Illegal banners, hoardings deface city areas

With the festival season underway, the holy city is once again facing defacement at the hands of political parties, social organizations, and religious bodies. Hoardings, flex boards, buntings and display banners have been put up across the city in the name of extending greetings for Dasehra, Diwali, and Gurpurb, giving the city a shabby look.

The worst-hit area is the historic Hall Gate, where large hoardings and banners dominate the skyline. Despite a clear violation of the MC rules and advertisement policy of the state against defacement of public property, the municipal corporation appears to be in a deep slumber. Ironically, the biggest violators are said to be leaders of the ruling party, including the Mayor, councillors, and the Improvement Trust Chairman, who themselves are responsible for maintaining the city’s aesthetics.

While the city administration continues to turn a blind eye, the growing clutter of illegal hoardings has left residents fuming, raising questions on civic governance and accountability ahead of the festive season. Activists and residents are expressing strong resentment over the situation. Anil Khanna, a city resident, said, “This is the height of public service by public servants of Guru Ki Nagri, openly disobeying the High Court orders by defacing the whole city with posters and flex boards. The law makers have become the law breakers.”

Similarly, Pawan Sharma, former AAP leader, demanded strict enforcement of rules. “The municipal corporation should act under the advertisement policy and municipal rules. All leaders violating the law should be penalized, and the expenses of removing hoardings must be recovered from the violators themselves,” he said.

Gurdeep Singh, a shopkeeper near Hall Gate, said, “Every festival season the city turns into a jungle of posters and hoardings. Instead of beautification, we are forced to see walls, poles and heritage gates covered with flex boards. The municipal corporation should remove them immediately. If ordinary people pasted a single poster, fines are imposed, but leaders openly flout the rules without fear.”