The National Highways Authority of India has sought the permission of the ministry of road transport and highways to remove the pictures of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi from the billboards put up on NHAI projects across the country.

The move comes after the prime minister’s office (PMO) directed the NHAI in January not to use the prime minister’s photographs without its permission.

On Tuesday, the NHAI gave this information in response to an RTI application filed by Delhi resident Subhash Chandra Agrawal.

A total of 1,488 display boards were to be erected on all the ongoing or completed projects of NHAI at every 25 kms interval.

Out of these, 146 display boards have already been erected carrying the photographs of Singh and Gandhi.

“NHAI proposes not to provide display boards with photographs of prime minister and chairperson UPA. The display boards already erected will either be removed or the photographs of the prime minister and chairperson of the UPA will be replaced with the photographs of project highways/ facilities," reads the letter written by the NHAI to the ministry on February 26, 2010.

"It is requested that approval of the ministry in this regard may be given so that further action can be taken,” it said.