BHUBANESWAR: A poster war among political parties ahead of the elections to Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (MC) on March 24 has left the State Capital defaced.
With enforcement remaining slack and agencies struggling to take appropriate action against the violators, public and private properties in the city have taken much of the brunt.
From Vani Vihar to Khandagiri and Kalpana to Rasulgarh, political posters have defaced everything including poles, side walls of the flyover as well as boundaries of government and private buildings and houses.
The Bomikhal flyover that had been coloured with an investment of around Rs 15 lakh by the public works department has also been covered with wall and hanging posters by the candidates of BJD, BJP, Congress and others.
Candidates have not even spared the roundabout under Rasulgarh flyover and the digital kiosks on the Smart Janpath stretch.
To escape enforcement and public grudge, supporters of the candidates stick political posters on walls of public and private properties during night and early morning.
Residents of Saheed Nagar, Nayapalli and Bomikhal alleged that the silence of BMC and Commissionerate Police, who support the election commission in carrying out the enforcement drive, have given a free hand to the candidates and political parties to flout norms laid down by the commission. They put up posters and banners randomly in violation of model code of conduct.
BMC had recently announced opening of a control room for registration of complaints regarding violation of model code of conduct, while ADM office has also formed seven enforcement teams to remove hoardings, posters and banners that have been put by the candidates on public properties illegally.
A few BMC officials admitted though they have been carrying out drives to check these violations and defacement, there has been no hefty penalty or strong punishment against the violators.
DCP Uma Shankar Das said they are taking immediate action where there is violation of model code of conduct. Besides, he added the police personnel are also part of a joint enforcement squad carrying out drive against violation of model code of conduct.