‘Capture photos of unauthorised banners, lodge FIRs’

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Unauthorized hoardings and banners are still visible on major roads and junctions across the city. The municipal corporation administration has directed all ward officers that whenever an unauthorised hoarding, flex, or banner is spotted, a photograph must be taken. An FIR should then be lodged at the police station against the individuals named on the banner. As of Wednesday night, a consolidated report on how many FIRs were filed had not yet been received by the administration.

The municipal authorities have begun taking a strict stance on unauthorised hoardings. The commissioner of police (CP) has also publicly assured co-operation with the municipal corporation. The CP stated that FIRs will be promptly registered whenever a complaint is lodged by the corporation. It is therefore expected that unauthorised hoardings across the city will be removed.

In recent days, the city was practically covered with illegal hoardings. Previously, the administration had been reluctant to act against political party workers responsible for defacing the city. On Saturday, while removing a hoarding in Mukundwadi, Amol Jadhav, a fourth-grade municipal employee, suffered a fatal electric shock. Following this incident, the municipal administration has taken a decisive stance against all unauthorised hoardings in the city.

Hoardings removed overnight

Political leaders and workers had installed large numbers of unauthorised hoardings across the city. Many political workers removed their hazardous hoardings overnight. By Wednesday, major roads and junctions were noticeably free of these banners. FIRs are now being registered by the municipal corporation under the City Defacement Act. Political workers are being warned that such offences will have serious consequences in the future.

Direct Action Ordered

The CSMC’s controlling officer Santosh Waghule said, “Zone officers have been instructed that whenever any unauthorised hoarding is spotted, a photograph must first be taken as evidence. If the banner carries the name of a political figure, a businessperson, or a company, FIRs must be filed directly against them.”