Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday directed the Industries secretary to file an affidavit before 1.45 pm on Wednesday about the action taken regarding the illegal installation of boards and banners at public places.
If the secretary fails to do so, he must be present in person to explain the same, the court said.
Toughening its stand, Justice Devan Ramachandran said the court's patience should not be taken as a weakness. "This Court, until now, has been acting with great equanimity and patience. However, this is now being taken as a weakness. Perhaps, the time has come for this Court to prove otherwise," Justice Ramachandran observed.
During the hearing, amicus curiae Advocate Harish Vasudevan said he witnessed a blatant violation of court orders in Thiruvananthapuram city. "Ninety per cent of the boards are from Government agencies with the head of the Chief Minister, the Ministers, and the constitutional and statutory authorities. In the name of a religious festival, the entire city was flooded with festoons yesterday. I don't know if it has been removed today", he submitted.
"When the government agencies are doing this, what kind of message are we giving out? What kind of image and impression are we creating?" the court wondered.
The court also noted that the government department was also not filing an affidavit in the matter, despite orders in this regard.
