Karnataka

Chitradurga CMC gets cracking

Drive: Hoardings put up in violation of rules being removed in Chitradurga on Tuesday.

Chitradurga: Following the directives of the Election Commission (EC), the City Municipal Council (CMC) here has undertaken a drive to remove buntings, banners, posters and hoardings put up by political parties.

The CMC, which continued the drive till late night on Monday, removed numerous banners and posters from main junctions and also heaps of buntings tied on electric poles and trees.

According to the EC’s directive, political parties should obtain permission at least two days before their programme to display any publicity material. Campaign materials are to be put up just two hours before a programme, and removed within one hour after it. “If any party is found violating the norms, the matter would be brought to the notice of the authorities concerned and appropriate action taken,” said Municipal Commissioner S.P. Mudhol. If the parties failed to remove the banners, the CMC would do it instead, but the labour cost would be slapped on the respective parties, he said.

Mr. Mudhol said that more than 15 huge hoardings put up by political parties had been removed.

The CMC has also been removing posters from public places and walls of government offices. Most of the walls flashing film posters and advertisements have now been painted afresh.

The CMC has been removing all “illegal” posters under the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act.

Mr. Mudhol said that violation of the Act would attract imprisonment extendable up to six months, or a fine of Rs. 1,000 or both.

The CMC had served notices on theatre owners to remove all the posters. In two days, the remaining posters and banners in the city would be removed, he said.

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