Illegal posters continue to deface public properties

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 29

Owing to the lack of inaction on the part of the local administration with regard to defacement of public properties, illegal advertisers now do not hesitate about pasting posters even on historical monuments. A large number of posters advertising businesses and events can be seen pasted on the walls of historic gates of the old walled city.

Illegal advertisements in the form of posters, banners and boards can be seen on the walls of the public buildings alongside roads. These illegal advertisers have not even spared the graffiti and murals painted on the walls ahead of the G-20 Summit in the city in March this year.

Though the administration keeps warning illegal advertisers from time to time against defacing public properties, they do not care about them. The latest instructions were issued in the month of February this year as the administration was busy executing a beautification project to ready the city to host the international event.

“It is strange that the administration has failed to implement its own orders regarding defacement as one can see posters pasted on the graffiti and murals painted as part of the beautification project,” said Ranjit Singh, a local resident. Ranjit Singh said the administration should set an example by punishing those responsible for pasting posters illegally.

Residents say that use of public properties for illegal advertisements should be checked. “It seems that the local authorities are ignoring the illegal acts of advertisers. There is an advertisement policy in place and it does not allow any one to violate it and put up advertisements in public places. As a number of posters seen on public walls belong to social and religious organisations, these too need to be checked,” added Shaminder Singh, another resident.