Telangana Minister Talsani Srinivas Yadav was issued a challan of Rs 5,000 by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Saturday after he erected a huge hoarding to mark Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's birthday on Necklace Road in Hyderabad.
The challan was issued by the Central Enforcement Cell (CEC) of the civic body's Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) wing.
A concerned citizen had clicked images of the hoarding and tweeted to the CEC saying, "Unauthorised hoarding at Necklace Road circle. If any incident occurs, who is the responsible person?"
Responding to the tweet, the CEC issued a copy of the challan which fined the Minister Rs 5,000 under relevant sections of the GHMC Act.
E-Challan generated for the post submitted by you. pic.twitter.com/GKH5aRG6ib
— Central Enforcement Cell, GHMC (@CEC_EVDM) February 15, 2020
As images of the hoarding were widely shared on social media, the Minister sent his aides to the GHMC office to pay the fine immediately. He later tweeted that the fine had been 'paid through cheque'.
Paid through cheque. pic.twitter.com/0kxMnM5o1d
— Talasani Srinivas Yadav (@YadavTalasani) February 15, 2020
By Saturday night, the hoarding had been removed.
It has been removed. Thanks for supporting me .... pic.twitter.com/Y4HGEwv9bg
— Galibe vishal (@Galibe_vishal) February 15, 2020
The EVDM wing of the GHMC is presently in the centre of a row as several politicians objected to its functioning during the civic body's General Body Meeting earlier this month.
Former Hyderabad Mayor Majid Hussain raised the issue and claimed that heavy fines were being imposed for minor violations, following which many corporators joined in with a similar complaint.
With the CEC, an online e-challan system started by the EVDM wing, citizens have been taking photographs of illegal cutouts, flexes, banners and posters in the city, following which a challan is automatically generated with a fine proportionate to the offence.
As many of the violators are politicians themselves they have been bearing the brunt of heavy penalties. During the GHMC meeting, it was decided that a committee headed by Commissioner Lokesh Kumar would look into the penalties levied by the EVDM wing and make some recommendations.