Undettered by the action taken by the civic staff, BMC poll winners and their supporters have plastered the city with banners
Since the election commission had announced the code of conduct rules, political parties and candidates were asked to refrain from putting up any hoardings, whether legal or illegal. The civic staff was also instructed to remove hoardings before the elections. But even as the civic staff has been taking action in the various areas of the city, undeterred, the politicians are continuing to put up the hoardings.
No action has been taken against any political party, corporators or leaders for this defacement. The respite for the city from the illegal hoardings was brief, since briefly after the results were declared, posters — with leaders from the centre, state and city congratulating newly-elected corporators — were everywhere again. “Our staff removes the banners and posters, but soon after supporters of the corporators put up new ones, making our efforts go in waste,” said a senior official from the license department. “We have now asked the assistant commissioner from each ward to register FIRs in the local police stations against those who put up hoardings. The FIR can be registered under The Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.”
The banners are bad for the environment beyond just appearances, as an environment officer of the BMC points out. “Their biggest problem is that of disposal. Flex material is non-biodegradable, and does not get decomposed easily even after years”, he pointed out.
Civic activists and members of advanced locality managements are fuming with their newly-elected corporators, as they have started defacing their area before contributing anything to the neighbourhoods. A resident of Worli said that huge hoardings and banners have been put up all over the area; with Sunil Ahir, brother of NCP minister Sachin Ahir, thanking his supporters for his victory. Another resident from Goregaon said that his area is full of hoardings of Sunil Prabhu, Sena corporator. “It has become an eyesore for us”, said the resident.
James John, member of AGNI and joint area action group (JAAG) from K-east, points out that the party leaders should set an example for their party leaders and corporators by refraining from being featured in the posters. “Smita Sawant and her husband Subhash Kanta Sawant have put illegal hoardings up everywhere. We have complained about this to the local police as well as to the assistant commissioner of the ward and Uddhav Thackeray, executive president of Shiv Sena. We are hoping that the party president takes a stand in such issues. But till now, the hoardings remain untouched,” John said. A lincense officer of K-east ward has said that all the hoardings from the ward have been removed, and others which are still there will be removed in a day or two.
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