What Went Up Illegally, Came Down Legally! MCC removes Illegal Hoardings and Banners across City
MCC needs to first sensitize people, but also subsequently take action against those violating the rule. A similar drive should be initiated in the remote areas too. It might be recalled that there were cases of accidents because of banners and publicity material on main roads that sometimes disrupted the view of motorists. The illegal hoardings, banners pitched indiscriminately along the road are causing nuisance. They cause inconvenience to the general public. Many of these hoardings and banners are put up in gross violation of civic sense and also the civic law.
Mangaluru: It happens once very month or once every few months, that the officials of the Mangaluru City Corporation decide and go on a rampage to bring down all the illegal hoardings/banners etc that are hanged/erected in various prominent spots in the city, not to mention the busy Hampankatta Circle. Why is MCC taking all this trouble every month or months to remove these hoardings/banners which costs money and workers time on the expenses of tax payers? Why can’t MCC strictly enforce the rule and fine heavily those who had erected the hoardings/banners? If strict action is not taken, these hoardings/banners will appear again and again- and MCC has to bring them down again and again- which is foolishness and waste of time and money.
If you are wondering what happened to all those banners/Hoardings/buntings that were hanging on the city electric/telephone poles, and mainly near the busy Hampankatta circle don’t get surprised- during the wee hours of Sunday morning Mangaluru City Corporation carried out a drive to remove all the illegal hoardings, cut outs and banners in the heart of the City. Seems like the city officials have woken up again to tackle the menace of illegal banners and buntings that mushroom at important junctions, especially during political, and religious events, inauguration of businesses, cultural shows etc etc
Even the legally put up cut-outs and banners created problems as they were rarely removed after the event was over. MCC officials and their workers swung into action, removing all such banners and publicity material, as per the orders from MCC Commissioner. Speaking to Mangalorean.com, one of the official said, “Although taking permission from the municipal corporation is a must before putting up banners, buntings or cut-outs, hardly any individual or organization does so. They are supposed to pay a fee to the corporation. As per the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, it is mandatory for advertisers, organizations or individuals to take prior permission from the municipal corporation to exhibit banners and other publicity materials. This drive is once again a warning for those who were in the habit of displaying publicity material at junctions without taking permission from the corporation. We will carry out the drive across all junctions in the City regularly in future”. I hope so!
Most of the illegal banners carry advertisements of private enterprises, including those of fast foods, food products, coaching institutes, mobile phone companies, Astrologers, religious functions, cultural shows, congratulating politicians,motor vehicles and jewellers. The MCC official further said that in spite of the repeated warning, those who put the hoardings illegally have failed to remove it. Many a times, organizations and agencies are involved in sticking the handouts on either side of the road and on electric poles, thus disfiguring the roadside and electric pole. He said that a notice will be issued to all those who had erected hoardings illegally in the city and a case will be filed under Prevention of Disfigurement Act. The removal of illegal hoardings, banners will be a continuous drive.
Hoardings and Banners free at Hampankatta Circle…
…and at Town Hall Circle/KN Tailor Circle as of 24 April
MCC needs to first sensitize people, but also subsequently take action against those violating the rule. A similar drive should be initiated in the remote areas too. It might be recalled that there were cases of accidents because of banners and publicity material on main roads that sometimes disrupted the view of motorists. The illegal hoardings, banners pitched indiscriminately along the road are causing nuisance. They cause inconvenience to the general public. Many of these hoardings and banners are put up in gross violation of civic sense and also the civic law.
Many a time, those who put up the banners, board, do not remove the banners after the function or programme gets over. Clearing such banners are a great headache for the Corporation. If MCC authorities fail to stop putting up of banners and hoardings without proper license, then all their efforts for the beautification of the City will go futile. It is also learnt that some people take permission for certain numbers of banners/hoardings, but they display more banners/hoardings that they paid for. Not just today, MCC should have such drives constantly so that the city is free from illegal and way too many banners that ruin the beauty of the City.