Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 14: Defacement of public properties is rampant across Srinagar city in violation of the rules.
Mayor, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Junaid Azim Mattuu said he has issued instructions to stop the defacement. "Instruction issued for all big brands and commercial entities to be fined heavily for defacing the city with unauthorized advertisements hoardings and wall paintings," Mattuu said in a Tweet.
These days it could be seen that most of the road and traffic signboards around Jawahar Nagar area, a hub of tuition centers, are covered with posters.
Similarly, Lalmandi footbridge is dotted with advertisements, and banners. The fence of the children's park and Valley's lone maternity Lala Ded hospital in the same vicinity is no exception.
While visiting various areas including Barbar Shah and Karan Nagar in the old city to uptown areas of Baghat, Barzulla, Parraypora, and Natipora, where the situation was similar. A pedestrian on the Lalmandi footbridge said, "It is not that officials concerned are not aware of this practice as they also travel on same roads, walls around which are surrounded by infinite odd posters, but they prefer to turn a blind eye."
A shopkeeper on the Bundside along the Jhelum added, "I feel the owners of these so-called private institutions are hand in glove with the officers. And, if the authorities seriously want to stop this malpractice, they need to take serious action against the violators."
An official of SMC said anybody caught defacing the government property will be dealt strictly by the corporation. "The act is always there. Nowadays we see many notifications, writings on the government property which is completely in violation to the rule. Without permission, if anybody is found indulging in such activities will be booked under law," he said.
The law defines the defacement as impairing or interfering with the appearance or beauty, damaging, disfiguring, spoiling or injuring in any other way or whatsoever.
Anti-defacement law literally known as The Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of defacement of Property Act, 1985 calls for strict punishment against the person found defacing the government property.
As per this law, whosoever defaces any property in public view by writing or marking with ink, chalk, paint or any other material shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees or with both. |
