Pune: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has cracked down on illegal flex banners and posters defacing public spaces, officials said Saturday. The civic administration recently launched a special drive to target unauthorized flexes installed at key city squares.
As the festival of Diwali approaches, many illegal flexes have been installed in the city, bearing best wishes from multiple aspiring candidates in the upcoming PMC elections. Thousands of illegal banners, posters, and flex boards had been put up across city roads, electric poles, and intersections, causing widespread 'visual pollution' and encroachment.
Last week, PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram directed all 15 ward offices to launch a citywide operation to remove these illegal displays and take strict legal action against those responsible.
Acting on the special drive, 71 individuals have been booked in 27 cases across the Pune City Police Commissionerate. In the last four weeks, over 5,000 illegal banners and boards have been removed. The civic body also sent official letters to local police stations to register cases against offenders.
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With PMC elections nearing, the public has observed a surge in illegal banner displays by both political workers and commercial advertisers.
However, advertisers claim that while the PMC swiftly acts against commercial establishments, banners from political parties are largely ignored. This has fueled criticism that the municipal and police departments are selectively enforcing the law under political pressure.
