Many months ago during a meeting to discuss the ‘Swacch Hyderabad’ campaign, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao expressed his annoyance over the unauthorised banners, flexis, posters and hoardings that were projecting an ugly façade of Hyderabad .

He ordered these to be removed and asked the civic officials concerned not to spare even those belonging to the ruling party. On Thursday, the Minister for Municipal Administration, K.T. Rama Rao, instructed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to immediately remove such publicity material dotting the city landscape on walls, poles, terraces, etc.

Calling for strict implementation of the existing Act such as the A.P. Disfigurement of Open Spaces and Prohibition of Obscene and Objectionable Posters and Advertisements Act 1997, the Minister asked GHMC Commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy to ensure the Zonal Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners concerned are tasked with the job of removing the banners and posters everyday.

Mr. Rao also pointed out that some of the publicity material such as flexi posters were found to be dangling dangerously on the road medians leading to many accidents as it was hazardous to the commuting public. No political party or organisation is exempt from removal of the posters or banners even if they belonged to the ruling party.

The Minister warned that criminal cases are liable to be filed against any organisations or parties resorting to pasting posters or hanging banners indiscriminately and without the mandatory approvals. He lamented that the beautification drive taken up during the CoP Bio-diversity summit few years ago by painting murals on flyovers and select walls have been disfigured .





Criminal cases will be filed against political parties and others resorting to such practices: KTR