Legality of hoardings installed on govt land along DND to be probed

Order follows complaint by Delhi citizen; claims 50 billboards put up on UP irrigation dept’s land against policy

The Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate has ordered an enquiry into the alleged illegal installation of billboards on UP irrigation department-owned land on either side of the Delhi-Noida-Delhi (DND) Flyway.

The complainant has submitted photographs of the hoardings that were allegedly installed illegally on UP irrigation department-owned land on either side of the DND Flyway. (HT File Photo)

District magistrate BN Singh had received a complaint from Kamar Jahan from Seelampur, Delhi, with photographs of around 50 billboards that have been put up on the irrigation department’s land along the DND Flyway.

The complainant has also claimed that these hoardings are a “visual clutter”, which is against the Supreme Court’s orders.

“I have asked the city magistrate to investigate and confirm if there was any irregularity in providing this space for putting up these hoardings. Strict action will be taken against anyone who has caused any loss to the state government,” BN Singh said.

The city magistrate has been told to find out the irrigation department’s policies, if any, for giving permission to put up hoardings. The complainant has claimed that the department did not follow its policies while giving permission. “No permission has been taken from the irrigation department or the Noida Authority to put these hoardings,” the complaint copy read.

The official order from the DM’s office directs the city magistrate to find out the exact size of these hoardings and the type of permission the advertisers have; most of these hoardings belong to private firms.

The administration will find out the exact number of hoardings that have been put up illegally. Also, officials have been told to confirm if all the hoardings in the photographs provided by the complainant have been put up illegally.

The DM further directed the magistrate to estimate the financial loss to the government if these hoardings have indeed been erected illegally. The magistrate will also look into the efforts irrigation department makes to remove hoardings that have been put up illegally.

KP Singh, senior official from the irrigation department, said, “I am not aware of the exact policies (the department follows) but we will look into the matter. We will provide all the possible help to the district administration in its enquiry.”