No 'badlav' visible: Illegal hoardings all over the place in Amritsar

Manmeet Singh Gill

Amritsar, April 11

When it comes to getting rid of illegal hoardings, especially political advertisements carrying pictures of local MLAs, ruling party leaders and their supporters, the city has not seen any change even as the government functionaries claim that the ‘badlav’ has come.

As was seen in the previous governments, even now, the Municipal Corporation workers, who run drives to remove all illegal banners, hoardings and posters in the city, are hesitant about touching the ones having pictures of the ruling party MLAs and other leaders.

Evidently, the tendency of local party leaders to show proximity with MLAs and state leaders so as to impress the general public and the government officials is the driving force behind putting these large-sized illegal political advertisements.

For long, leaders of the traditional political parties, too, have enjoyed this race among their supporters to outnumber the other by putting up more hoardings. However a section of society feels that this defacement of public properties must be stopped and the new dispensation must take the initiative. Of course, they would also take the credit if they ask their supporters to stop putting up illegal hoardings.

“It is time this illegal activity ended. Sometimes these hoardings are put up in front of important signals, warning and direction signs,” said Harwant Singh.

Another resident Amarinder Singh said: “The government has a number of things to do. But it must clear its intent and ask officials to work in that direction.” He complained that clearly, local MLAs have not asked the MC officials to remove illegal advertisements.