EVDM fines Khairtabad ZC for illegal posters near Golconda fort

Hyderabad: The vigilance department of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) fined zonal commissioner of Khairatabad P. Pravinya Rs. 10,000 on 17 February for unauthorised banners at Golconda Fort.

On the occasion of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s birthday, two banners were put up near Golconda Fort. One was tied to a fence and the other was tied to an electric pole. The Telugu posters wished KCR on his 66th birthday and also urged citizens to plant saplings as the programme of ‘Each One, Plant One’. The poster also carried the GHMC and Telangana government logos. Acting on a complaint by a Twitter user, TG Citizen, the directorate of enforcement vigilance and disaster management issued an e-challan to the zonal commissioner of Khairatabad.

Meanwhile, speaking to NewsMeter Pravinya said, “Why will we put out illegal banners? Moreover, I am unaware of the fine. I will check what the issue is.”

It is to be noted that similar posters were seen in various parts of the city.

On Saturday, the department slapped a fine of Rs. 5,000 on the minister for animal husbandry, fisheries and cinematography, Talasani Srinivas, for putting up unauthorised hoarding at Necklace Road circle in Khairatabad. The minister soon took to Twitter to say that he paid the fine and the poster was also removed.

The vigilance department launched an app called CEC to report illegal hoardings, improper disposal of construction, debris, and littering. Later, to include public participation, a Twitter handle was created. People tagged the handle by posting pictures and the location of illegal posters. Based on those details, the department developed an e-challan. The director of enforcement and vigilance, Vishwajit Kambati, said, “On an average, we receive around 30-40 complaints every day through Twitter. This social media handle has been linked to already existing CEC app, to manage the complaints.”