The KMC has said it is compelled to stop the ongoing campaign of removing roadside hoardings after the EC, issuing a letter to the office, instructed it not to remove the hoarding boards along the Singha Durbar-Bhadrakali road.
"We had to return without removing the hoardings from the Singha Durbar area after we got a letter from the EC," a KMC official said on the condition of anonymity.
The metropolis has forwarded a letter to the chief secretary and to the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD).
"Due to EC´s interference, we have been compelled to hold the campaign," said Dhanapati Sapkota, security chief of the metropolis.
He said that the decision to pull out the hoardings is not new and that it does not breach any election code of conduct. [break]
The metropolis last year had decided to remove billboards placed within 100 meters of Singha Durbar and near other heritage sites.
"We had also informed the companies and the contractors long ago and had ordered them to remove the hoardings by themselves," added Sapkota.
Bir Bahadur Rai, spokesperson of EC, concedes that the office issued the letter to KMC instructing it not to remove hoardings near Singha Durbar. "We have only reminded the KMC the verdict of appellate court," said Rai. He also conceded that the EC issued the order after receiving a complaint from a hoarding trader.
Sapkota said that the office is consulting with ministry and legal experts about the EC order. He claims that the court´s verdict does not bar the office from continuing the campaign. The appellate court had issued the order in case of one particular trader. "The trader had claimed that he had taken approval for up to 2015," he added.
According to KMC, the hoarding boards placed on the rooftops and along the roads tarnish the beauty of the city and pose a great risk to public safety.
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