Five Municipal Corporations directed to frame hoarding, advertisement bye-laws on lines of Shimla MC
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Shimla, Nov 20,
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed all Municipal Corporations in the state, except those that have already notified their regulations, to draft and notify their Erection, Exhibition, Affixation of Advertisement and Hoarding Bye-Laws, 2025 on the pattern of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC).
The direction was issued on Tuesday by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Jiya Lal Bhardwaj while hearing Court on its own motion vs. State of Himachal Pradesh & others.
During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner referred to a communication dated September 17, 2025, highlighting that the State Government had, through its letter dated September 12, 2025, instructed all Urban Local Bodies to frame comprehensive bye-laws governing hoardings and outdoor advertisements. These bye-laws are to be framed on the analogy of those already notified by the Municipal Corporation, Shimla.
The High Court noted the submission and directed the remaining five Municipal Corporations — including Mandi, Solan, Dharamshala, Palampur, and Parwanoo (where applicable) — to act in line with the government’s instructions, ensuring uniformity and regulatory clarity across urban areas.
The Bench stressed the need for a harmonised approach to outdoor advertisement governance, particularly in hill towns where unregulated hoardings pose environmental, aesthetic, and safety concerns.
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