The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the Municipal Corporation, Shimla to remove the hoardings/advertisements displayed from heritage from the Rashtrapati Bhawan to Chhota Shimla including the Ridge and Mall Road.
The MC Shimla has been further directed to report compliance with the court’s order by tomorrow.
The orders were passed by a Division Bench comprising Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Chander Bhushan Barowalia on a petition filed by one Anil Kumar.
The petitioner has alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party has displayed its hoardings from the Rashtrapati Bhawan to Chhota Shimla, including the Ridge and Mall Road.
The petitioner has alleged that more than 50 hoardings have been installed in this heritage zone and the permission for government hoarding has been given erroneously as the size of government hoardings is more than prescribed.
It has been further alleged that the respondents have permitted the political parties to install their hoardings in complete violation of guidelines which provide that no advertisement/hoarding shall be allowed in the heritage zone.
The heritage zone stretches from Mall Road to Rashtrapati Bhawan to Chhota Shimla including Ridge on the one side upto Regal Building (Lakkar Bazar) and on the other side along Ridge road to Mall and US Club road up to its Gate.