Hyderabad, November 08: Though the model code of conduct for the November 23 Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections came into force a week ago,civil officials are caught in a catch-22 situation over cutouts and banners of the late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy erected near the former chief minister’s camp office at Greenlands.
Several cutouts and flexi banners, including the ones at the camp office, were erected by the Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee after the death of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in a chopper crash on September 2.
However, with the State Election Commission (SEC) issuing a notification for GHMC elections on October 28, all poll-related material should have been taken off the roads, but fearing a political backlash, the timid officials have allowed the banners and cutouts at the camp office, ignoring the rule book.
As per the model code of conduct, a political party or contesting candidate cannot erect or keep any flexies, cutouts, banners or wall writings by defacing public or private properties. If any party or candidate violates it, they are punishable under the AP Prevention of Disfigurement of Open Places and Prohibition of Obscene and Objectionable Posters and Advertisements Act 1997.
The political parties are not supposed to erect cutouts of any existing leader or departed one on public properties like flyovers, medians and roads.
Various political parties took objection to election officials not removing YSR’s cutouts near Greenlands even after the poll notification. They claimed the Congress wants to gain sympathy and get votes by using his photographs.
The State Election Commission (SEC) had given instructions to the GHMC commissioner and special officer on October 30 to take immediate steps to remove unauthorised banners, cutouts and direct all political parties to remove their posters and slogans. The parties were supposed to repaint walls of public and private parties at their own expense. But graffiti of Praja Rajyam Party can still be found on walls in places like Alugaddabavi. They were not neither repainted by the PRP nor GHMC.
GHMC commissioner SP Singh had claimed at a recent press conference that 6,719 unauthorised banners, cutouts and other publicity materials in various areas of the city were removed as part of implementation of the model code of conduct. But they did not touch banners, flexies and cutouts of the former chief minister.
As per the AP Prevention of Disfigurement of Open Places and Prohibition of Obscene and Objectionable Posters and Advertisements Act 1997, disfigurement of any public or private place is an offence punishable with imprisonment which may extends up to three months and a fine of Rs 2,000 or both.
When contacted, GHMC zonal commissioner (Central Zone) Bhaskar Katamaneni admitted that there were cutouts and banners of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy near the camp office. “We have informed the CM’s camp office to remove them. As they were not removed, the GHMC will remove them by tomorrow (Sunday),” Bhaskar told.