Shimla civic body pulls down hoardings from heritage zone

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 10

Shimla Municipal Corporation has pulled down political hoardings and banners from the city’s heritage zone following orders from the high court. “We have removed four to five big-sized and about 8-10 small sized hoardings and other promotional material from the heritage zone in compliance with the directions issued by the court,” said MC Joint Commissioner Ajit Bhardwaj.

The court had directed the MC to take corrective action on the petition filed by one Anil Kumar, wherein he submitted that several political hoardings and banners have been put up in the heritage zone. Several hoardings came up at different places for the political functions of the BJP and the Congress a few days back.

While political hoardings, banners and other such promotional material have been removed, the MC hasn’t removed the hoardings put up by the government in the heritage zone to advertise its policies and programmes.

“Even these hoardings must go. As per the guidelines, there can’t be any hoarding in the heritage zone, be it commercial, political or for public awareness,” said former Mayor Sanjay Chauhan. “During our term in the MC, we had pulled down the hoardings put by the then Congress government on the Mall Road. The MC should read the guidelines and act accordingly to save the city from defacement,” added Chauhan.

Incidentally, it’s not just the political parties that are repeatedly disregarding the norms pertaining to hoardings and banners, the student wings of these parties, too, are guilty of ruining the beauty of the city with rampant wall writings. On the stretch from Panthaghati to Khalini on the bypass road, ABVP has been embossed at various places on the concrete walls along the road.

At other places, one could find wall-writings by other student organisations. “The MC will re-paint these walls to erase the wall writings by these organisations,” said Bhardwaj.

Pushed by the court, the MC is gearing up to take strict action against all those who have put up unauthorised hoardings, banners or pamphlets anywhere in the city. Other than students organisations, coaching centres, diagnostic centres, etc., have put up their adverts on the walls, electricity poles, rain shelters and even MC dustbins. “Defacement of public property is a serious offence and we may even lodge police complaint against the offenders,” said Bhardwaj.

Student wings culprits too

• It’s not just the political parties that are repeatedly disregarding the norms pertaining to hoardings and banners, the student wings of these parties, too, are guilty of ruining the beauty of the city.
• On the stretch from Panthaghati to Khalini on the bypass, ‘ABVP’ has been painted at various places on concrete walls along the road.

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