MC soft on ‘big’ violators

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 28

While the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is quick to act against vendors who put up illegal stalls in the city and imposes fine on them but when it comes to act against ‘big’ violators, the MC turns a blind eye towards them.

In one such incident, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Chandigarh in September 11 this year, the Chandigarh unit of the BJP had put up flags all over the city, including roundabouts and the Rally Ground in Sector 25, where the Prime Minister had addressed a political rally.

Though the flags were removed after Modi’s departure from the city, but till date, the civic body did not impose any penalty on the BJP for putting up illegal flags.

Similarly, in another such incident, the MC on October 27 removed illegal hoarding put up by the Punjab Government for the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit. The MC had given permission for internal roads, but the Punjab Government also put up these hoardings on the main roads. In this case as well, the MC is yet to issue any notice or penalty on the Punjab Government for putting up illegal hoardings in the city.

Displaying flags and hoardings without permission is a violation of the Chandigarh Advertisement Control Order (CACO), 1954. According to the rules, a fine of Rs 100 per sq ft per day is to be imposed for illegally displaying any hoarding.