Things were not quite the same in the city on Thursday. It scarcely was expected to be a usual, run-of-the-mill day, given that things were building up to a crescendo, with Tamil Nadu heading for a change in leadership.
Party members went all out, naturally to ensure that Chennai wore this momentous change on her sleeve. Working through Wednesday night, AIADMK cadre ensured that banners, hoardings and placards, with content that was solely hagiographic, were put up in key locations in the city, primarily in routes that party leader Jayalalithaa was expected to take on Friday to pay floral tributes to the icons of the Dravidian party movement, on Anna Salai.
All the banners, hoardings and placards were placed in violation of various laws of the land; several of them hindered the movement of pedestrians, damaging private property and even affecting regular life.
A number of bus shelters and street signboards on key stretches were obstructed. Many banners and placards on Anna Salai, Sardar Patel Road, Dr.Radhakrishnan Salai, Cathedral Road and TTK Road occupied the entire footpath. Residents said they did not protest as they were scared of incurring the wrath of party workers. A resident of Gopalapuram First Street, R.T.Namasivayam, says the structures erected at the Gopalapuram First Street and Cathedral Road junction pose a danger to pedestrians and motorists. “Political parties are requested to be considerate while erecting such bill boards,” said Mr.Namasivayam.
No permission
Data supplied at a recent meeting of officials of Chennai Corporation and Chennai Collectorate tells us that permission has been granted only for three hoardings in the entire city. No data was available for permission granted for banners and placards.
The commissioning of digital banners, placards and hoardings in the city is being regulated as per the provisions of Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919, Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Licensing of Hoardings and Levy and Collection of Advertisement Tax Rules, 2003 and the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies (Permission for Erection of Digital Banners and Placards) Rules 2011.
“We will not issue permission for banners located at traffic junctions and across footpaths, obstructing the way for pedestrians and vehicles,” said an official. However, most of the structures that sprung up on Thursday were erected just at these key spots.
All of them
are placed in violation of laws
Published - May 22, 2015 12:00 am IST