Navi Mumbai: Navi Mumbai has witnessed a proliferation of allegedly illegal political banners and hoardings ahead of the Navratri festival, with residents accusing civic authorities of failing to enforce court directives against defacement of public places time and again and in the face of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan as the city is vying to regain its super cleanliness status in the country.
Large banners of politicians have appeared at junctions and along roads across the city, allegedly without mandatory permission from civic agencies and traffic police.
Residents claimed officials were reluctant to act against politically influential offenders while strictly enforcing restrictions against ordinary citizens.
An alert citizen said the city had remained free of illegal banners only during the elections because of the model code of conduct, but politicians had reappeared as the festival season approached.
He said that the case was very similar during the Ganesh festival as well and the authorities failed to initiate action in clearing the defacement.
Activist Dhananjay Suvarna said the civic body was automatically losing revenue by allowing politicians to erect banners without paying prescribed charges at designated locations, unlike ordinary citizens who are bound to have the official permission.
Developer Manohar Shroff alleged double standards in enforcement and claimed corruption had made officials reluctant to act.
Residents questioned why ward officers, who may permit banners after collecting prescribed charges, had failed to identify and remove unauthorised political advertisements.
Vashi resident C S Parwana said: “We are fed up with the dual policy of the civic body. The high court recently has strictly instructed the civic bodies to comply with its order to make the urban areas free of defacement, but in vain. The offenders should be penalized for painting the city ugly.”
Activist Santush Patil claimed political banners across Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation nodes carried no permission stickers, indicating violations of advertising norms.
A civic official said special teams had been deployed to crack down on illegal banners and action would be taken soon. Residents, however, were dissatisfied with the response.
