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PMC admin, ex-corporators face-off over digital signboards
Days after the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) took a stand against illegal digital boards depicting messages like “I Love
Days after the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) took a stand against illegal digital boards depicting messages like “I Love...”, the former elected members have pointed fingers toward similar boards installed under Smart City Mission by the civic body.
The former corporators who installed digital boards and toured them as selfie points using public money raised the question saying the civic body has installed over 200 screens under Smart City Mission.
Now, this has prompted PMC to temporarily halt its proposed action against these boards largely responsible for defacing the city.
Municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar had last week instructed the municipal administration to take action against 73 digital boards which were installed without permission.
The PMC sky sign department conducted a survey and identified 73 such boards mentioning either “I Love Pune” or names of localities.
A senior official on condition of anonymity said, “The PMC top officials now have asked to go slow on these boards considering that there is opposition from political leaders. Former corporators from various political parties have installed these boards in the city.”
Earlier this week after PMC proposed action, Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP’s) former corporator Yogesh Sasane raised the question over the municipal commissioner’s order.
“On one hand, the administration wants to remove the illegal digital boards installed by politicians. But what about 200 digital boards installed under Smart City Mission on various roads and footpaths? No permissions were taken for this. Even these screens are of no use as they are not providing information which was promised,” said Sasane.
Such boards were installed under Smart City Mission at Aundh, Baner, Balewadi and other parts of the city, by corporators. Among the areas these digital boards are prominently installed are Sarasbaug, Katraj, Koregaon Park, Mohammadwadi, Swargate, Warje, Aundh and Yerawada. In many cases, the digital boards are not functioning properly with the place beneath them is being misused for parking vehicles
Sasane also questioned PMC’S, silence about illegal hoardings.
“There are many illegal hoardings and LED boards in the city and the administration is well aware that these boards are illegal and they are not paying tax to the PMC. Despite knowing this, PMC is not initiating any action against them. PMC commissioner should take action against all these things,” he said.
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader requesting anonymity said, “The commissioner should address basic issues which are troubling residents like water supply, potholes, flooding etc than digital board issue. The city is facing mosquito menace but the administration is doing nothing about it.”
