As illegal posters and banners mushroom across the city to mark the month of Ramzan, the BMC and Mumbai Police are yet to take them down, instead are passing the buck to each other for the inaction
The BMC and Mumbai Police are engaged in a war of words over the removal of posters, banners, cut-outs that have mushroomed across the city on account of Ramzan.
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A Congress party banner for Ramzan outside Azad Maidan. The BMC is supposed to remove all illegal banners, posters and hoardings. Pic/Atul Kamble
The BMC, which is supposed to get rid of all illegal hoardings, has alleged that the police are unwilling to provide support, while cops said that they would provide assistance if the civic body were to approach them. In the meanwhile, posters and banners continue to crop up without the necessary permits.
According to the Bombay High Court’s directive, the BMC is supposed to remove all illegal posters, banners from the city’s public places and ensure no new ones crop up. According to section 328 (A) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, a fine of up to Rs 5,000 can be imposed on defaulters.
“The BMC has not been able to do much about these posters and banners since the police has not provided personnel for bandobast. They don’t co-operate since they believe it will cause a law-and-order problem,” said D L Hegde, deputy superintendent of Licence department of the BMC.
However, the cops were quick to refute this claim. “The hoardings are definitely illegal. If the BMC approaches us, we will definitely provide bandobast. There is no issue from our side,” said DCP Dhananjay Kulkarni, spokesperson for Mumbai Police.
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