AP High Court says 'Raze video hoardings'

Televisionpoint.com Correspondent
The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to stop video advertising on the roads within its jurisdiction with immediate effect.

A division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy gave this order while dealing with petition against Light Emitting Diode (LED) advertisements on the Hyderabad city streets.

The Chief Justice observed that that GHMC seemed to be deliberately inviting accidents by erecting such LED hoardings in streets. GHMC's counsel Ramachandra Reddy, too, admitted that some such LED hoardings had caused road accidents.

"Since you have admitted it, take remedial action. We cannot compromise on public safety. They are posing a threat to the safety of the man walking on the street. We are not going to allow you to keep them even for a day." said the judges.

The bench remarked that a three-member advocates committee has found that GHMC had violated a resolution passed by the standing committee of the erstwhile MCH while allowing LED hoardings.

The judges also said that the case should not come in the way of payment of ex-gratia to the family of a person who was killed in a hoarding collapse.