Gurgaon civic body polls: Illegal hoardings removed from 12 areas

On Wednesday, the district administration had allotted 233 spaces for putting up hoardings.

A day after the district administration allotted spaces for candidates to place their hoardings for the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) elections, officials removed illegal hoardings from 12 areas across the city on Thursday.

The enforcement team of MCG removed illegal hoardings of candidates from Shanti Nagar, Shivaji Nagar, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Maharana Pratap Chowk, Pataudi Road, Jharsa Road, Kanhai, Southern Peripheral Road, Sohna Road, South City 2, Krishna colony and New Railway Road.

On Wednesday, the district administration had allotted 233 spaces for putting up hoardings.

While the filing of nominations for prospective candidates is commencing from Friday, aspiring candidates started putting up their hoardings since February, when there was a talk of the elections being held in May. The elections are scheduled for September 24.

The enforcement team of MCG removed illegal hoardings of candidates from Shanti Nagar, Shivaji Nagar, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Maharana Pratap Chowk, Pataudi Road, Jharsa Road, Kanhai, Southern Peripheral Road, Sohna Road, South City 2, Krishna colony and New Railway Road.

“Since the district administration has allotted dedicated spaces for prospective candidates to place their hoardings, MCG officials acted by the rules and removed illegal hoardings across the city. Candidates have been requested to abide by the order,” SS Rohilla, spokesperson of MCG, said.

The district administration officials revealed that the highest number of hoarding slots have been allotted in wards 19 and 26, which have 15 dedicated areas for prospective candidates to place their hoardings. The least number of spaces is in wards 10 and 16, which have only two designated spaces each. Most spaces have been allotted at junctions and crossings.

While MCG officials have the power to penalize candidates for defacement, under the Haryana Prevention of Defacement of Properties (HPDP) Act, sources in MCG revealed that they haven’t charged any candidate so far.

After the election commission announced the polls elections last month, the city has been filled with posters and hoardings of candidates and political parties since.

On the directions of deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh, MCG carried out its first drive against defacement of public property on September 2, when they removed illegal posters, hoardings and billboards put up by prospective candidates at Bakhtawar Chowk, sectors 38, 39, Sohna Road, Rajiv Chowk, Islampur, sectors 46, 47, Sector 10A, Saraswati Enclave, Mehrauli Gurgaon Road, Ghasola -Fazilpur junction and Galleria Market.