BMC’s license department took down close to 6,150 hoardings in 2015, related to ads of political parties or birthday or festive greetings from political figures
Mumbai : As per the BMC license department’s year end review, it has come to light that the maximum number of illegal hoardings/banners are put up in the city by political parties.
The license department took down close to 6,150 hoardings in 2015, related to advertisements of political parties or birthday or festive greetings from political figures. This figure is followed by action taken by BMC against 4,248 illegal religious or spiritual hoardings. Surprisingly, the comparatively lowest number of illegal hoardings is the ones sporting commercial advertisements. The BMC pulled down 1,047 commercial hoardings in 2015.
Moreover, political parties are also notorious for illegally hoisting up party flags on pavements and footpaths. The BMC took down close to 1,300 flags in the past year.
Speaking to Free Press Journal, a source from the license department informed, “We face maximum trouble due to advertisement hoardings from political parties. If we pulled them down one day, they are propped up again overnight. It also gets very difficult to pull them down without police protection, as they have the support of the local goons associated with a political party.”
The official informed that there is a prominent trend according to the time of the year and the area from where that we take these hoardings down. The BMC took down maximum number of hoardings (2,029) in October, which is the Diwali festival season. Also, about 1,119 hoardings were pulled down during the Ramzan season, in July. These usually sport political figures greeting citizens, the officials informed.
Meanwhile, in the previous year, the BMC removed a total of 8,598 banners, launched prosecution in 1,405 instances, lodged 67 FIRs and asked for police protection 34 times.
