Sally vows to remove all unauthorised hoardings

BY CHAMIKARA Weerasinghe

COLOMBO Deputy Mayor Azath S. Sally yesterday vowed to remove all unauthorised hoardings which have come up in Colombo from today.

This will challenge an extension issued by Municipal Commissioner to have them removed by January 31.

Azath S. Sally will be Acting Mayor of Colombo from today in the absence of Mayor Prasanna Gunawardena who will be away from the country for a couple of weeks.

Deputy Mayor Sally said he had already removed 386 hoardings within the city limits so far and was prepared to remove the remaining unauthorised advertising material.

"I, as the Deputy Mayor and the Acting Mayor of Colombo will remove these unauthorised material from being displayed in keeping with a determination of the Court of Appeal in this regard," said Sally.

He said, "I think that hoarding mafia was trying their best to take control of things in regard to the situation with the help of Municipal Commissioner, by getting his support in the form of an extension to display their illegal hoardings."

Sally said that he had got the backing of the Chief Minister to remove the unauthorised hoardings.

Referring to the problem of hoardings and cleaning the city, Sally said that it has become a difficult task for the Council.