Telangana minister fined for unauthorised hoarding wishing CM KCR happy birthday

The Hyderabad civic body has levied a fine of Rs 5000 on senior TRS minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav for a hoarding wishing chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao a happy birthday.

February 17 is the birthday of KCR as the Telangana CM is popularly known. To mark the occasion, Yadav’s men installed a big hoarding at the touristy Necklace Road around the Hussain Sagar lake in the city. “Happy Birthday Sir. We love KCR,” it said.

One Galibe Vishal complained on My-GHMC, the grievance app of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, on Saturday. “Unauthorized hoarding … If any incident occurs, who is responsible … GHMC, please take immediate action and send me the action taken report,” the citizen demanded.

A young software engineer was killed in Chennai in September when an unauthorized hoarding put up by an AIADMK leader on the median with images of him and Tamil Nadu CM and deputy CM fell on her. As she lost balance of her two-wheeler and fell on the road, a water tanker behind hit her.

The Hyderabad municipal officials sent a challan of Rs 5000 for “unauthorized erection of banners and cutouts” to the minister for animal husbandry and cinematography.

“Based on complaint, one e-challan has been generated through the central enforcement cell. We have received confirmation that a cheque was submitted towards payment of the penalty amount imposed,” Viswajit Kampati, director, enforcement, vigilance and disaster management, GHMC told DH. “We will keep fighting against city’s defacement,” the IPS officer adds. The hoarding is also removed.

Interestingly, the advertisement has Talasani’s image superimposed on that of KCR and his son K T Rama Rao, even though KTR, the IT minister, had appealed to TRS leaders, cadres through a tweet on Thursday not to splurge on such ads and instead “let each of us plant a sapling to express affection for our leader.”

Though similar appeals were made last year too, several TRS leaders had erected such wishes banners in the city. Citizens are hopeful that a fine on violation by a minister would keep such prohibited, unsafe hoardings in check this time.