Chennai: The
Madras high court directed the authorities to ensure that no digital
banners or placards were put up in violation of the provisions of the
City Muni­cipal Corporation Act and other relevant Acts and Rules, in
the state, in a reference to  political parties and officials doing so
free­ly. 

Disposing of petitions from social activist Traffic
Ramaswamy, a division bench, comprising Chief Justice R. K. Agrawal and
Justice M. Sathya­nara­yanan, said that the auth­or­ities should take
effective steps to prevent the unauthorised digital banners, placards
and hoardings from coming up and launch criminal prosecution against
individuals violating the law.

The authorities were also directed
to hold periodical meetings, preferably once in three months, to review
the implementation of statutes, rules and regulations and orders passed
by the court with regard to the putting up of digital banners, placards
and hoardings.

“This court hopes and trusts that the political
parties and organisations will realise the responsibility and duty they
owe to the public and behave responsibly in the future,” the bench ad-
ded.

The
bench said that a perusal of the Amended Acts and Rules framed there
under would clearly disclose that without applying for a license, no
digital banners or placards in any such form were permissible.

The
various photographs enclosed in the typed set of documents would
disclose the non-compliance of the previous orders passed by the court. A
perusal of the status report and counter affidavit filed by the Chennai
Collector and Chennai corporation would also give the impr­e­ssion that
as and when the petitions were listed for hearing, they would come out
with a status report defending the action taken. Compare to the
magnitude of the violations, the action taken was very minimal, the
bench added.

The bench said that the materials placed before the
court would indicate that the officials concerned lacked will and
courage to prevent such illegalities and take a defense that due to lack
of personnel they were unable to do so.

It was very saddening to
note that the violators, more particularly, the political parties, were
vying with each other to violate the orders passed by the court and the
statutory provisions with absolute impunity.

Some of the photos
also disclosed that digital banners were put right across pathways and
party flags were inserted on poles that were projecting onto the road,
which, in turn, endangered road users, especially two-wheeler riders,
the bench added, giving these directions.