Gauhati High Court Demands Update on Outdoor Advertisement Policy Delay
Court Orders Assam Government to Report on Advertisement Policy
Guwahati, June 29: The Gauhati High Court has instructed the Assam Government to provide a status update regarding the long-overdue final notification of the Guwahati Outdoor Advertisement Policy Guidelines, 2017.
A division bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Lanusungkum Jamir and Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak, issued this order while addressing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that claimed the government had not officially notified the final version of the advertisement policy, despite the significant passage of time.
According to reports from a legal news outlet, the court stated, “The learned Additional Advocate General, Assam shall file a status report concerning the revised version of the Guwahati Outdoor Advertisement Policy Guidelines, 2017.”
This case originates from a PIL filed in 2016, which highlighted concerns about the uncontrolled placement of hoardings and billboards along roads and traffic dividers in Guwahati.
The petitioner contended that the city lacked a coherent policy to regulate outdoor advertising, leading to visual chaos and potential hazards for road safety.
In response, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) released a draft of the policy in 2017, inviting public feedback and objections.
During the court proceedings, the Senior Additional Advocate General informed that no objections were raised regarding the draft.
On May 7, 2018, the High Court concluded the original PIL, instructing the GMC to send the draft policy to the state government for final approval and mandated that the notification be issued within six weeks.
However, over seven years later, the policy has yet to be notified, leading to the submission of a new PIL questioning the delay.
The petitioner has accused the government of administrative negligence, undermining the court's previous directive.
The High Court has now requested a comprehensive status report from the government, reinstating judicial oversight on the matter of unregulated outdoor advertising in Guwahati.