‘We Don’t Practice What We Preach’! Locals Ignoring the Flex Ban, including MCC
Mangaluru: Seems like ‘Flex’ is Not ‘Flexible’ in Kudla! In spite of various awareness projects/seminars/walkathon etc on using flex banners/hoardings in Mangaluru, and even after several warnings given by Mangaluru City Corporation, people are ignoring the warnings and still displaying flex boards and banners. Every now and then MCC conducts a drive for the removal of flexes and banners within its limits, but unfortunately, people are still continuing this practice without seeking MCC’s permission. But the problem is that the officials of the administration and politicians who make the laws and advise citizens not to go in for flex materials for advertising- however, they themselves are the culprits-who make use of flex for their advertisement purpose. Seems like the quote “We Don’t Practice What We Preach?”.
But the funny part about this flex issue is that MCC which is trying to bring awareness about the use of flex banners/hoardings, has itself violated the rules by displaying a huge flex hoarding boasting about its achievement in bagging the “Best City Under Solid Waste Management in India 2018” award under the Swachh Survekshan 2018. It is learnt that just recently, the DK Zilla Panchayat was in trouble for displaying a flex banner highlighting about the Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018. Seems like our officials don’t learn by their mistakes committed earlier, instead keep doing the same mistakes again and again. How nice, because they don’t care- and they know who’ll take action against them, other than a few activists raising their voices and protests.
Even Educational Institutions, who try to bring awareness among the students about flex usage, and they themselves display their college advt material on flex hoardings.
The flex hoarding put up in front of MCC building reads about thanking Citizens of Mangaluru for helping make “Mangaluru City stand first in Quality of Life (in India) and 48th in the World in 2018. I am not quite who in the World did the judging, of making Mangaluru 48th position in quality of life in the World? The hoarding also highlights other achievements of the City that bagged various other awards like “Open Defecation Free City 2018” and “Best Practises in Utilization of Waste Water”, along with catchy photos.
A flex hoarding displayed near Govt Health Dept office building highlighting about “Hasiru Karnataka Andolana” (Keeping Karnataka Green)
Now that the revenue officer at MCC was transferred since he was doing a good job directing the workers to remove illegal flex banners, even those of politicians ( for which many say he got transferred for removing netas banners), we are once again seeing quite a number of flex banners/hoardings in the City, and no action has been taken. So, the question lies here is that why even have laws/rules when no one follows it, and no one from the administration takes action against those who display such illegal advertisement materials. Why can’t MCC strictly enforce the rule and fine heavily those who had erected the hoardings/banners? If strict action is not taken, these hoardings/banners will appear again and again- and MCC has to bring them down again and again- which is foolishness and waste of time and money. Seems like a drama every now and then?
A bunch of flex hoardings were displayed in the City by netas during CM Kumaraswamy’s visit to city recently, including this one
The best way to stop all this nonsense is to issue notices to all those who had erected hoardings illegally in the city and cases should be filed under Prevention of Disfigurement Act. If not, this practice will go on for ever- and MCC has to remove these banners for ever. So what would be a permanent solution for this problem, where there is no end to it? First of all, MCC needs to first sensitize people, but also subsequently take action against those violating the rule. A similar drive should be initiated in the remote areas too. It might be recalled that there were cases of accidents because of banners and publicity material on main roads that sometimes disrupted the view of motorists.
Various Banks who sponsor awareness programmes on Flex organized by institutions/Organizations, also use Flex hoardings for their publicity
The illegal hoardings, banners pitched indiscriminately along the road are causing a nuisance. They cause inconvenience to the general public. Many of these hoardings and banners are put up in gross violation of civic sense and also the civic law. MCC should have drives constantly so that the city is free from illegal and way too many banners that ruin the beauty of the City. And that Politicians should PRACTICE what they PREACH? Even Religious People of Educational Institutions, who try to bring awareness among the students about flex usage, and they themselves display their college advt material on flex hoardings ( see Pic).
