A political hoarding with no information of the publisher near Sishu Bhavan Square. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, March 28: The municipal corporation’s axe has felled 428 illegal political hoardings and display boards.

As part of its drive, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also pulled down 10,677 posters, 4,456 flags and 10,427 banners of political parties. The drive has also led to the removal of 1,443 cut-outs, which were put up in violation of the rules.

The BMC is also verifying whether 88 political hoardings put up at different places in the city by its empanelled advertising agencies are in conformity with the model code of conduct laid down by the poll panel.

As per the model code of conduct, names of the issuing party, office-bearers and printing press should be there on election hoardings. Sources said such information was missing from most of the hoardings.

“We have deployed our enforcement teams to check the hoardings. If we find that the hoardings don’t carry the prescribed information, we will act against political parties,” said BMC additional commissioner Bishnu Prasad Mishra.

“We have received information from our advertising agencies that 88 political hoardings had been put up across the city. While 10 of these billboards are on government land, others are on private land and on rooftops,’’ said Mishra.

Sources said while the BJP had put up 22 hoardings, 46 belonged to the Congress and 20 to the BJD. The BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi figures in 22 of these billboards, Rahul Gandhi in 16 and Naveen Patnaik in three of them.

Awareness drive

The civic body will roll out ‘Sankalp Rath’ and organise mini-marathons to generate awareness among about the importance of voting.

Municipal commissioner-cum-district election officer (for three Assembly constituencies under the BMC area) Krishan Kumar has asked the project officer of the civic body to prepare hoardings and banners displaying voting dates and related messages. The ‘Sankalp Rath’ (publicity vehicle for voters’ awareness) will start doing the rounds of Bhubaneswar from April 7 covering the three constituencies within BMC limits.

The city buses plying on different routes will also be used to spread awareness. A marathon will be organised by the BMC in collaboration with major educational institutions and social service agencies like National Service Scheme and Nehru Yuva Kendra on April 13.

Fifty model polling stations will also be set up in association with corporate houses in areas that recorded low voter turnout in the past. Cable operators and FM radio channels will also be requested to spread awareness.