Public hoarding on achievements to stay: HC

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">CHANDIGARH: In a significant order the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday directed that the hoarding put up by the central and various state governments highlighting their achievements need not be removed if these were in place three months before the announcement of the general elections to the Lok Sabha last month.<br /><br />In essence all such hoarding which had been put up prior to December 1, 2003 are to remain in place.<br /><br />These interim orders were issued by the division bench of the Chief Justice Binod Kumar Roy and Justice Surya Kant during the resumed hearing on the public interest litigation (PIL) petition preferred by Chandigarh-based National Consumers Awareness Group a non-government organisation, through its convenor Col (Retd) PJS Mehta. <br /><br />The PIL had sought direction to stay and also quash the orders of the election commission whereby all hoarding meant to display the achievements of the state governments were to be removed.<br /><br />The orders of the election commission would amount to wasting public funds which had already been spent on these hoarding and involved further spending in crores in the removal and storage of the hoarding or even to cover these with some cloth etc temporarily, the petitioner had submitted.<br /><br />However, while issuing the interim order the bench fixed April 15 for final hearing in the matter by when the reply from the election commission too would become available. <br /><br /><formid=367815></formid=367815></div> </div>