CSMC authorised to list & remove illegal banners in city: CP

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

If the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) lodges a complaint at the police station regarding banners put up illegally in the city, criminal cases will be registered immediately against those concerned. The authority to determine which banners are authorised and which are unauthorised, as well as the power to remove them, rests solely with the civic administration. The police have no role in this process. Furthermore, cases will be registered not against the individuals whose photographs appear on the banners, but against those who erected them and those who instructed that they be put up, said the commissioner of police (CP) Praveen Pawar to the media persons.

Following the death of a civic employee while removing unauthorised banners in the Mukundwadi area, the issue of illegal banners has come under discussion. In this context, CP said that under the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, the municipal corporation has the authority to designate authorised locations for banners in the city and to collect revenue from them. The CSMC also has its own mechanism to remove unauthorised banners. It possesses complete information regarding which banners are legal and which are illegal. The police administration has no involvement or interference in this matter, he clarified.

Authorised banners must also be verified

Large or giant-size banners are often installed on buildings along busy roads in the city. It is necessary to examine whether the foundations constructed to support these banners are structurally sound, whether they have been built in accordance with regulations, and whether adequate precautions have been taken to ensure that they do not collapse in strong winds. Even authorised banners can pose a danger if their foundations are not secure, potentially leading to incidents similar to the one that occurred in Mumbai. Therefore, the CP emphasised the need for a comprehensive inspection of all banners.

Police support for CSMC action

The commissioner of police Praveen Pawar said, “If any law-and-order situation arises during the municipal corporation’s action against unauthorised banners, the police will provide assistance. As soon as the CSMC files a complaint against those responsible for erecting illegal banners, cases will be registered and investigations will identify those who instructed that the banners be put up. Following the Mukundwadi incident, the corporation lodged a complaint regarding unauthorised banners, and a case has been registered at Satara Police Station.”