The Hindu             21.11.2013

Civic body likely to take over banners

Following the proposal sent by the Chennai Collectorate
to transfer powers of permitting banners to Chennai Corporation, the
civic body will send a proposal to amend the Chennai City Municipal
Corporation Act shortly. If the State government approves this proposal,
residents may not have to get permission from the Chennai Collectorate
for erecting such banners. The Corporation Commissioner will have powers
to permit banners under the amended Act.

“Earlier,
the power was with Corporation Commissioner. The Act was amended 10
years ago to transfer powers to Collector. Now, the State government has
to take a decision,” said an official of Chennai Corporation.

The
lack of manpower has been a hurdle for the Chennai Collectorate to
regulate banners in the city. Under the existing procedure, the
Collectorate in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur issued permission
to erect temporary banners after no-objection certificates were issued
by the Chennai Corporation and other government agencies.

The
District Collectorate, with the assistance of the Chennai Corporation,
had recently scaled up operations against hoardings and digital banners
across the city. A drive to remove them in areas such as Egmore,
Triplicane, Mylapore, Nungambakkam, Alandur and Sholinganallur were
carried out a few weeks ago.

Officials from the taluk
monitoring committees have also been stressing the need for criminal
action against persons who erect banners illegally. Most of the illegal
banners carry advertisements of private enterprises, including those of
cinemas, food products, motor vehicles and jewellers.

A
few months ago, the Madras High Court directed the collector to remove
all illegal hoardings, digital banners, and take necessary action to
penalise those who had contravened the rules and regulations under the
Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act.