Pune: Mayor Mukta Tilak and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party leaders have given a positive response to Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) appeal to stop installing flexes and banners to avoid defacing the city.
Mayor Mukta Tilak has issued a letter appealing all political party workers, social organisations and citizens that without leaders’ permission their picture and name should be used on banners and flexes.
Last month, Additional Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Nimbalkar wrote letters to all political parties in accordance with the High Court and appealed to them to stop putting unauthorised flex and banners defacing the city otherwise action will be taken against political parties. After a month, BJP leaders have given a response to their appeal.
Mayor Mukta Tilak, leader of house Shrinath Bhimale, Standing Committee Chairman Yogesh Mulik and Chairman of Sports Committee Rahul Bhandare have issued an appeal regarding defacing of the city with mentioning their names, photos on banners and flexes.
The municipal commissioner has a right to take action as per Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act, 1995, Bombay Police Act, Section 115A 117 and Indian Penal Code Section 425 and 427. However, the administration has preferred to send letters before taking any action against political parties as per the law.
Mayor Mukta Tilak said, “It is often observed that people or social organisations use our photos and names in banners and flexes without seeking our permission. Hence, I appeal to them to take permission. It will also help in keeping our city clean.”
Rajendra Nimbalkar, PMC’s Additional Municipal Commissioner, said, “It is a welcome move by BJP. We are expecting same response from other party leaders. The civic body has sent a letter to all party leaders. However, only some BJP leaders have given a positive response to our appeal till date.”
A civic official, however, said, “We are under tremendous pressure from political parties. If we take any action against concerned political party leaders, they put pressure on us to stop the action. Hence, we have appealed to all political party leaders to inform their party workers to stop mentioning their names, photos on unauthorised flexes and banners in the city.”
Meanwhile, the civic body has also set up a mechanism as per the High Court order to tackle this problem. The complaints can be registered on the helpline against illegal hoardings, flexes and banners. An officer has been deputed to take action along with the police. An official, however, claimed that they had taken action against only 9 to 10 political banners, flexes and hoardings out of 195 which were put in last year.
