LMC removes illegal cutouts of Lucknow Super Giants, no penalty imposed
LMC’s chief tax assessment officer, Ashok Singh, confirmed that the private agency had paid ₹70,000 to the municipal office for advertising LSG players’ cutouts across the city.
The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) on Wednesday morning removed the illegal cutouts of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) team players placed in the Hazratganj area but did not impose any fines on the private agency responsible for placing them in the prohibited zone.
Despite clear regulations banning advertisements in VIP areas like Hazratganj, the private agency faced no penalties for installing large promotional cutouts featuring LSG players at key intersections. Activists and commuters have questioned the LMC’s inaction, alleging a lack of enforcement despite the cutouts being placed in full view of senior officials who regularly travel through the area.
LMC’s chief tax assessment officer, Ashok Singh, confirmed that the private agency had paid ₹70,000 to the municipal office for advertising LSG players’ cutouts across the city. However, no fine was levied for violating municipal rules by placing the cutouts in restricted areas.
Municipal officials removed the cutouts by 11 am on Tuesday. LMC official Pankaj Awasthi acknowledged the violation, stating, “Hazratganj falls under the restricted category where no advertisements, whether for political parties, commercial events, or sports promotions, are allowed. We cleared the area after identifying the illegal cutouts.” Awasthi added that around 12 cutouts were removed from the Hazratganj area.
Senior LMC official unaware of incident
When contacted, LMC additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Srivastava, who oversees advertising regulations, said he was unaware of the incident. “I am currently out of town and have no information about the issue,” he said.
Activists who don’t want to be quoted have raised questions about the LMC’s enforcement policies and whether influential parties receive preferential treatment. Despite clear regulations, the lack of action against the agency responsible has fueled public concern over accountability within the municipal administration.
