The Calcutta High Court has ordered the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation to provide a list of hoardings that have been illegally removed, despite having permission to erect them.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya told the Corporation to convene a meeting at the earliest to regulate illegal hoardings with the location of each hoarding, and place it before the Corporation Commissioner. Office-bearers of the association of advertising agencies and the petitioner can make submissions in the meeting.
On January 30, 2025, the court had observed that the pendency of the petition would not prevent the association from making a representation before the Commissioner.
The association must agree to be regulated by the relevant statutes, regulations, rules, and guidelines.
If such representation is made, the Commissioner will give a hearing to three office bearers of the association and take an appropriate decision, which will be placed before the court on the next hearing date.
The court received two representations from the association, dated February 5 and 6, 2025. However, the Municipal Corporation argued the application was filed without giving them sufficient time to fix a date for a meeting, as observed by the court in its January 30 order.
In response, the court has instructed the Municipal Corporation to convene a meeting at the earliest, proposing the first within the week. The matter has been listed for further hearing on February 27, 2025.