The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has issued a notice to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), seeking a response on its decision to install advertisement hoardings on the city’s footpaths.
Madhukar Kukade, President of the Citizen Forum for Equality, has challenged the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) decision to erect advertisement hoardings on footpaths. Hearing the petition, a division bench comprising Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Vrushali Joshi issued a notice to the NMC commissioner, directing a reply by January 29.
The petitioner alleged that the NMC issued an e-tender to award contracts for advertising through hoardings on footpaths and other public spaces in the city, claiming the decision to be illegal.
The High Court had previously, on July 20, 2000, directed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) not to erect hoardings on footpaths and to remove existing ones. Despite this, the NMC issued a controversial e-tender on December 12, 2024, prompting allegations of contempt of court.
The petitioner argued that erecting hoardings on footpaths would inconvenience pedestrians and lead to encroachment. With blocked footpaths, pedestrians are forced to use roads, causing traffic disruptions and increasing the risk of accidents. Advocate Tushar Mandlekar represented the petitioner in the case.