In response to a notice issued on January 10 this year under contempt petition no 256/2010 regarding hoardings that deface the city, police commissioner Ankush Dhanvijay has submitted an affidavit in the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court pinning the blame on Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).
In the affidavit, the commissioner also blamed Parivartan - The Citizen Forum for making 'broad' allegations regarding hoardings without lodging reports in police stations. The commissioner has pointed out that as a conscientious citizen, secretary of Parivartan Dinesh Naidu should have lodged complaints with regard to specific hoardings. The police would have then registered the offence under section 3 of Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995.
This submission has triggered off a heated debate on the matter. Reacting sharply, petitioner Naidu said, "It is clear the police are pushing the blame on Parivartan and NMC. If that is the case, I will have to leave my work and rush to the police station every morning and evening to file complaints. Is it my job to identify illegal hoardings in every locality and register complaints? If I do so, I will make foes with all the offenders in the city."
The police chief also said that none of the NMC officials ever invited attention of police regarding illegal hoardings. "It has become difficult for the police officers to identify which hoardings are illegal as the corporation has failed to comply with direction of the High Court. The court had directed that the hoarding should bear the permission number and period for which it is granted. The said directions are not complied with by the corporation," states the affidavit.
The High Court had passed an order on a PIL filed in this regard and directed NMC to take strict action against hoardings. The bench had taken serious cognizance of breach of undertaking by the authorities about non-implementation of the provision of Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995, the City of Nagpur Corporation Act and Bombay Police Act.
In a RTI query, Naidu had enquired about the action taken against the persons whose hoardings had been seized after the directive given by the High Court in the case no. 749/05 & 754/05 and what action was taken against the hoardings erected illegally by Dr Nitin Raut on the high mast lamp on RBI square and Deekshabhoomi Square. He had also sought a copy of the NOC issued by the traffic department and the permission given by NMC to Church of North India for fixing temporary boards/hoardings.
These hoardings and banners tied to traffic signals on prominent squares block the view of the motorists and are a serious accident threat. Repeated efforts to reach the municipal commissioner failed.
In the affidavit, the commissioner also blamed Parivartan - The Citizen Forum for making 'broad' allegations regarding hoardings without lodging reports in police stations. The commissioner has pointed out that as a conscientious citizen, secretary of Parivartan Dinesh Naidu should have lodged complaints with regard to specific hoardings. The police would have then registered the offence under section 3 of Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995.
This submission has triggered off a heated debate on the matter. Reacting sharply, petitioner Naidu said, "It is clear the police are pushing the blame on Parivartan and NMC. If that is the case, I will have to leave my work and rush to the police station every morning and evening to file complaints. Is it my job to identify illegal hoardings in every locality and register complaints? If I do so, I will make foes with all the offenders in the city."
The police chief also said that none of the NMC officials ever invited attention of police regarding illegal hoardings. "It has become difficult for the police officers to identify which hoardings are illegal as the corporation has failed to comply with direction of the High Court. The court had directed that the hoarding should bear the permission number and period for which it is granted. The said directions are not complied with by the corporation," states the affidavit.
The High Court had passed an order on a PIL filed in this regard and directed NMC to take strict action against hoardings. The bench had taken serious cognizance of breach of undertaking by the authorities about non-implementation of the provision of Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995, the City of Nagpur Corporation Act and Bombay Police Act.
In a RTI query, Naidu had enquired about the action taken against the persons whose hoardings had been seized after the directive given by the High Court in the case no. 749/05 & 754/05 and what action was taken against the hoardings erected illegally by Dr Nitin Raut on the high mast lamp on RBI square and Deekshabhoomi Square. He had also sought a copy of the NOC issued by the traffic department and the permission given by NMC to Church of North India for fixing temporary boards/hoardings.
These hoardings and banners tied to traffic signals on prominent squares block the view of the motorists and are a serious accident threat. Repeated efforts to reach the municipal commissioner failed.
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