Civic body removes illegal hoardings

In a bid to curb unauthorised advertising in the form of illegal hoardings and haphazard unipoles, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation has removed around 50 structures.

It has also lodged an FIR against one individual for erecting two unipoles.

The move, as part of the corporation's zero tolerance campaign, will encourage advertisers to follow rules and regulations and pay the required fees, a source said.

For the past two weeks, the advertisement department of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation has been removing illegal structures being used for advertisement purposes under its jurisdiction.

On Sunday, it removed two illegal unipoles on the Delhi-Gurgaon border and lodged an FIR. "The action was taken as part of the zero tolerance campaign followed by the civic body. The FIR has been lodged against an individual, Prateek. We had specific information that two unipoles were erected on Saturday on the Delhi side of the border. The area is porous and locals take advantage and flout civic norms. Our sources informed us about it and we took action on Sunday morning," a senior South civic body official, who did not want to be named, said.

He said the person came with a group of people the moment he heard about the dismantling of the unipoles. "He had brought anti-social elements who created a ruckus. They even tried to stop us as we were leaving with the dismantled structures. He has been booked under Section 186 of the IPC for obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions," the official said.

Corporation sources claim this was just the beginning and more such action would follow. "We will continue this drive. Everyone will have to follow the advertisement guidelines. Criminal action will be taken against violators under the Defacement Act 2012," a source said.

The corporation in the financial year 2012-13 earned Rs 55 crore as advertisement revenue, out of which around one fourth came from unipoles.