Banners: State’s promises unkept, says Madras High Court

A division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice P Rajamanickam passed the interim order after admitting a public interest litigation moved by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy seeking to hold an enquiry about non-implementation of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act relating to banners and hoardings since 2011.

“Unless the Tamil Nadu government and concerned local bodies come out with a clear undertaking to strictly comply and scrupulously implement relevant rules and various orders passed by the court and that no such violation would take place, the recognised and registered political parties shall not erect any digital banners,” the bench said.

Also on offering a direction that the banners shall not be erected on the side of arterial roads or any other roads which distracts the road users, especially the riders of two wheelers and obstructing the pedestrians until further orders, the bench also held “Despite being pointed out repeatedly, the names and other details of the printers of digital banners is not referred and no action has been taken by the authorities against the printers of the digital banners or the associations represented by them.”

The bench on taking serious view of the erection of the banners from the Chennai Airport to Anna Salai, said that the Regional Deputy Commissioner (South) and the Inspector of Police who issued NOC have failed to adhere to the rules and regulations.

During the hearing, the bench on reiterating its earlier observations that not a single case has been either registered against a politician or political party even though the rules were passed as early as 2006 said the State, besides allowing such banners to be erected ignoring its own rules, has also refused to act against the offenders.

Further, noting that it is the standard reply of the government to submit that the objectionable banners have been taken down after the same is brought to the court’s attention, the bench pulled up the State saying that promises to prevent such future violations remain unkept.

The matter has been posted for further hearing to January 4, 2019.