Cong alleges irregularities in ad hoardings; demands probe

Congress Opposition in the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation today alleged that advertising hoarding mafia were being "sheltered" in the national capital through "patronage" of some politicians.
Leader of the Opposition in NDMC, Mukesh Goel made the accusation while raising the issue of unauthorised hoardings, including one outside Ramlila Maidan near municipal body's headquarters 'Civic Centre', "resurfacing" in prime areas of the city, after having been removed last month.
"Unauthorised unipoles carrying illegal hoardings were removed from several prime locations of Delhi by the civic body on August 23. But, today if you see, they have resurfaced and one of the hoardings even carries a BJP advertisement," Goel alleged.

The Congress leader produced photocopies of the pictures of the advertising locations and the encroachment drive taken on August 23 and "images of the corresponding sites as of now" during the meeting of the NDMC's Standing Committee today. Later copies were also handed out to members of the press.
According to Goel, the sites include the Gandhi Ground car parking area, Ajmeri Gate Chowk near the Anglo-Arabic Secondary School, outside Ram Leela Maidan, near New Delhi Metro Station, opposite Old Delhi Railway Station and car parking on Church Mission Road.
"These hoardings are not small-sized but huge ones and revenue from them runs into lakhs. And, without patronage from some political people, they (the mafia) cannot operate like this," he claimed.

The Congress councillor also alleged that "persons who carried out the anti-encroachment drive, instead of being rewarded were transferred".

Taking cognisance of the case, Standing Committee Chairman Mohan Bhardwaj has asked officials to "lodge cases if any offenders, as pointed to by Goel, were to be found in this connection."
"Appropriate actions will be taken if irregularities are found and those covering themselves under a BJP umbrella must also remove them," Bhardwaj said.
Among other issues raised during the meet were the sealing of the shops in the Walled City and the chairman directed officials to invoke such sections of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, which were "people-friendly and for common good and not which will make their lives unnecessarily difficult". He also asked for a special meeting to be organised to address the issue.