TNN

Mangalore, May 3: The Election Commission’s orders to political parties not to put up banners, hoardings, buntings, etc, for electioneering purposes has hit the city corporation hard. From the MCC’s point of view, it stands to lose money to the tune of a few lakhs.

During previous elections, the MCC, as all corporations do, earned big bucks. The local bodies charged fees from the political parties for using election materials.

But not any more. The only money that the corporation can collect this time is from giving permission to set up campaign offices. Each office has to pay Rs 500. That way, the MCC has so far collected Rs 5,500. This is in contrast to Rs 49,000, the money it collected during the Ullal bye-elections last June and over Rs 4 lakh during the local bodies elections in December.

On the other hand, the EC’s decision has helped MCC to implement its decision to keep the city free of all banners and ads which keep coming up every now and then in the city, especially at the road junctions.

But still, some parts of the city are having banners and ads without permission. The revenue department has rid most parts of the city of banners, buntings and other such publicity materials during its recent drive.

Though the corporation fixes various rates for various sizes of banners, it does not have any control (to collect fees) over banners related to religious programmes. There are cases where the MCC gives permission for a certain number of banners but the organizers put more than the permitted ones. Leaving the banners even after the respective programmes has become a major problem. The buntings are also banned, but they appear in large numbers when political leaders visit the city.

Speaking to The Times of India, assistant revenue officer Praveen said they will book cases against offenders under the Prevention of Disfigurement Act.