The Bombay High Court on Wednesday expressed its displeasure over the number of illegal hoardings put up by political parties and observed that they do not have any respect for the court’s orders.

The bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar was hearing a petition against illegal hoardings across Maharashtra and noted that in spite of many orders passed by the court, the violations continued.

The bench observed that the political parties had given an undertaking earlier asking party workers to not put up illegal hoardings. The bench in its order said that “the Court had cautioned the political parties and had reminded them of the undertakings furnished on their behalf to the Court. However, it appears that the political parties and other such organisations also do not have any respect to the Court orders.”

During the hearing, certain photographs were submitted by advocate Manoj Sirsath, which depicted various hoardings put up in Mumbai, especially in the Fort area.

“Despite our explicit and clear directions issued earlier, it appears that concrete steps are not being taken by the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai and other Municipal Corporations to check such illegal hoardings and banners etc,” the bench said.

The court said that it had already expressed concerns in earlier orders about the environmental hazards which such banners and hoardings may cause. “However, despite all such orders having been passed, the directions issued by the Court appear to have fallen to deaf ears of the authorities,” it said.

Advocate Anil Sakhare, appearing for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), assured the court of apprising the Municipal Commissioner of the violations and the concerns being expressed by the court.

The bench directed Sakhare to take complete instructions about how and under what circumstances the hoardings, posters and banners depicted in the photographs tendered to the court were allowed to come up and why no action was taken by the municipal authorities. The bench directed the district civil and police administration to check such attempts.

The bench will further hear the plea on illegal hoardings on Thursday and requested the advocate general to assist the court in this matter.