MM: BMC men not up to the task: February 25, 2011

On Thursday,Mumbai Mirror followed ‘hoarding removal teams of licence departments of T (Mulund) and N (Ghatkopar) wards,and heard such prattle from some officials: this hoarding is too big,we will come back some other day;these banners have been erected very well,they wont come off easily.

If giving excuses was not enough,in one sensitive area,they pulled down hoardings,but returned them to people who had erected them.They showed such lax attitude despite the municipal commissioner’s order on illegal hoardings.On Monday,the commissioner issued a circular to all 24 wards and instructed officials to show zero tolerance against such banners.He also laid down clear guidelines for those who want to put up hoardings.

MIRRORS SCRUTINY of efforts taken by civic officials on Thursday began in Mulund.After bragging about the number of banners removed in the past few days despite political pressure,ward officials finally began their drive at about 4.15 pm.The team first spotted a huge illegal hoarding of a coaching class in the station area.

Junior civic staff told inspectors of the team that they had tried to remove it on Wednesday,but failed as it was too big.We should come back some other day with more manpower and better cutters, a BMC man told his superior,who immediately agreed.The team then moved to LBS Marg,and pulled down quite a few hoardings of local leaders and chamchas.

The next stop was Eastern Express Highway,where officials spotted two hoardings of MLA Sardar Tara Singh.The BMC staff tried to remove them,but failed.These hoardings have been erected really well,and wont come off easily, the staff told inspectors.The squad moved to another location,leaving the banners in peace.

At Ghatkopar,the situation was not much different.A different BMC team that visited the area in the morning claimed that it had removed all hoardings along a 90-feet road.However,when Mirror visited the stretch,it found a huge hoarding of Yuva Sena (Aditya Thackeray).

Another BMC squad took prompt action by removing hoardings of political parties.Chamchas tried to pressure officials by dropping names and making calls,but to no avail.Hoardings of Raj Thackeray,MLA Prakash Mehta and Shiv Sena leaders were removed.

HOWEVER,IN sensitive Ramabai Nagar along Eastern Express Highway,the squad developed cold feet.Initially,BMC men didnt touch political banners.After a mob gathered around the team,cops from a nearby outpost were called.Civic authorities handled the situation well and removed some banners.However,instead of confiscating or destroying them,BMC men returned them to people who put them up.

When Mirror drew Additional Municipal Commissioner Mohan Adtanis attention to such lax attitude,he was furious.Whether they are hoardings of political heavyweights or they are located in sensitive areas,illegal hoardings are illegal.They must be taken down and seized.Such attitude of our officials will not be tolerated,and they will be punished.We are determined to continue with this drive, he said.

– MULUND

Concerned officials said they could not remove this illegal hoarding since it was too high and they needed better cutters

– GHATKOPAR, RAMABAI NAGAR

At some places when the illegal hoardings and cut-outs were removed,the officials instead of confiscating them,gave it back to the people who had installed them

– GHATKOPAR

At LBS Marg,Ghatkopar,the team pulled down quite a few illegal hoardings of political leaders

– MULUND

The staff pretended to remove the hoarding of MLA Sardar Tara Singh near Eastern Express Highway,Mulund but gave up saying its too sturdy

– GHATKOPAR (E)

At Ramabai Nagar,a mob surrounded the police when illegal banners were being removed