TNCC urges govt to appoint committee on hoardings issue

Chennai, Jan 8 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President M Krishnasamy today urged the state government to appoint a committee, headed by a retired High Court judge to look into the ''illegal hoardings'' issue.

In a statement here, the Congress leader suggested that the committee, comprising representatives from Police, road safety organisations and social activists, should study about the illegal hoardings in the state and come out with new guidelines.

Based on the recommendations of the committee, the government should promulgate an ordinance, laying fresh guidelines for issuing licences for erection of hoardings, which was a major cause for road accidents.

Welcoming Chief Minsiter M Karunanidhi's move to make the city free from hoarding menace, the TNCC President said the Chief Minister's colleague Arcot N Veerasamy, deserved to be congratulated for removing hoardings from his private premises.

Citing a study, Mr Krishnasamy said 30 per cent of road accidents were related to encroachment of hoardings in footpaths.

During the previous AIADMK regime, as many as 1291 licences were issued for erecting hoardings in the city, without following any guidelines, the Congress leader alleged.

UNI