PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has directed authorities to remove illegal hoardings along National Highway 66 from Panaji to Mapusa and National Highway 4A from Merces Circle to the State border at Anmod/Mollem within two weeks.
In its order to a suo motu writ petition dated September 4, the Division Bench of Justice M S Karnik and Valmiki Menezes directed one of the respondents to remove all hoardings on electricity poles along NH 66 from Merces Circle to Bambolim Cross and NH 4A from Merces Circle Old Goa via Kadamba Plateau. The respondent had given an undertaking to remove these hoardings within three weeks.
During the hearing on Thursday, Amicus Curiae and Senior Advocate Saresh Lotlikar submitted to the Bench similar hoardings along NH 66 from Panaji to Mapusa, which are within the line of sight. The respondent confirmed these hoardings were placed by its contractor and assured the Court to remove them within two weeks from the entire stretch of NH 66 from Panaji to the State border. The hoardings on NH 4A from Merces Circle to the State border at Anmod/Mollem will also be removed within the same timeframe.
Failure to do so, the Court has directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to remove the hoardings and present the estimated cost, which will have to be borne by the concerned contractor.
“In the event that these hoardings on both the National Highway 66 and the National Highway 4A, are not removed by the Respondent within the stipulated period, the MORTH shall have these hoardings immediately removed and present to this Court the estimated cost for the removal of these hoardings. The Contractor is put to notice to deposit the estimated cost towards removal of these hoardings before this Court within a period of two weeks of the presentation of the estimate,” the Bench stated.
Further, the Director of Panchayats submitted a Circular dated September 4 instructing all the Block Development Officers and Panchayats to enforce HC’s previous orders regarding illegal hoardings and not permit any in their respective jurisdictions.
Regarding other hoardings visible along NH, Adv Pravin Faldessai for MORTH assured that concerned officers have been instructed to remove these hoardings. A compliance report will be filed in Court within two weeks.
