Pune: As the festive season progresses, large numbers of unauthorized flex banners have been observed defacing key areas of the city, including main squares, roads, and streetlights.
Citizens have expressed concern that the sky sign department of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is deliberately overlooking these violations.
The banners have been spotted in areas such as Katraj Chowk, Santosh Nagar, Katraj-Kondhwa Road, Sukhsagarnagar, Gokulnagar, Bharati Vidyapeeth, Mangdewadi, and Gujar-Nimbalkarwadi Road.
Despite an apparent need for urgent action, the Dhankawadi-Sahakarnagar and Kondhwa-Yewalewadi Ward Offices have been slow to address the issue, leading to a proliferation of these illegal banners.
According to municipal regulations, advertisements on authorized hoardings should display a permit number, but this requirement has been largely ignored across the city.
The unauthorized flex banners are causing significant obstructions to traffic, particularly along Katraj-Kondhwa Road. When questioned, signage inspectors provided evasive responses, citing other work priorities and a lack of manpower.
Yogesh Kakade, a sky sign inspector from the Kondhwa-Yewalewadi Regional Office, remarked, "During the festive season, a few flex banners are put up. Many people put them up, so how many can we remove? We have very limited manpower, and with such limited resources, the work doesn't get done."
The situation has prompted questions about why punitive measures are not being enforced more strictly against those responsible for putting up these illegal banners. If penalties are not deterring the practice, why are legal cases not being filed?
In response, Surekha Bhanage, Assistant Commissioner of the Dhanakwadi Sahakarnagar Ward Office, stated, "Consistent action is being taken against those who put up illegal flex banners. Last year, strict action was taken against violators during the festive season.
The issue of illegal flex banners has been brought to my attention, and I will immediately order the removal of illegal banners from both internal and main roads. Those who continue to engage in this practice will face punitive action."
