HYDERABAD: Taking cognizance of the growing banner menace that has marred the city's public spaces, the Andhra Pradesh High Court this week admitted a public interest petition (PIL) filed against all major parties of the state.
HC takes cognizance of banner menace
The petitioner, P Srikanth Reddy, has named Congress, BJP, TDP, YSRCP, TRS, MIM and Lok Satta in his PIL filed on February 3 and accused the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation for failing to curb this menace. According to the PIL, "nearly five lakh square feet of printed material is being erected within the GHMC limits every week".
"When questioned, many political representatives simply pass the buck onto the party cadre. But a party and its president cannot function without accountability. That apart, how can they explain the presence of hundreds of banners in the vicinity of party head offices," Reddy told TOI. In his petition he has also stated that this outdoor material often carry instigative content on religious, caste or regional lines.
"For every occasion, including frivolous ones like a leader's birthday or when he is returning from a trip, party men erect hoardings, flexi, banners and wall posters. In addition to this, they indulge in writing on wall covering another 50,000 square feet of wall area. This is in violation of the GHMC Act," he stated.
Incidentally, TOI had taken up the matter in these columns on January 5 this year, detailing localities where the menace was rampant. It also highlighted how political parties refused to relinquish public space hijacked for banners, by driving away GHMC workers when they tried to remove the banners and hoardings. GHMC commissioner Somesh Kumar had then admitted that the 'banner culture' was a serious cause for concern and a lot needed to be done to curb it. Other GHMC officials also admitted that most of the outdoor material erected by political parties wasn't authorized.
"Flexi signs are prepared with sub-standard material that are damaging to the environment. They also obstruct commuters' view, distracting people from focusing on the road, which leads to slowing vehicular movement and accidents," the petition further stated.
Reddy also said that once a spot is picked for erecting a banner or hoarding, a leader continues to possess it, using it for putting up different material on various occasions.
"In just four hours, we were able to document banner violations at 300 locations, which we submitted to the court. Even the newer parts of the city like Madhapur and Hitec City are not spared," he added.
Admitting the petition earlier this week, the High Court clubbed it with another similar petition filed by a civil society organization, Trust for Social Justice. The matter is set for hearing on February 17.
