The Indian Express                  15.03.2013

Illegal hoardings: After HC order, Kunte cracks the whip

The Bombay High Court ordering a strict crackdown on illegal banners
and posters in the city has led Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte,
who had until recently been hesitant to take politicians head-on, to
take a stern view of the matter. He is getting ready to implement the
Delhi model of “zero tolerance” to illegal hoardings, a major chunk of
which in Mumbai is of political parties and leaders.

The HC had on Wednesday said it would hold Municipal
Commissioners of corporations as co-conspirators in putting up illegal
hoardings and contemplate action against them. It asked Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corporation (BMC) and civic bodies in Navi Mumbai, Thane, Mira
Bhayander and Pune to remove illegal posters, banners, billboards and
hoardings within 24 hours.

Kunte will soon send a team of civic officials to study how the
civic body in Delhi has managed to keep it free of posters and banners
despite it being a hub of political activity. “We are working out a
model for Mumbai wherein banners and hoardings, especially those of
politicians, will not be tolerated. If it is possible in political hub
Delhi, which has more politicians than any other city, Mumbai can
definitely follow such a model,” Kunte told Newsline.

“In Mumbai, there are too many political hoardings at too many
places, although there is no permission for many of them. It seems the
whole city is littered with them making it dirty. We want to get rid of
this image,” he said. According to civic officials, the city is
estimated to have 3,500-4,000 illegal hoardings, many of which are put
up by politicians and party workers.

Presenting the 2013-14 budget of the civic body recently, Kunte had
proposed a banners- and posters-free city and said. “We are in talks
with political leaders and want to achieve this through cooperation of
on politicians than adopt a confrontational attitude.”

But the High Court’s stern words on Wednesday has forced the
civic body to swing into action with hoardings being pulled down not
just across Mumbai, but also in Navi Mumbai and Thane.

The civic administration is also in the process of drafting a
policy on illegal hoardings and banners. Under the standard operating
procedure (SOP) proposed now, the civic body will retain the right to
decide which banner could be put up. “Although in the planning stage, we
will ensure the policy is strict and streamlined with no tolerance for
illegal political hoardings,” Kunte said, adding the civic body would
also initiate action against political parties, politicians or those
responsible for putting up illegal hoardings.

The BMC will come out with a policy on banners and hoardings in
two months. The policy will require the nod of the majority of the 227
corporators in the civic body’s general body meeting.

Under the MMC Act, action can initiated against a person for
putting up an illegal banner under section 328 and a fine of Rs 1,000-Rs
5,000 can be imposed depending upon extent of violation of norms.
Besides, as per section 3 of Prevention of Defacement of Property Act,
1995, an offender can be fined up to Rs 2,000 or imprisoned for three
months or both.