HC Questions Inaction On Illegal Hoardings, Seeks Accountability From Civic Officials The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has expressed frustration over the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) failure to address illegal hoardings, which continue to proliferate despite repeated legal directives. During a contempt petition hearing filed by Dinesh Naidu of NGO Parivartan, the division bench of Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode criticized the civic body for its lack of enforcement, emphasizing that the court’s earlier warnings about strict consequences for unauthorized structures have gone unheeded. The court’s stern stance during the winter session had already highlighted the issue, yet the situation remains unresolved, with unregulated hoardings persisting across the city. In response to the court’s inquiry, NMC commissioner Vipin Itankar submitted an affidavit detailing the civic body’s efforts. According to the document, deputy commissioners had sought explanations from assistant commissioners across all zones for enforcement lapses. The NMC reported that 131 show-cause notices were issued to individuals linked to illegal hoardings, while 807 cases lacked identifiable addresses or details, making it impossible to serve notices. Only five recipients have responded to the notices so far, underscoring a significant compliance gap. Despite the deployment of flying squads in each zone, the court deemed the response inadequate, pointing to systemic failures in enforcement. The bench also scrutinized internal accountability measures within the NMC. Deputy commissioners had issued show-cause notices to assistant commissioners for failing to ensure compliance with court orders and for alleged negligence.#bombay_high_court #nagpur_municipal_corporation #vipin_itankar #dinesh_naidu #parivartan
