JOIN USDespite high court orders for removal of all illegal flex boards, banners and posters from the city, BBMP officials have turned a blind eye to the rampant use of political posters in KR Puram.
Political parties seem to be outdoing each other to wish people a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year at the cost of the city’s aesthetics. With this, not a single lamp post has been spared of a flex board or a poster. Political messages have even outnumbered commercial advertisements.
Though all three main political parties -- Congress, BJP and the JD(S) -- are guilty, the Congress appears to be the “winner” of the “advertisement war” since the area is represented by party MLA Byrathi Basavaraj. Basavaraj’s supporters have put up these illegal posters, banners, flex boards and hoardings featuring his picture.
Madhav Prasad, a fruit vendor in KR Puram, said this is not new in this area. “It has been going on for many years. Earlier, it was Nandish Reddy, and now it is Basavaraj.”
He added that often there is a clash between various groups over the posters. “Sometimes, supporters of a particular party clash among themselves on finding their photographs missing from the posters,” said Prasad.
BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad said that though the Palike has filed 200 FIRs in this regard, the practice is still prevalent. “We file FIRs but offenders come out on bail and resume their old practice,” said Prasad.
He ordered the BBMP control room to instruct all joint commissioners to strictly remove all illegal posters and hoardings. BBMP’s taxation and finance committee chairman said, “There is a high court order prohibiting illegal posters, banners and flex boards but still it is flouted due to the negligence of zonal-level joint commissioners.”