Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Dec 24: With the menace of flexes and banners increasing day by day in the city, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has decided to intensify its removal drive and expedite the process of imposing penalties. For this purpose, three separate teams have been formed across three zones.
To regulate flexes and banners, the city has been divided into three zones — Surathkal, Kadri and Lalbagh — and one team has been deployed in each zone. Each team comprises an assistant revenue officer, revenue department inspector, bill collector and other staff. The teams will remove unauthorised flexes and banners wherever they are found across the city, and penalties will also be imposed, officials said.

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The installation of flexes has increased in several parts of the city. In some places, flexes are even being provided with electricity connections. Flexes installed on footpaths are causing inconvenience to pedestrians. Members of the public have demanded that rules against flexes be made stricter in the city.
The city corporation commissioner had earlier issued orders banning plastic flexes, and warning boards have been installed at several locations. Although removal drives are being carried out continuously, flexes are being reinstalled in the city. In the past one week alone, the corporation has removed more than 40 flexes and collected penalties exceeding Rs 4,000.
Only cloth banners are permitted within the city limits, while all other types of banners are considered unauthorised. Members of the public wishing to put up advertisements must obtain permission from the corporation’s revenue department.
Cloth banners of specified dimensions can be installed in the city for a period of up to 15 days on payment of Rs 200. Such banners must be brought to the corporation office for sealing. Rules also stipulate that banners should be installed only in non-hazardous locations. Banners that are not removed even after the permitted period will be treated as unauthorised.