Illegal hoardings galore in city, MC looks the other way

Even as the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has started a drive to remove illegal hoardings, there is no action against majority of violators across the city.

It has been learnt that challans are not being issued to most of the violators who have defaced a number of public properties here.

Also, there is a provision to lodge a first information report (FIR) against a violator under the Defacement of Public Property Act, but the violators are still being spared. This is happening despite the fact that MC commissioner GK Singh Dhaliwal has directed the staff concerned to issue challans to violators.

Right under the nose of the MC, thousands of illegal posters and hoardings are on display on public properties across the city.

The violators even paste posters on the walls of MC offices but action has never been taken against them.

Around a year ago, former assistant commissioner Satwant Singh had set an example by lodging FIRs against the violators who were found defacing public properties here. Now, the violators openly paste posters and hoardings displaying pictures of senior leaders belonging to the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) alliance.

Sources said these leaders do not ask their supporters to stop such nuisance in the city, which is vying to get the status of a smart city.

On Friday, MC teams were seen removing illegal posters displayed by members of a community. Satish Sachdeva, a city resident, said law should be equal for all. If the MC really wants to make the city smart, it should act against the violators.

Huge posters of political and community leaders are put on display but the MC’s advertisement wing and tehbazari wing feel helpless when it comes to lodging a police complaint against the violators.

There is a provision of issuing challan of Rs 50,000 to a person for putting an unauthorised advertisement but the MC has yet to ensure issuing such challans.

An official requesting anonymity said they don’t take initiative due to high political interference. He said if they remove the religious hoardings, then community leaders sit on protests. There should be no interference in working of the officials, he said.

MC superintendent, advertisement wing (headquarters), Harvinder Singh, could not be contacted.

MC commissioner GK Singh Dhaliwal said illegal hoardings are being removed. He said they have already issued a warning to the violators. “I have directed the staff concerned to issue challans against the violators,” he said.