District Collectors asked to remove advertisements on Highway roads

The Tamil Nadu Highways Department has asked its officials and district Collectors to remove advertisements on highway roads

The Tamil Nadu Highways Department has directed all District Collectors to remove advertisement boards installed within the right of way of highway roads.

K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said the directive was issued based on the consumer body raising the issue with the Department.

According to him, Highways Secretary R. Selvaraj emphasised a Government Order dated December 29, 2016, prohibiting advertisement boards within highways boundaries and medians, and mandated cancellation of permissions already granted.

Mr. Kathirmathiyon said that such boards have popped up on roads, violating the norms set by the Indian Road Congress. While the Union Government has banned such advertisements on its roads, the State government mandates that the Highways Department should issue a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to place the advertisements. However, the advertisements were permitted without the NOC.

The consumer organisation recently wrote to the Department saying that it would take legal recourse for contempt of court if the advertisements were not removed in a month.

In response, the Highways Secretary issued directions to collectors to take immediate action and instructed the Director General of the Department to ensure strict adherence to the orders of the Madras High Court and the Indian Road Congress norms, Mr. Kathirmathiyon said.