| The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) wants the City cleaned up of loud and gaudy film posters and eye-sore graffiti. | |
| While that may appear to be an uphill task and comes a tad too late, BBMP’s proposal to fight film posters and wall graffiti is well-intentioned. The City municipality plans to impose a penalty on film producers and directors as well as private companies manufacturers who use posters and graffiti on public property to advertise films and products. It is not clear whether political parties, who also use graffiti on walls and other public property, would be penalised. With its mantra of a ‘Beautiful Bangalore’, BBMP intends to wipe clean the City’s walls and public places defaced by film posters and graffiti. The move stems from BBMP’s newly appointed commissioner Bharatlal Meena’s belief that sticking posters and writing graffiti is amounts to defacement of public and private property which is expensive and labour-intensive to remove. Ugly sight During field visits to various parts of the City since taking over as BBMP Commissioner, Meena was peeved by the sight ugly of public property like government buildings, under-passes and fly-over pillars plastered with layers of film posters and wall-writings. Recently, Meena convened a meeting of all BBMP joint commissioners and chief engineers, giving them strict instructions to wipe clean all public places of graffiti and posters. |
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I suppose this was long pending, but i have my own doubts whether this can be implemented fully. As there will be hectic lobby from the film industry, for whom the public walls are the way for cheap publicity for the movies. BBMP should think of solutions for them. May be designate certain walls for movie poster for a nominal fee and time. Any other suggestions??
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Where is the teeth?
With all due respect to BBMP, such really well intentioned announcements have come at least twice in last two-three years.
Getting rid of political hoardings is definitely not a super tough job. I say this because election commission managed to do it - city was free of ugly posters during Lok Sabha elections (btw, I have had a minor accident as welll with one such thing falling off of a pole). Why did EC manage to do it? Two reasons perhaps 1) penalty is clear, and parties are watching for each other to make the mistakes 2) they are seen to be impartial
If you ask BBMP, they would say (I am quoting one official, not verbatim) - "how can you get rid of each and everything, if you want to fine, how will you prove who put up what hoardings". Sort of true in theory - I can go around put up hoardings in your name. But EC did do the job.
As you say Vinod, the solution probably is in tapping into this "demand" for outdoor advertizing. Why kill this demand via enforcement which BBMP can anyway not afford?
Outsource upkeep of certain stretches? Outsourcer makes money on advertizing, and maintans roads and pavements in return? I am not talking PPP, simple outsourcing arrangements.
Or, BBMP can manage outdoor advertizing itself. But its stand has been fluctuating. Remember last year when there was a ban, and then a roll back.
Attaining perfect cleanliness would be impossible, because partly its our problem also. Those paying guest posters would not go for a generation because those who paste them never see anything wrong with doing such things. Go to marathahalli/Kundalahalli Sunday afteroons (I have seen them put political hoardings then, 3pm types), or Weekday night, 10.30 pm types (paying guest posters) if you want to meet th guys who actually 'bell the cat'.
Painting the city walls with colourful motifs
Film posters and ugly graffiti bothering you? It is all about to change as city roads will undergo a makeover with vibrant colours and themes. The BBMP’s initiative to add colour and make the walls in the city look more lively and attractive has just begun. more here
I beleive this a good initiative, these can also be very educative. Even the BMTC can help by painting the walls near bus stops with painting of public transportation benefits etc.
Regards,
vinod
BBMP warns film producers