the goan I networkrPANAJIrrAdv Rodrigues has filed a complaint before Superintendent of Police (traffic) and Principal Chief Engineer of Public Works Department in this regard. rIn separate complaints addressed to the PWD Principal Chief Engineer and the SP (traffic), Adv Rodrigues has sought directions to remove the hoarding and has also sought action against the officers concerned for not upholding the law. rAdv Rodrigues further accused the two authorities of being mere spectators to this alleged illegality. rThe hoarding referred to in Adv Rodrigues’ complaint has been pasted on the entire right side of the road on the large green direction board while entering Margao from Panaji, right after the Kadamba interstate terminus as well. rThe said hoarding, which displays an image of the TCP Minister Sardessai, was put up two weeks after the formation of the BJP-led government with the support of Sardessai’s GFP. SP (traffic) Devesh Kumar Mahla confirmed the receipt of the complaint and has stated, “We have received the complaint and we will look into the matter in order to ascertain the nature of the offence as has been pointed out by the complainant.” rSeveral officers from traffic police, however, pointed out that courts have ordered hoardings to be taken down in the past after it was observed that these cause distraction to the drivers leading to accidents and hence are in violation of the MV Act, 1988. rIn April 2016, for instance, the Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh HC directed the state government to follow instructions laid down in the MV Act about signs and advertisements that obscure any traffic sign from view of drivers. rrWhy has this hoarding been singled out? questions MLA’s Fatorda office rrMARGAO: The office of the Fatorda MLA firmly asserted that the hoarding has been put up after entering into a contract with a contractor, even as it sought to know why only this particular hoarding ad been singled out.rThere are dozens of hoardings displaying political messages which have been conveniently ignored. Why have certain people developed an allergy to Goem, Goemkar and Goemkarpoon, the office stated. “The hoarding in question was booked by Goa Forward Party with the contractor with due permissions. We fail to understand what sort of illegality has been committed by the MLA and Minister,” the office said.
Aires takes on Vijai over alleged illegal hoarding
Activist advocate Aires Rodrigues has taken on Town and Country Planning Minister and Goa Forward supremo Vijai Sardesai over the alleged illegal hoarding put up by the latter across the road on the highway board at the entrance of Margao on the Panaji-Margao highway.
