HC tells Collector to remove all unauthorised hoardings

Chennai, Aug 10 (UNI) The Madras High Court today directed the District Collector to remove and demolish all unauthorised hoardings erected in the city after June 15, 2001, where no application had been made within eight weeks of the cut off date of june 15, 2001.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice K Chandru gave the directive while appointing a committee to oversee the removal of illegal and unauthorised hoardings.

Dismissing a batch of petitions from the Tamil Nadu Outdoor Advertising Association and others, the bench said a committee was constituted for identifying and enumerating places of heritage importance and aesthetic value, popular places of worship in and the state capital around Chennai. The committee would oversee the removal operation.

The committee would be headed by Mr Justice E Padmanabhan and consist of the Chennai Municipal Corporation Commissioner or his nominee not less than Deputy Commissioner rank, Commissioner of Police, Chennai, or his nominee not less than Joint Commissioner rank and the District Collector.

The committee would be assisted by zonal commissioners/officers.

The State Government was told to provide infrastructure and an office to the committee in the premises of the municipal corporation with enough staff. Remuneration for the Chairman was Rs 25,000 per month.

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