Political banners deface Hyderabad illegally

Hyderabad: Despite High Court orders, the members of the ruling party are the worst violators when it comes to erecting posters and banners. In an all-departmental meet, the HMR chief had informed Chief Minister K.

Chandrasekhar Rao that TRS party members occupied the most public space in the city, including the metro pillars. The CM had instructed the posters to be taken down, starting with his own.

However, nothing concrete was done and the city continues to remain pink. The situation is especially bad on birthday’s of leaders. To end this menace, minister K.T. Rama Rao has ordered the GHMC to pull down all illegal publicity material that is disfiguring Hyderabad.

According to AP Prevention Of Disfigurement Of Open Places And Prohibition Of Obscene And Objectionable Posters And Advertisements Act 1997: “Whoever affixes to or inscribes or exhibits on any place open to public view any objectionable advertisements shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year or with fine which shall not be less than Rs 2000 and extend to Rs 5000.”

Apart from the GHMC authorities, the Act gives power to police officials to remove posters. It states: “Any police officer, not below the rank of sub-inspector may remove, erase or pull down such illegal publicity.” After the Chief Minister’s order to remove posters, the civic staff have tried to remove few during late hours, however, fresh posters come up within days.

Flexis ‘fight’ takes over as leaders mark birthdays

Politicians’ birthdays are becoming grounds for flexi wars between their supporters.After a flexi war in Hyderabad between supporters of Pajjanna, the nickname for excise minister T. Padma Rao, and commercial taxes minister T. Srinivas Yadav, it has now spread to other cities and towns in Telangana.

Sangareddy town, the headquarters of Medak district, represented by TRS MLA Chinta Prabhakar, turned pink on Thursday as it was the legislator’s birthday.
The entire stretch of the road to Sangareddy town was filled with pink flexies of all sizes, wishing the MLA. Due to the competition among local party leaders and corporators to out do each other, flexies of all sizes and shades were put up greeting the MLA.

“This is nothing but showering affection on our leader. An element of competition is also there,” said Mr J. Shiv Shanker, TRS vice-president, Sangareddy. Mr Manoj, a TRS leader and Pajjanna supporter said, “Everyone likes to shower their love and loyalty towards their leader. Flexies are the best way.”

Flexies cost anywhere between Rs 300 to Rs 3,500 depending on their size.
Newspaper too have become battlegrounds on birthdays. Flexis proclaiming, “Happy birthday Chinta Prabhakar Garu” greets people on the main road in the town. It’s been put up by Mr Khaja Khan, a contractor.

Another flexi was put up by Mr Kothapalli Srikant, TRS constituency in-charge along with others in the town including by the Dargah Committee Hazrath Fateh Khan Sabeb. Names of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao, IT, PR and municipal administration minister K.T. Rama Rao, TRS MP K. Kavitha and prominent local legislators and leaders are a must on every flexi.

For Padma Rao’s birthday on April 7, the area around his residence in Ghasmandi and the main thoroughfare, R.P. Road, was full of flexis.