Govt campaigns fall victim to illegal ads

Gurminder Singh Grewal
Khanna, February 21

Numerous awareness campaigns launched by the Central and state governments, including “Swacch Bharat Abhiyan”, “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” and “Rukh Lagao” are fighting for a space on flyovers at the national highway.

Private firms have got their advertisements painted on government campaigns without any fear of law, especially at Khanna. All these illegall activities have flourished right under the nose of the Khanna Municipal Council (MC).

PD Bansal, president, Lok Sewa Club, said private advertisements feature above national awareness campaigns. Such advertisements are a major cause of road mishaps as it draws attention of drivers, he added.

Bansal said billboards have surfaced on a number of private structures facing the NH-1 and the Khanna MC has failed to find and penalise a single violator in the last six months.

He added that as per an affidavit filed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in the High Court in a civil writ Petition No. 2695b of 2012, the NHAI stated that it has not permitted any kind of advertisement apart from traffic signages whether on highway or road over bridge (ROW). But some private people put advertisements on their private buildings and hoardings outside the ROW of the NHAI. The authority to regulate these advertisements is the Municipal Council, corporations and gram panchayats concerned.

He said they would raise the matter of illegal wall paintings and hoardings along the on NH-1 before the NHAI, in case the latter does not initiate action against the defaulters as well as the Khanna MC.

According to the RTI information, no permission has been given to any person/company/firm to advertise on the NH-1 walls passing through Khanna city. No fine has been imposed on defaulters under an offence of illegal hoardings along the service lanes on the NH-1.