Bhubaneswar, Nov. 16: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation today pulled down around 10 illegal hoardings, most of them promoting cultural shows, near Rabindra Mandap and Jayadev Bhavan to check “visual pollution” near the no-hoarding zones along the state secretariat.

Cultural bodies and artistes termed the act as “anti-cultural” and without “any prior notice”. Officials of the civic body, however, said the administrative authorities managing the public auditoriums, themselves, complained about “visual pollution” near the auditoriums.

Sources said cultural organisations were putting up hoardings near the no-hoarding zones, where many beautification projects had already been undertaken. Staring from stone statues to modern installations, these art objects are enhancing the beauty of Sachivalay Marg. But, with the hoardings, many installations get hidden behind the structures.

“We got a specific complaint that a hoarding near Rabindra Mandap was tied to the neck of a stone statue and it was about to fall. The statue could have been broken,” said an official.

Renowned artist and stage designer Asim Basu condemned the step. “The authorities should have informed us first. We had displayed the hoardings outside Rabindra Mandap to announce our upcoming programmes to be held here,” he said. Illustrating hoardings for programmes outside the auditorium had been a tradition, but no one ever opposed it, said Basu, adding that the officials were insulting artists and members of cultural fraternity.

Dramatists and artistes also echoed the same. “Since we have a programme coming up next week, it is only justified that we let the public know about it,” said Dhira Mallik of theatre group Satabdira Kalakar.

“Announcing our upcoming events lets our audience know about our programmes and, for that, hoardings are important,” said dramatist Abhinna Routray of theatre group Uttar Purush.Members of the Odisha Natya Sangha staged a demonstration in front of Rabindra Mandap calling for an immediate action from the state cultural department.

Municipal commissioner Vishal Kumar Dev said the hoardings were crossing the limits at the two cultural hubs and we have received specific complaints from higher authorities concerned as areas near the secretariat and Assembly are no-hoarding zones.

Deputy municipal commissioner Priyadarshi Mohapatra said the action was not to hurt the sentiments of artistes or art lovers, but putting up huge hoarding outside the auditoriums is against the provisions of the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act, 2003.

“Considering their cultural importance, we can allow it inside, but recently the hoardings have surpassed all limits and cause visual pollution along the no-hoarding zones,” he added.