UT continues to flout rules as MC looks the other way

CHANDIGARH:While the UT Administration and the Municipal Corporation quickly send notices to violators and impose a heavy fine for violation of advertising rules in the city, when it comes to following the rules, the Administration continues to flout these.

Illegal hoardings installed on Madhya Marg. Tribune Photo: Manoj Mahajan

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 12

While the UT Administration and the Municipal Corporation quickly send notices to violators and impose a heavy fine for violation of advertising rules in the city, when it comes to following the rules, the Administration continues to flout these.

The Administration, which had earlier installed illegal hoardings pertaining to the three-day Chandigarh Theatre Festival and Le Corbusier’s 50th death anniversary, has also installed hoardings relating to the three-day international symposium at Tagore Theatre (October 10 to 12), which concluded today.

These illegal hoardings have been installed on roads dividing various sectors, especially those falling on Madhya Marg.

Meanwhile, the MC, the law enforcing agency, continues to turn a blind eye towards these violations.

These hoardings have been installed on streetlight poles. Top officials of the MC and the UT Administration are tightlipped over the issue.

What rules say

According to orders of the Chief Administrator, Chandigarh Administration displaying advertisements on roads separating sectors is prohibited.

What action can MC take

On detecting illegal hoardings, the MC can impose a heavy penalty on the UT Administration, but it has not been done.

Double standards

On September 15, the MC had issued notices to student leaders of Panjab University, who had pasted posters across the city during the PU elections, asking them to pay Rs 2.90 crore. Besides, the MC had also issued notices to the Punjab Youth Congress asking it to pay Rs 67 lakh for installing illegal hoardings in the city on September 2 for a programme. However, the MC did not issue any notice to the BJP for putting up flags in the city during the Prime Minister’s visit on September 11.

Revenue loss

As the MC is not taking any action against the BJP and the UT Administration for illegally installing hoardings in the city, it is losing crores of rupees, which it can earn by issuing notices to the BJP and the Administration.