Penalties levied against illegal hoardings and flexi boards in the city, far from acting as deterrent, are working only to legalise the violations if they are by political leaders and wannabes. The flexis tied all around the city ahead of the TRS Formation Day celebrations and party’s plenum are an indication of the same.
Be it the Praja Sangrama Yatra taken up by BJP state chief and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, or the TRS plenary meeting last October and again this year on Wednesday, or the city tour by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday-- they were all lapped up by second and third rung leaders of the respective parties as occasions to prove their loyalty to the high command.
Ministers and elected public representatives are no exception. The fact that the ban was imposed by their own government, upon instructions from the Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development K.T.Rama Rao, has no effect on them. They are willing to splurge on penalties if it means they can get away with violations.
Minister for Animal Husbandary, Fisheries and Cinematography Talasani Srinivas Yadav and legislators Danam Nagender and Kaleru Venkatesh who were slapped with fines for erecting illegal flexi boards on Tuesday, turn out to be repeat offenders.
Mr.Srinivas Yadav and Mr.Nagender were slapped with hefty penalties a week after the TRS Plenary meet last year, for violating the GHMC Act by having huge flexi banners and boards erected around the meeting location.
That did not deter them from repeating the same offence within a duration of about six months. On Tuesday, the Central Enforcement Cell (CEC) of GHMC generated at least 10 challans amounting to ₹50,000 against Mr.Srinivas Yadav for flexis at several locations including Amberpet, Mettuguda, East Marredpally, Tarnaka, YMCA Secunderabad, Sangeet Junction, Narayanguda and KBR Park, as per information from social media.
Three challans were made out indicting Mr.Nagender, another repeat offender, for erecting flexi posters at KBR Park and Begumpet. Two challans amounting to ₹10,000 were issued in the name of General Secretary, TRS party.
While challans were generated against TRS legislator K.Naveen Kumar and others too, the TRS Social Media Convenor Y.Sathish Reddy scored over all others by tying flexi banners around the Tourism department’s cruise in Hussain Sagar Lake. He was issued two challans amounting to a whopping ₹65,000!
The CEC responded to a large number of complaints on social media and posted the challans as replies online. However, it may be noted that the wing has assumed a passive approach in prevention of the banners and their removal.
Though there were a large number of flexi banners and cut-outs put up at Kothapet on Tuesday on the occasion of the chief minister’s visit, no action was taken, as there was no online complaint.
Calls and enquiries with the Director, EVDM, Viswajit Kampati about the total number of challans generated and penalties levied went unanswered.
