Bhubaneswar: Three truck loads of hoardings and flags were removed from various roads across the city Tuesday, including ‘No Hoarding Zones’ by a joint squad of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA).
This operation which lasted till evening removed not only political hoardings and flags but also hoardings containing New Year welcome messages from organisations, institutions and politicians.
The joint squad removed hoardings and flags from Sishu Bhawan to New Airport Square, New Airport to Rabindra Mandap Square and AG Square to Raj Mahal Square in the morning. In the afternoon the drive was carried out between Rajmahal and Master Canteen and Rajmahal to Kalpana Square.
“On the first day of action BMC removed around 250 small and big hoardings. The operation will continue Wednesday,” said a BMC official.
City residents welcomed this move. “Hoardings and banners obstruct views causing difficulties to bikers and motorists. They also damage the beauty of the city,” said Jagannath Das, a resident.
The BMC had convened a meeting of political parties Saturday to arrive at a consensus on effective implementation of hoarding regulations.
While participants agreed that declaring the Heritage Zone as no hoarding zone would go a long way in promoting tourism, they also requested civic authorities to act against the illegal display of hoardings.
Details like which political party has taken permission to display
hoardings, for how many days the permission was given and the locations allowed would be displayed on the BMC’s website.
PNN