Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner M. Dana Kishore said the civic body would strictly enforce Acts against defacement of public places that came into force with the announcement of the schedule for elections to the Legislative Assembly on Saturday evening.
Soon after the Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat announced the poll schedule, the GHMC authorities embarked on removal of banners, flex boards and other hoardings in the areas under its jurisdiction as part of enforcing the model code of conduct that fully came into effect since Saturday evening. In addition to the hoardings put up by leaders and politicians, the civic authorities removed those pertaining to different government programmes with photos of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his Cabinet colleagues on them.
According to GHMC officials, more than 18,000 sanitation and disaster rescue workers have been engaged in the work in different parts of the city and over 10 truckloads of material has been removed so far. More than 80% of the banners, flex boards and hoardings were removed till late on Sunday evening.
Mr. Kishore said the process would continue in the coming days. Till reports last came in, the GHMC Disaster teams had removed 191 banner and flex boards, 230 wall posters, 61 flags and 60 other material.
While the GHMC staff removed banners and posters at public places, the staff of different departments have been directed to remove hoardings relating to their respective schemes from their premises. In addition to this, instructions have been issued to advertising agencies to ensure that the hoardings and banners relating to political parties and leaders put up by them should be removed with immediate effect.
