'Collectors can remove posters on public property in Goa'

PANAJI: The chief electoral officer of Goa, Kunal, on Saturday said there will be strict enforcement when it comes to defacement of public property.

Highlighting the Goa Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1988, Kunal said collectors are empowered to remove any such defacement. “Right now teams are in place to enforce the model code in public places from defacement of property,” he said.

“…now onwards one should start adhering to it and no public places should have any kind of defacement. The provisions are very strict,” he said.

He requested all stakeholders to ensure that they adhere to the law of the land.

“The definition of defacement includes impairing, interfering with appearance or beauty, damaging, disfiguring, spoiling or injuring in any way whatsoever and the word defaced shall be construed accordingly. Property includes any building, hut, monument, statue, water pipeline, public road, structure, wall including compound wall, trees, fence, post, pole, or any other erection, except which is a specified location, and collectors are empowered to remove it. We will keep a watchful eye,” he said, adding that there will be two flying squads in every constituency.

Recently, calling it poster pollution, chief minister Pramod Sawant had directed authorities to act against political parties found defacing public and private properties by pasting posters of their respective parties.

Advocate Cleofato Almeida said that while defacement of public property should not be permitted, when it comes to private property, if there is no complaint, it shouldn’t be an issue. “In case of public property, the election commission may have the power to act to protect it. The EC should act to avoid any connivance,” he said.

Mapusa-based criminal lawyer Vinayak Porob said there are political posters and banners every few meters in Tivim, some few feet from the side of the road and others tied to trees.

“All banners in the vicinity of public roads must be removed as they cause distraction to commuters. There is a reason why bridges are painted in yellow and black and not colourful, which could reflect light and cause an accident. No political parties should be allowed by the government to advertise themselves on highways as these are a distraction,” he said.

“Government property is meant for public use and not for political parties to canvas for its own purpose. Instead of making use of government property, electricity poles and bridges for personal canvassing, political parties should do ground work and go door-to-door or fix the posters at a distance from the road, in private properties,” he added.

Recently PWD had written to collectors of both districts about defacement of government property by political parties. “In the wake of the forthcoming assembly election, political parties have defaced government property, especially piers/walls of vehicular underpasses in the elevated stretches of the national highways and other roads. You are requested to take necessary action,” PWD chief engineer (national highway) D C Gupta said in a letter.

Meanwhile, activist Sabina Marins said that if activists were to put up posters on issues,they would have been put behind bars. “If would be legislators themselves get down to breaking laws, they should be booked.” she said.



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