Bombay HC to TMC: How will you curb illegal pandals?

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday asked the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to file an affidavit by December 7 about steps planned to curb illegal pandals during the forthcoming Maghi Ganesh Utsav(Ganesh festival celebrated in February every year). The court also made it clear that it will not accept reasons like on previous occasions that action wasn’t taken because idols were installed inside the pandals. The court reiterated that FIRs would be registered against mandals opposing the corporation’s decision.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice A.K. Menon was hearing a bunch of PILs regarding noise pollution and illegal pandals set up on roads and footpaths during Ganesh and Navratri festivals.

On Friday, TMC counsel Ram Apte told the court that they would take all precautions and follow all court orders before giving permissions to the pandals. However, the court pulled up TMC saying, “Don’t show actions only on paper.  They must also be on ground.” Reiterating its earlier order, the court said, “This time, we are not going to tolerate your answer that idols were inside the pandals and due to that, you could not take action against the mandals.”

“We will register a FIR against those who create obstruction while taking action,” the court said. It clarified that only the commissioner of any corporation had the power to regulate mandals as an exceptional case and no other officer had such authority.

In a reminder that traffic obstacles will not be tolerated, the court said, “Without the traffic police’s nod, don’t give permission to such mandals to set up pandals on the road”.