti-hoarding drives.

The Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to list police stations that have failed to provide protection to civic officials during anti-hoarding drives.

The Bombay high court has also asked municipal commissioners to file affidavits over action taken against hoardings. (HT Photo)

If found guilty, police stations will face contempt of court charge. The court has also asked commissioners of other civic bodies in the state to file affidavits over action taken against hoardings.

The court issued a show cause notice to the municipal commissioner of Aurangabad for not complying with its January 2017 orders to carry out hoarding removal drives and register cases against violators. The state had also been asked to file a compliance report on the enforcement of anti-hoarding drives in the state.

The compliance reports are to be submitted by August 29, and the matter is posted for hearing on September 14.

A division bench of justices Abhay Oka and Riyaz Chagla was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations (PILs) filed by Suswarajya Foundation, a Satara-based NGO, and other social groups from across the state against the lethargic attitude of authorities towards removal of hoardings put up by various people, including political parties.

In January 2017, the court had issued orders, directing all municipal corporations to carry out anti-hoarding drives and submit regular compliance reports.

On Wednesday, when the matter came up for hearing, advocates for various civic bodies submitted their reports. Civic bodies of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Nashik submitted compliance reports between 2017 and July 2018 .

The BMC, however, informed the court that it could not tear down hoardings in some areas because police failed to provide protection to its staff.

The court issued a show cause notice to the Aurangabad municipal corporation commissioner for not complying with its orders. It also directed the Amravati municipal corporation commissioner to file an affidavit to support its ‘tall claims’ of a ‘few cases’ .