| Fixes fine for painting militant slogans on Srinagar buildings | | 70 days later, SMC wakes up from slumber | |  Early Times Report
Srinagar, Sept 18: Since July 9, separatists have been painting Srinagar green and inscribing militant messages on its every wall but it is after 70 days that SMC has woken up from the deep slumber, issuing an order in which people have been asked not to paint any wall.
The separatists have been asking people to write pro-freedom slogans on walls, streets and public places since the inception of current wave of unrest. In the weekly calendars, the separatist leaders even dedicated a full day for painting Kashmir green. People were asked to inscribe pro-freedom slogans on walls. Graffiti eulogising militants was visible on Srinagar's every nook and corner. There are walls, government buildings, gardens and main roads where separatists have succeeded in getting their slogans inscribed in bold letters.
However, SMC, known for its chaotic administration, has been awakened by the government to check on this move of the separatists. The corporation in return published an advertisement in daily newspapers here in which people have been advised not to allow separatist elements to deface the walls and buildings. "Defacement of any building or writing upon or otherwise marking any building, monument, post walls, fence, tree, or other things without any authority permission or licence issued by the corporation is an offence under section 302 (a), read with section 384 of Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act 2000," reads the notice.
Further, notice in the same para explained the fine which shall be imposed on the violators. "The violators shall be liable to fine that shall extend to five hundred rupees," it explains further, "In case of continuing offence/ contravention, the offender shall be liable to recurring fine of 50 rupees per day." Meanwhile, what has invited brickbats for the SMC is its bizarre measures that too taken while exhibiting such inordinate delay. "Instead of acting tough against the violators in the very first day, the SMC has come up with the advisory after 70 days. This much time was enough for the separatists to paint Srinagar with militant slogans. They have finished their job a long time ago- perhaps SMC was then caught napping," says an official within the corporation.
It was informed further that the SMC showed complete non- serious approach in dealing with the current crises and passed the buck to Police over the issue. "When it was your responsibility to stop defacement of public walls and properties why you failed to act for 70 days," asked a netizen on social media while commenting over SMC's latest order. |
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