Civic body warns against damaging public property

Bamboo structures erected over the pavement near the Head Post Office in Tiruchi for putting up a political hoarding.

With political parties showing no restraint in digging up pits on roads and pavements for putting up banners, hoardings and cut outs in the city, the Tiruchi Corporation has come out with yet another warning to people damaging public property.

Those responsible for causing damage to roads by putting up banners and hoardings should immediately remove the same , Corporation Commissioner T.T.Balsamy, said in a statement issued on Thursday.

Though the Corporation had announced some months back that banners, hoardings and cut-outs should be put only in select places, where the civic body has installed iron pipes on the roads, political parties and other organisations continue to flout the rule. The Commissioner's latest directive comes a day after a skirmish between two groups of a political party over erecting hoardings in the city. A large number of hoardings have been put in various parts of the city over the past couple of months by different political parties.

While pits have been dug up on roadsides in some places, pavements have been targeted in several other places for putting up temporary bamboo structures to support the hoardings or cut-outs.

This practice has been continuing despite strong views expressed by various social organisations in the city.

A few years back, the District Exnora even obtained a court directive against digging up the roads for such purposes. In the absence of stringent punishment, the practice continues unabated.

‘It is on a spree of late. Even tiles on the pavements have been dug up near the Cantonment for putting up hoardings and banners for every other event. Besides damaging public infrastructure, the hoardings are a public menace as they divert the attention of motorists,” observed C.Balasubramanian, secretary, District Exnora.

Mr.Balsamy has pointed out that roads have been damaged in some places for putting up digital banners and cut-outs.

Those who have put up the structures should immediately remove the same by themselves. If they fail to do so, the Corporation in coordination with the police would remove them without prior notice. Legal action would also be initiated against the violators, he said.

Mr.Balsamy said banners and hoardings could be put up as per the norms laid down by the government without damaging the roads and causing hindrance to traffic.