On the directives of the Supreme Court, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to remove all unauthorised statues which are causing road accidents and creating traffic problems.

The government will give 15 days’ time to political parties to remove their party leaders’ statues, banners and flexies.

After that the state government will not give permission to anyone to install statues in public places. AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held a review meeting on Friday at the Secretariat in this regard.

Officials told the CM that the Court had ordered there should be no statues in public places on either side of roads and footpaths. The government asked the High Court to give a month’s time to take action on removal of statues in the state. Reacting to this, Mr Naidu asked the officials to remove all the statues which were installed without the government’s permission.

The CM said that the panchayat raj, municipal, roads and building and police departments should take up this work in coordination. The CM directed the district collectors and other officials to talk to political parties, various organisations and ask them to shift the statues to private places.