While the initial plan of painting graffiti of government schemes is
still awaiting the chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s nod some party cadres
have used the clean slate to show their allegiance to chief minister
with birthday greetings.

Sources say the previous DMK regime
had spent Rs4.5 crores to paint nearly 15 lakh sqft of walls with murals
of scenes from rural life, dance forms and historic landmarks. Now,
nearly 80% these paintings have been white-washed, said officials.

A senior corporation official said: “We have plans to use the public
walls for advertisements of public welfare schemes and for displaying
public messages. We are waiting for permission from the state
government.”

“The murals on Tamil culture had helped to keep
the walls clean because people out of respect did not dare deface it
with handbills or urinate on them. But unfortunately the murals have
disappeared and posters and scribblings are back”, the official adds.

Former mayor M Subramanian, during whose tenure the murals were
commissioned, said many white washed walls are now being used to
campaign for the ruling party. “Some walls are even carrying birthday
wishes to the chief minister,” he adds.