Ghaziabad hires spies to save walls from ugly graffiti
Private detectives will keep an eye on people defacing walls in Ghaziabad. In a bid to keep the city clean for the Commonwealth Games in 2010, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation has hired a dozen private detectives to catch people defacing walls with posters, banners and graffiti.
Private detectives will keep an eye on people defacing walls in Ghaziabad.
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In a bid to keep the city clean for the Commonwealth Games in 2010, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation has hired a dozen private detectives to catch people defacing walls with posters, banners and graffiti.
The corporation has also announced incentives to people who provide information on such firms and individuals.
“We have resorted to detective services as these people operate at night and are difficult to nab,” said Ajay Shanker Pandey, the municipal commissioner of Ghaziabad. “Around a dozen of private detectives are keeping eye on violators and recording their activities in five city zones.”
“We have also formed a special cell to initiate legal proceedings against these people,” said Pandey. According to official estimates, around 40 per cent properties in Trans-Hindon area and over 50 per cent in Sis-Hindon area have been defaced.
Apart from the government buildings, private properties have also not been spared.
“I painted my house on Diwali-eve and two days later some miscreants glued posters on my house,” said Pradeep Garg, a Suryanagar resident. “These people should be severely penalised.”
“Even the trees and green-belt areas have not been spared,” said Rajeev Maheshwari, a Shastri Nagar resident.
Employing detectives have paid off.
The corporation has identified nine firms involved in such activities. Four out of the nine firms belong to Noida.
“We are in process of initiating legal action against the erring firms,” Pandey said.
Peeyush Khandelwal writes on a range of issues in western Uttar Pradesh – from crime, to development authorities and from infrastructure to transport. Based in Ghaziabad, he has been a journalist for almost a decade.Read More