Unipoles dismantled on highway stretch in Chennai following RTI

Following an RTI filed with the Highways Department of TN Government on the number of unipoles erected on the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam link road in Chennai, as also the tender procedure followed for the erection of such hoardings on the highways land, some of the media have been brought down.

The RTI reportedly did not elicit a direct response but a few of the media have been dismantled. This issue had started last year when the question was raised with Highways Department whether permission was given to private contractors to erect unipole advertisement hoardings. The reply from the department clearly stated that no such permission had been given which claimed that these hoardings were put up illegally. 

As per the orders issued by the government in 2016, the nationwide highways were turned into no-advertising zone to reduce accidents.