Painter fined `1K for defacing wall

It’s just the beginning, claims civic body

Officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation fined a man `1,000 for painting an advertisement on a wall at Habsiguda crossroads on Saturday morning. He was fined for defacing property and instructed to wipe out the advertisement.

The corporation said walls should not be painted with commercials. Any kind of scribbling on walls, graffiti, painting or staining public space would invite fines ranging between `1,000 and `5,000,the GHMC has warned.

Thousands of the city’s walls are defaced by small businesses which paint their advertisements, and political parties their slogans.

“Defacing of walls will not be allowed. Illegal hoardings, flex boards, cutouts of political leaders and banners are prohibited. We have decided to put an end to them,” GHMC commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy said.

The rule against defacing public and private properties came into effect on January 1.

The state government is mulling according magisterial powers to commissioners of urban local bodies to penalise those who urinate or defaecate in public, throw garbage or construction debris and deface property.

Elsewhere, the ‘Love HYD’ typographical structure on Tank Bund has spit stains and shoe prints. The GHMC has still not been able to find a way to protect it.