Mumbai : It will now be easier for BMC’s licence department to pull down illegal hoardings as two armed policemen per ward will accompany the team of civic officials on the job.
A recent HC order has directed the Mumbai Commissioner of Police to allot two armed policemen per ward. Subsequently, Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta has written to Mumbai Police, asking for their co-operation. In his letter, Mehta also asked for deployment two armed police officials per ward, from 8 am every day, to provide protection to BMC officials while removing hoardings.
S Bande, Superintendent of License Department said: “Police have always been ready to help us, but as that department is also short staffed, our requests for protection are sometimes delayed. The High Court order will solve this problem. As Ajoy Mehta’s letter is just over a week old, action from the police department is yet to begin.”
A source from the civic body’s license department who did not wish to be named, said, “The BMC department works continuously all day. Hoardings that we take off in the evening are replanted overnight and hence it is important to be vigilant in the night. We expect the police to co-operate with us on that front also, and be watchful between 11 pm and 5 am. Civic officials cannot be expected to be active at night also.”
The license department’s arduous task of pulling down illegal hoardings gets more difficult as most of them belong to political parties. The HC order also identified political parties such as the BJP and MNS, NCP and RPI, which put up illegal hoardings. These parties’ office bearers have informed the court that they will issue circulars to ensure party workers do not erect illegal hoardings.
