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Ludhiana: Illegal banners splash city roads
On December 4, the municipal corporation (MC) issued a public notice instructing violators to remove illegal hoardings from signages, way findings, and public properties within 15 days or face legal consequences
In a disregard of the Punjab Municipal Outdoor Advertisement Policy 2018, hundreds of unauthorised banners splashed the city roads.
On December 4, the municipal corporation (MC) issued a public notice instructing violators to remove illegal hoardings from signages, way findings, and public properties within 15 days or face legal consequences. With only a week left until the deadline expires, a significant number of political and religious hoardings continue to mar the city’s visual appeal.
Political leaders affiliated with various parties seem reluctant to comply with the directive, despite a public notice issued by the municipal corporation. Aspiring candidates for the upcoming MC elections have contributed to the visual clutter by installing large hoardings on roads and signboards, likely in an attempt to garner favour with senior party leaders.
According to MC’s policy, specific sites are designated by private firms for legal advertising purposes. However, it has come to light that unauthorised hoardings have proliferated across the city, particularly during visits by leaders of the ruling party.
According to the Punjab Municipal Outdoor Advertisement Policy 2018, no person shall erect, exhibit, fix or retain an hoarding, frame, post, kiosk/bill board over any land, building, structure, upon or in any vehicle, any advertisement or display any advertisement or display any advertisement to public view in any manner whatsoever in any place within the jurisdiction of ULBs without the prior permission of the commissioner concerned.
Lack of enforcement measures
While the municipal corporation has the authority to impose fines of up to ₹50,000 for each illegal hoarding, no such penalties have been reported against violators as of now. The lack of enforcement raises questions about the efficacy of the directive and the commitment of the authorities.
Kuldeep Singh Khaira, a city resident, said, “I urged the authorities to take stringent action against violators. I request the authorities for registration of FIRs against those defacing public and private property with illegal hoardings.”
Harnam Singh, a resident of Pakhowal Road, voiced concerns about the impact on navigation caused by hoardings covering signage boards near Phullanwal Chowk.
MC commissioner Sandeep Rishi said, “We have already started removing the illegal hoardings and after one week, we are going to start registering the cases against the violators.”
