As many as seven companies were penalised by the Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) department of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Friday for erecting illegal hoardings across the city. The Corporation says if the companies fail to pay up, their offices will be sealed.
The EVDM according to their press statement penalised the British Institute Of Spoken English for Rs 33,62,000; Rapido Bike Taxi for Rs 13,79,000; Natural Hair Treatment for Rs 29,44,000; Venkat jobs in MNC for Rs 29,44,000; Bill Soft Technologies for Rs 9,38,000; ACT Fibernet for Rs 14,19,000; and Hathway Broadband of Rs 8,13,000. The EVDM director Viswajit Kampati also warned that if the companies failed to pay the fine, they will be sealed.
Removal of unauthorized flexis, wall posters and boards by EV&DM personnel after levying penalties through CEC. Over 8 lakh flexis/posters/boards removed as part of anti-defacement work. @arvindkumar_ias @CommissionrGHMC pic.twitter.com/YK5ugTCSbk
— Director EV&DM, GHMC (@Director_EVDM) January 18, 2020
The action by EVDM was taken based on complaints received through the Central Enforcement Cell (CEC) app. The app has so far recorded 44,403 violations and Rs 14 crore worth fines have been levied in the process. The GHMC claims to have removed 8.6 lakh wall posters, banners, flexes, cutouts etc from across the city.
Soon after the EVDM tweeted out pictures of the disaster management staff taking out hoardings, several city-based activists began tweeting about various hoardings that the GHMC has allegedly failed to take action against.
I hope @Director_EVDM books this repeat offender, Tarnaka Corporator is buked undr relevnt laws n high penalty is levied @ZC_Secunderabad plz do. @shoousity plz buk her u/s 336 ipc n 421of GHMC, also public proprty defcement. I can give written complaint if needed.@DCPEASTZONE pic.twitter.com/UIV0VWSQRK
— VijayGopal (@VijayGopal_) December 24, 2019
Akshay Kumar, a city-based social activist says he even filed an RTI to find out if a hoarding on government land next to his residence was legal, "The GHMC responded saying that no permission was given for erecting the hoarding. No fines have been levied for that illegal hoarding however," says Akshay who filed the RTI in September 2019.
The EVDM officials were unavailable for comment.