Calcutta High Court Orders Dismantling Of Unauthorised Advertisement Hoardings In Bidhannagar Within 48 Hours

The Calcutta High Court has directed advertisers with hoardings in Kolkata's Bidhannagar area, to take immediate steps to dismantle unauthorised hoardings immediately within the next 48 hours, failing which the Municipal Corporation would be directed to dismantle them and recover costs.

A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya express "surprise" over the State's report that out of 351 advertisers in the area who were using hoardings, only two were paying the requisite fees to the Municipal corporation.

Court said that it failed to understand why the Municipal corporation adopted a "circuitous approach" to address these violations when there were specific statutes to prevent the defacement of public places.

Accordingly, it passed the aforesaid directions.

The petitioner had moved a plea on the issue in the aftermath of the recent incident from Ghatkopar in Mumbai where the collapse of an illegal hoarding led to the deaths of 17 people while injuring 75 others. Chief Justice Sivagnanam also took a grim view of the nature of unauthorised hoardings being put up in Bidhannagar as well.

Case: DIBYAYAN BANERJI VS STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

Case No: WPA(P) 293/2024