169 FIRS for political Bappa banners
43 of the FIRS filed against its leaders for not removing them by the September 18 deadline
MUMBAI: Going on an overdrive to remove illegal banners in the city after Ganeshotsav ended on Wednesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) removed 1,783 unauthorised political and commercial banners, posters and boards put up during the festival in the past three days.
The civic body has also lodged 169 First Information Reports (FIRS) against political parties from September 19 to 21. The highest number of FIRS – 43 – have been filed against the Shiv Sena, 42 against the Congress and 28 against the Nationalist Congress Party. Civic officials say there are many places where action is still to be taken.
In July, giving in to pressure from Ganesh mandals and political parties, the civic body had relaxed its blanket ban on political banners and had allowed them to be displayed within 100 metres of a Ganesh pandal during the 10 days of Ganeshotsav.
However, as per the norms, these banners were to be removed by Ganesh mandals after the festival ended on September 18.
“By Saturday evening, we removed all the illegal banners from major locations, majority of which were of political in nature. There must have been a few left in the remotest corners, which would also be removed soon,” said Rajendra Bhosale, deputy municipal commissioner (special), adding that notices would be issued to mandals that had violated norms.
“Offence sheets against the names mentioned on the political banners have been filed in most of the cases. We are collating data on the Ganesh mandals that had not removed the banners near their pandals voluntarily, after which we will levy fines on them to recover the cost that the administration bore in removing them,” said Sharad Bande, superintendent of licences, BMC.
Political parties, however, have refused to accept blame for the rise in the number of illegal political banners.
“It is every political party’s responsibility not to put up banners and there needs to be a larger political consensus on it. It is my appeal to all the parties to follow the norms,” said Mayor Sunil Prabhu.