With the declaration of schedule for Assembly elections and model code of conduct coming into force in the State, huge hoardings, dotting the skyline of capital, displaying achievements of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led State Government have also vanished overnight, thanks to Election Commission of India’s stern directive to officials for maintaining the serenity of polls.
Notably, just a day back around a hundred huge hoardings dotted almost every square, crossing, high-rise building and even around esplanades displaying the achievements of Government as also bearing the imprint of Ministers in Chief Minister Raman Singh disappeared Friday night itself even if the poll schedule was announced Friday.
Quickness of officials of state protocol surprised many as within hours vehicles of Ministers, chairmen of boards/corporations were withdrawn giving hint of the EC’s strictness. At the same time, municipal officials were also on the work of freeing the city from these hoardings as by the morning most of hoardings, cut-outs were out from the view.
According to officials concerned, now on these places, poster and hoardings of election commission will be put up to educated people about the benefits and necessity of casting vote.
Newly appointed Commissioner of Raipur Municipal Corporation Narendra Dugga held a meeting of all zone commissioners and in-charge officials Saturday and instructed the officials concerned to ensure adherence of model code of conduct. He also asked the officials to hold a meeting of Advertisement Agencies’ representatives and ask them to remove the hoardings displaying political parties’ achievements, Government schemes. If these agencies do not give certificate of removing these hoardings then they should be penalised, he told the officials.
In the meeting, town planner MN Thakur informed that during Friday night in all the 8 zones about 200 big hoardings, banners/posters displaying achievements of state government and cut-outs of leaders and about 2000 small size advertisement hoardings, banner/poster, cut-outs were removed after enforcement of model code.