The disfiguring of City goes on

Sticking bills

Walk past any building in the City and ‘Stick No Bill’ notifications stare back at you. Be it on private or public spaces, not many people respect these notifications and posters and advertisements are stuck on them. Bangaloreans have been raising their voice against this but to no avail.

“When those driving past see film posters or bright-coloured pamphlets stuck on flyovers and medians, their attention is definitely deviated,” says Rohit Jain, a resident of Bannerghatta Road. Even transformers and trees are used for free advertising. This should be fined and penalised, he says.

Posters and advertisements are commonly seen on the walls of flyovers, points out Nikhil Ajmera, who stays in Wilson Garden.

“There are many posters on the flyover from Double Road to Richmond Circle
and on the Metro pillars in Indiranagar. Most of the posters are that of politicians, which is ironical, since they give elaborate speeches about retaining the beauty and culture of the City,” says Nikhil. There should be a strict rule imposing major fines on the perpetrators,
he adds.

A resident of Basavangudi, Usha Iyengar, says posters and pamphlets stuck at unauthorised places, especially at residential areas, can affect the behaviour pattern of youngsters.

“I have seen kids staring at these posters stuck on the walls of their house. When continuously exposed to gruesome or disturbing images, the mindset of children changes, which many parents often complain about,” she says.

There should be a monitoring board for this, adds Usha.Asha Panicker, a resident of Kammanahalli, adds, “It’s such an ugly sight to see posters and pamphlets of all colours posted on walls, especially after the rains.

The worst part is when the colour of the print and the paper leaks on to the wall.
It leaves a mark on the wall even after the paper is removed.”The authorities say that they have given the pourakarmikas specific instructions to remove such posters.

BBMP commissioner M Lakshminarayana informs that there is a provision for fining those who stick posters and bills on walls or unauthorised spaces under the Prevention of Disfigurement Act and the fine is Rs 1,000.

“At homes and near private property, it is the responsibility of the owner
or the proprietor to look after the cleanliness and make the ‘Stick No Bill’
notification work,” he says.

He adds, “It is especially when election campaigns are on that this law is put into effect.”
The commissioner also points out that sticking of posters on walls is mostly seen in the Central Business District, Hudson Circle, around Vidhan Soudha,
Kempegowda Road and Chalukya Circle.

“The mindset of the people should change,” he wraps up.