The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) along with all the corporations and municipal councils across Maharashtra to list down the steps they have undertaken to regulate illegal hoardings. The HC has also asked the Election Commission (EC) to spell out the measures it proposes to undertake to prohibit political parties from putting up posters, hoardings at public places/properties illegally. A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Amjad Sayed heard a batch of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) seeking a ban on illegal hoardings, which deface the public properties. The judges had in February this year, passed a detailed judgement with a series of directions to the corporations and the Election Commission to comply with. The judges had asked the civic bodies to remove all the unauthorised hoardings, banners and posters put up by political parties during various festivals and also during the elections. The judges had even asked the corporations to initiate criminal proceedings against political parties and to also consider imposing fines on the errant party workers. In a specific direction to the EC, the judges had asked it to consider imposing strict conditions on political parties, asking them not to indulge in defacement of public properties, at the time of registration itself. When the matter was called up for hearing on Friday, the counsel appearing for the Election Commission told the judges that the Commission seeks some more time to comply with their orders. Allowing their plea, the judges directed all the corporations as well as the EC to file their affidavits spelling out the measures they have undertaken, by January 10.