(a)whether a number of hoardings and display boards are mushrooming all along the National Highways throughout the country in contravention of Supreme Court Order of 1997;
(b) whether the Union Government has formulated any policy or taken any action in this regard;
(
(c) if so, the details thereof; and
(d)if not, the reasons therefor?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SHIPPING, ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS(SHRI K. H. MUNIYAPPA )
(a) Despite instructions issued to the State Governments from time to time not to
permit erection of advertisement hoardings and display boards in National Highway Land,
and to remove any unauthorized advertisement hoardings/ display boards wherever erected,
advertisement hoardings and display boards are still existing at several locations along
National Highways.
(b)&(c) Policy on roadside advertisement has been specified by the Government through
Publication No. 46 of 1972 of the Indian Roads Congress titled as `A Policy of Roadside
Advertisements`. Since the erection of hoardings, advertisement boards, statues etc.
are a source of distraction to traffic, their erection is not permitted on National Highway
Land. Informatory signs of public interest are, however, permitted. Under the policy of
private sponsorship of road signs and greening of National Highways, the private
entrepreneurs are allowed to depict the name/logo of their company in a sign of
specified dimension.
(d) Does not arise.