Unauthorised flex boards and banners are cropping up in the city though the authorities have declared Mysore as a “flex-free” city.
Causing visual pollution and marring the ambience in which they have been installed, a majority of the flex boards and banners have life-size images of local followers of political leaders greeting people or wishing their leaders on their birthday.
They can been seen in residential areas and public places, especially in K.G. Koppal and Sri Ramakrishna Nagar Circle near Dattagalli. Flex boards with photos of political party activists and local leaders have been fixed to electrical poles along the Vishwa Manava Double Road from Gadadhar Circle.
When contacted, Mysore City Corporation Commissioner P.G. Ramesh said the civic authorities had recently cleared some flex boards and banners following complaints from the public.
He said now that the issue had been brought to his notice, he would get them cleared. An MCC official, however, said they were facing a tricky situation as some of the political party loyalists had advertised themselves while paying for the hoardings — which was legal — and clubbed it with an Independence Day contest.
But the authorities said they were vigilant against any mushrooming of flex boards in any part of the city and would crack down on receiving information. More recently, the MCC pulled down a few flex boards and banners of political party leaders as the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha byelection came into effect.
The menace crossed all proportions last year, forcing the authorities and the then district in-charge Minister S.A. Ramdas to declare Mysore a “flex-free” city in tune with its tourism and heritage status. The MCC Council too had declared a war against flex boards and banned them in the heritage area. But the menace continues in residential areas.
Though there are elaborate procedures for even installing hoardings such as seeking permission from the MCC and fixing the colour of the advertisement and its content, it is unlikely to be followed given the sheer number of flex boards and banners.
While Zone A, which encompasses the heritage area, has been declared completely free of banners, flex boards, posters and buntings, Zones B and C in the city, which cover commercial and residential areas, can have only authorised hoardings but no flex boards and life-size posters and cut-outs of any personality.
